Succession Stories | 1 | A Diagnosis and a Deadline

About this episode

Howie and Andrea Hammond discuss the urgent decisions they faced regarding their family farm after Howie's terminal diagnosis.

When Howie Hammond learned he might only have months to live, he and his daughter Andrea had to make quick decisions about the future of their family's farm and ranch. In the Milk River Valley of northern Montana, the Hammonds' story shows how one family's health scare catalyzed the difficult conversations about succession that many rural families avoid until it's too late.​ From urgent meetings with their lawyer and accountant, to long days spent side by side in the field, Howie and Andrea share what it took to move from uncertainty to a plan that keeps the family farm intact.

People in this episode

Host: Megan Torgerson

Guests: Howie Hammond, Andrea Hammond

Topics covered

• succession planning
• family farm
• health scare
• rural life
• decision making

Keywords

• succession stories
• family ranch
• Montana
• health crisis
• farm planning

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Milk River Valley, Montana

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• Succession Stories | Bonus | A Roadmap to Farm and Ranch Succession Planning · December 16, 2025 · 1h 29m
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