Is the uneven distribution of farms to children still common place?

I suppose the problem can be if you divide up a farm too much it becomes unviable as a business, fine if there were other assets like cash etc to pass on but if only the farm it's not always easy to be fair. To preserve the actual working farm you may need to leave it all to one person.

Within past few years a relation of mine left land he owned to sons and nothing to daughter although she had received a site some years earlier, he was old in fairness and his attitude was that her husband would be getting inheritance on his side which would benefit her and of course he assumed his son's wives wouldn't be getting anything on their side either. Very outdated thinking but I suppose it depends on the age group you are dealing with. In this case the land wasn't farmed so kind of irrelevant as to the size of each holding as such, it must likely all be sold anyway for housing.

You heard? Is the son a farmer? Maybe the daughter got money or a house somewhere that you don't know they had. Maybe they educated the daughter and set her up. Maybe she doesn't want any land. I have six children and I won't split the land. It is supplying me with a good wage for 7/days a week work but if I split it, it would only be hobby farming. Have you more info of your story?

Long go they split the farms evenly between the sons. It happened a million people starved to death and a million immigrated in about seven years

A little like Patsy said, I got the family farm here, on a lifetime transfer from the parents. The siblings will get all other assets and any cash left I would assume.

Thing is though, when I was helping my Dad calving cows winter nights, going to the yard for 2-3 hours after the day job most days, spending almost every Saturday helping out, where were my siblings?

I know that's not what you are saying Older, but my parents were always more than fair with me that way. They encouraged alternative careers etc and never stck their noses in about girlfriends. I know one place where a nephew went to live with an aunt and uncle I'm a large farm. The uncle was grand and had a progressive outlook but the aunt was a bitter auld pill. She used the place to hold the nephew in check and even broke him and a fiance up. Unfortunately she lived 27 years longer than the uncle and never signed over but left it to a will. The nephew was 62 at the time and his life had been destroyed by the whole thing. He is a pure gent and would have been a fantastic husband and dad but that was prevented by her antics. For a finish she left it to him for his lifetime and even decided who it was to go to after him.

Splitting a farm between siblings is just utter stupidity. It never ends well, makes no business sense, never mind the inevitable resentment and bitterness that will ensue.

Mr. Feg strikes again

I know the progressive farmer won't agree and by your post I understand your not a farmer. It's all about the land. Money is only paper and numbers on the screen. The other day I was calving a cow and got a phone call from the play school to see was I going to pick up the youngest. I was half an hour late. I would make the bull McCabe look like a hippy townie.

Yes, it will generally go to the child interested in farming, oldest gets considered first but if there not interested it will go to a younger siblíng. If the oldest son is interested in farming it will go to him. I know of cases where it has gone to the third son and to the daughter. In those cases the older son/sons were not interested. It avoids arguments mostly. The parents pay for childrens Education, give them a site to build on if they want it or any money left in the bank. The farm is a legacy/business to look after and keep within the family for whoever recieves it. It comes with quite a bit of reaponsibility and the farmer is the one who stays at home. Eldery parents etc.

I’d say that’s not what happens usually ‘if they all want to farm i’ll help them’. Oldest male generally gets first dibs over younger siblings. From my experience if more than one are interested in farming the older sibling will get the farm. The younger interested one will get an ag qualification if clever and work for Teagasc or as a vet or in a related field. They might marry someone with land - generally not a plan but does happen. An uncle/relative without children will leave them some land as they have been helping them with farm work. They will save money and buy some land themselves.

Generally unless they marry someone with a decent sized farm the other interested sibling will only have a small amount of land.

Cases that I do know of. Two siblings interested. Went to the older interested sibling. Second interested sibling inherited half his uncles farm in his forties. So he is dabbling whereas his older brother is a full time farmer.

Other case two siblings interested. Second sibling bought land and house that was not advertised from a relative when in his fifties. Both siblings farming but on low incomes. One is still paying back the land he got at a very reasonable price from family.

Other case two siblings interested, one a girl, left to the oldest boy. Girl sibling bought land and old house in thirties. Dabbling as has less land than male sibling.

Land is expensive so unless one inherits a reasonably sized parcel or grows veg on it one will be dabbling part-time. All second siblings above are on small acreages.

I have never seen siblings given the farm in partnership to work together. One person will own it.

Farm and dwelling house is being transferred to me at the moment, and any residual assets my my parents will have left will go to my sibling. In fairness to them I've asked my brother a thousand times if he was ok with it and he feels he was well looked after by being allowed the freedom to go off and make his own life elsewhere.. he is of the opinion I made all the sacrifices and have earned the farm and that it would have held him back in life.

As others have said it usually makes no sense to split a farm it won't be viable and all that would happen is that it will be all sold off. The most interested/active should get the land and the others a site/cash if there is any. Farming live isn't as attractive to most now anyway.

To answer the question yes it is still commonplace and for a good reason.

In farming families the decision is made by the parents when the children are teenagers generally. Farms are handed over well before any will if there are children.

I have never seen a plan put in place if more than 1 wants to farm as generally the decision is made when the older sibling shows interest as a teenager and they are then given responsibilities and trained up basically. Decision made and the family is aware of this. It can change if said child changes their mind but they generally don’t as they are going to acquire a large asset and a house to live in. The options for a younger interested sibling or girl if boy is interested is possibly inheriting or buying from relatives that don’t have children. Parents don’t split land or give it in partnership. They encourage other children to pursue education or other careers.

The decision is not made as a family including children but by parents on behalf of children. It’s not a round table discussion when people are in their twenties or thirties although it may be mentioned. The decision has been made well before that.