DES MOINES, IA, February 2026. Rena Striegel and Transition Point Business Advisors have introduced online access to their succession training program, opening the door for farm families who have struggled to participate due to distance, timing, or seasonal demands.
For years, Striegel has heard a familiar concern from next-generation farmers. They want to begin planning. They want clarity about leadership and ownership. But the logistics rarely cooperate. Families are spread across counties or states. Harvest runs long. Calving does not wait. Travel becomes complicated. The result is a delay.
Why Online Access Was Introduced
Striegel did not expand online simply to modernize delivery. She did it because too many families were ready in principle but unable to act in practice. In her work with agricultural operations across the country, she has seen how momentum fades when conversations are postponed repeatedly.
In some families, successors are eager to talk about future roles but hesitate to push for in-person sessions that require travel and coordination. In others, senior leaders acknowledge the need for planning but struggle to commit to full days away from the farm.
Striegel believes access should not be a barrier.
“Too many families wait because it feels overwhelming,” Striegel said. “If we can remove even one barrier to starting the conversation, we should.”
What the Online Program Provides
The online succession training platform offers guided lessons, structured reflection exercises, and conversation prompts that families can work through at their own pace. Rather than replacing facilitated sessions, the digital format creates a starting point.
Families can begin by clarifying expectations, identifying assumptions, and outlining leadership intentions before engaging in deeper in-person planning. For some, the online format serves as preparation. For others, it provides the first structured step they have taken in years.
Striegel views this layered approach as practical and realistic. Not every family is ready for full facilitation on day one. However, many are ready to begin.
Why Accessibility Matters in Agriculture
Generational transition in agriculture is accelerating. As more next-generation leaders return to family operations, questions about ownership, authority, and long-term direction surface earlier. Without access to structured guidance, those conversations often stall.
By adding online access, Transition Point Business Advisors aims to reduce the silence that develops when families feel unprepared or geographically constrained. Early engagement, even in digital form, can prevent misunderstandings that later become conflicts.
Striegel maintains that succession planning does not begin with paperwork. It begins with dialogue. When families are given tools that feel manageable, hesitation decreases, and progress becomes possible.
Additional information about the online succession training program is available at https://transitionpointba.com. Rena Striegel also shares resources and updates through LinkedIn: Renastriegel
Instagram: Renaestriegel
YouTube: @TransitionPointBA
About Rena Striegel
Rena Striegel is President of Transition Point Business Advisors and one of the leading authorities in agricultural and family business succession planning. Raised on a dairy farm in Iowa, she brings firsthand experience to more than twenty years of advising multi-generational families across the United States. She is the creator of The DIRTT Project and host of the Ag Inspo podcast, known for helping families move from uncertainty to clarity through structured conversation.
About Transition Point Business Advisors
Transition Point Business Advisors supports agricultural and family-owned businesses through succession planning, communication alignment, and leadership readiness guidance designed to protect both business continuity and family relationships.
