Succession Stories | 1 | A Diagnosis and a Deadline

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.