All family businesses will eventually confront the question of what to do with the enterprise when current owners are ready to retire and hand the operation off to someone else. For those who plan to sell, the process centers on finding the right buyer willing to pay a price that makes retirement possible.
For families hoping to pass their life’s work on to the next generation, however, succession planning must begin much earlier. The key to success is not simply what is written on paper regarding ownership or control but how well future leaders are prepared long before the transition occurs. Do the next generation even want to run the gamebird farm or hunting business? If not, how do owners cultivate that interest and commitment?
Wednesday’s session of the NAGA Convention will feature a presentation from a member whose family has been intentionally working through this process for many years. At 1:30 p.m. on the final day of the event, former NAGA president and current NAGF chairwoman Peg Ballou of Elkhorn Farms & Hatchery and Elkhorn Lake Hunt Club will present Succession Planning: Growing the Engagement of Children to Ensure Their Ownership Tomorrow.
“Preparing the next generation to assume ownership and management of a gamebird business begins with emotional ownership,” Ballou said. “Like any owner, they need to feel a sense of responsibility, expectation and fulfillment. Growing this engagement is key to ensuring a successful handoff that works for both retirees and new owners.”
With the majority of NAGA members operating family-owned businesses, this topic is expected to resonate with many attendees traveling to Charleston.
The succession planning session is just one of many informative presentations scheduled for the 2026 NAGA Convention, set for February 2–4 at the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House in historic Charleston, South Carolina. Registration details, the full agenda, lodging information and vendor and sponsor opportunities are available at NorthAmericanGamebird.com/2026-convention.
