Bernard StoneLuke Bryan's 17th Farm Tour touched down in California this week — May 14 through 16, 2026 — marking another year of the country superstar's tradition of performing intimate shows directly on working farms across America. The same week, Bryan wrapped his ninth season as a celebrity judge on American Idol and announced a new studio album, Signs, dropping September 18.
But behind the tractors and hay bales lies a financial crisis that millions of American farming families are quietly facing: what happens to the farm when the patriarch or matriarch steps back?
America's Farm Succession Problem Is Getting Worse
The numbers are stark. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average age of principal farm operators in the United States has risen to 58 years old — and more than one-third are over 65. Yet succession planning among family farms remains critically underdeveloped.
The reasons are familiar: estate taxes, disagreements among heirs, unclear land ownership records, and — most commonly — the simple belief that there will be time to plan "later." For many farming families, later never comes. When a farm owner dies without a proper plan in place, the result is often a forced sale to cover tax liabilities, dissolution of assets built over generations, and family disputes that outlast the legal proceedings.
Bryan's Farm Tour has always been about celebrating American agricultural culture. But the message embedded in every packed field show is also this: farming is a way of life that deserves to be protected — with the same seriousness that a financial plan deserves.
What "Farm Estate Planning" Actually Means
Farm estate planning is not simply writing a will. It is a structured process involving several legal and financial instruments that work together to ensure a farm transfers to the next generation without triggering a tax event that forces a sale.
The estate tax threshold: For 2026, the federal estate tax exemption is $13.61 million per individual ($27.22 million for married couples). Many family farms — particularly in California, where agricultural land values have surged — exceed this threshold on paper even though the farming income itself is modest. A farm that appears to be worth several million dollars based on land valuation may generate relatively little cash income, making it nearly impossible to pay estate taxes from operations alone.
Section 2032A special use valuation: The IRS offers a provision that allows qualifying farms to be valued based on their actual agricultural use rather than fair market value, potentially reducing the taxable estate by up to $1.32 million in 2026. This election requires meeting specific use and holding period requirements — and it must be claimed correctly on the estate tax return.
Conservation easements: Families can voluntarily restrict future development rights on their land in exchange for a charitable deduction that reduces estate value. Conservation easements have become one of the most effective tools for keeping California farmland in agricultural use across generational transitions.
Qualified Opportunity Zone investments: For farming families with significant capital gains exposure — from selling portions of land or other assets — Opportunity Zone investments can defer and potentially reduce federal tax liability while simultaneously supporting rural community development.
The Three Conversations Farming Families Avoid Having
Wealth advisors who work with agricultural clients consistently identify three conversations that farming families postpone to their financial detriment:
Who actually owns what? Many farms built across two or three generations have informal ownership structures that were never legally documented. A parent may "give" a child a portion of the farm without executing a proper deed transfer. When that parent dies, the undocumented transfer can be challenged — both by other heirs and by tax authorities.
What happens if we disagree? If three siblings inherit a farm equally and one wants to sell, one wants to continue farming, and one is indifferent, the conflict resolution process without a proper buy-sell agreement can take years and cost tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
How will we pay the taxes? Estate taxes are due within nine months of death. If the estate does not have liquid assets sufficient to cover the liability, the IRS can grant a 10-year installment payment plan under Section 6166 — but only for farm estates that meet specific requirements. This provision must be elected proactively. A wealth advisor can model whether the estate qualifies and structure assets accordingly.
When to Start — And Who to Talk To
The ideal time to begin farm estate planning is when the farm owner is in their 40s or 50s, healthy, and has clear legal capacity to make decisions. The practical reality is that most families start later — often in their 60s after a health scare or the death of a peer.
No matter the starting point, the right professional team for a farming family typically includes a wealth advisor with agricultural experience, an estate attorney familiar with state-specific land laws, and a CPA who understands farm tax code provisions including Section 179 deductions, cash accounting for agriculture, and special use valuation elections.
Luke Bryan has spent 17 years driving to farms across America to honor the people who grow the food. ExpertZoom connects farming families directly with licensed wealth management professionals who specialize in agricultural estate planning and multi-generational asset transfer. The farm you inherited — or built from nothing — deserves a plan as durable as the land itself.
