The Montgomery County Women In Ag program returned for another year on April 22 at Montgomery County Middle School to help farm families prepare for their future.

Its guest speaker, Connie Haden, talked to the large group at the MCMS multipurpose room to give tips about planning for the next generation through customized farm and ranch estate planning. Haden is a partner at the law firm of Haden & Colbert LLC in Columbia.

“I particularly love sitting down with families of multiple generations and talking through what they need to do as well as the complications and intricacies of the family farm,” Haden said.

During her speech, Haden discussed several topics such as federal estate, gift tax and how to fund trusts. She said her mission is to help families continue to have strong relationships while planning for the future.

“What I’m trying to do is to make sure that we all can sit down on birthdays, Christmases and family dinners,” Haden said. “That is what this is all about. We see it all of the time that families get into a fight about what would happen when mom and dad pass away and they don’t talk to each other for the rest of their lives. That’s not a good situation, but it happens.”

Haden grew up on a farm in northwest Missouri. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with degrees in agriculture business management and business economics. She was active in several groups, including the Ag Week Steering Committee, and received her American FFA degree. She later earned a law degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is licensed to practice in both Missouri and Kansas.

A dinner, which was made by the Montgomery County R-II FCCLA chapter, was served before Haden’s speech. There were several vendors in attendance such as Hen & Chicks, Midwest Paradise, Nature’s Plow, Small Farms, Rooster’s Farm, Immaculate Conception Relay and Guilt Free Goodies.