About Me
Kirkpatrick has worked in University of Wisconsin since 1993. She began her University career as a county-based Dairy & Livestock Extension Agent. In 2004 she became the Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Profitability. In her current position, she collaborates with colleagues to provide educational programs and information to farm businesses on farm succession planning. Through her 25+ years of Extension work, Kirkpatrick has facilitated hundreds of farm succession discussions with farm businesses and farm families. Kirkpatrick collaborates with UW-Madison Division of Extension county colleagues to develop, implement and evaluate a number of succession programs for farm businesses. Kirkpatrick collaborated with colleagues from other states to develop the Certified Farm Business Succession Coordinator training course. The course has since been offered in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Kirkpatrick has written articles focusing on retirement planning for farmers and taught seminars throughout the US on farm succession and farm succession facilitation. Having grown up on a farm, Joy has deep insights into farm business strategy and management that assist her in facilitating farm succession processes. Joy holds a Master of Science in Animal Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Animal / Livestock Husbandry and Production from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.