Entity structures built around how your operation actually runs — not a generic template from the internet. We draft operating agreements that address the real issues farm families face.
Filing articles of organization with the Secretary of State takes ten minutes and costs a hundred dollars. That part is easy. The part that matters — the Operating Agreement — is where most farm families get it wrong.
A generic LLC template doesn’t address the questions that actually break farm families apart: What happens when one sibling wants out? How do you value the farming child’s sweat equity? If a partner dies, does the surviving spouse become your new business partner? Who decides whether to replace the combine or repair it?
We build ag business operating agreements around the real dynamics of your operation. We sit down, learn how your farm actually works, and draft documents that anticipate the disputes and transitions that are coming — because in a multi-generational farming operation, they always come.
We commonly implement the two-entity model: a Land Holding LLC (for the dirt) and an Operating LLC (for equipment, grain, and livestock). This separates the operational liability from the long-term real estate asset.
The most effective structure for most farm families involves two separate LLCs: one that owns the land, and one that runs the operation.
The Land Holding LLC owns the real estate and leases it to the operating entity. It can be owned by all children — farming and non-farming — giving everyone an equity stake in the appreciating land asset.
The Operating LLC owns equipment, grain, and livestock. It takes on operational risk and pays rent to the Land LLC. This is owned only by the farming children who actively run the operation.
This structure ensures that a lawsuit against the farming operation can’t reach the land, and that non-farming siblings maintain value without interfering with daily decisions.
We don’t do hourly billing, and we don’t hand you a stack of paper and wish you luck. Our process is designed to be transparent, thorough, and completely finished when we’re done.
We learn how your farm actually works — who does what, who owns what, who’s coming into the operation, who’s leaving. This conversation shapes every document we draft.
We design the entity structure — single LLC, two-entity model, or multi-entity system — based on your liability exposure, succession plan, and tax situation.
We draft the articles of organization, operating agreement, buy-sell provisions, and all supporting documents. Every provision is explained in plain English.
We file with the state, obtain EINs, ensure corporate farm law compliance, and set up your annual reporting obligations.
Custom entity structures — never a template.
We form LLCs with the state, obtain EINs, and handle all compliance filings specific to Nebraska and Minnesota agricultural land ownership laws.
For multi-partner operations, we draft agreements covering profit sharing, management authority, buy-sell provisions, and deadlock resolution.
If your current structure doesn’t fit anymore, we convert sole proprietorships to LLCs, partnerships to LLCs, or restructure existing entities.
Reality: The articles of organization are just the birth certificate. The Operating Agreement is the DNA. Without provisions for buy-sell, death/disability, voting deadlocks, and sweat equity, your LLC provides liability protection but zero operational governance — which is where farm family disputes explode.
Reality: An LLC provides a liability shield between the entity and you personally. But if you don’t maintain the corporate veil — separate bank accounts, proper capitalization, documented transactions — a court can “pierce the veil” and hold you personally liable anyway.
Schedule a free consultation. We’ll learn how your farm works and recommend the legal structure that fits. Flat-fee pricing.
