Chaz Rawls (continued from page 34)
I went to Minnesota to help my uncle move and ended up staying for about four years. It was very rural, out in the middle of nowhere, and we were surrounded by farmland. It was a slower life. I got to camp and do outdoorsy things I had never experienced before. Being in all that wide openness led me to dream about future possibilities I hadn’t previously been able to imagine. One of those was farming.
How did you decide where to locate your urban farm? It’s a little crazy, like coming full circle. I grew up in Kalamazoo, on the east side of town, near Borgess Hospital (now Ascension Borgess), right on the border between Kalamazoo and Comstock schools. My farm is just off Gull Road, on property I rent close to where I grew up. To have grown up in the neighborhood, then leave and then have my farm here has given me a context and deeper meaning to the land. It sounds like a cliché, but I feel good about being able to go back and make the place a little better.
Farming is dependent on so many things outside your control. Why do it? Farming is one of the first things I’ve done that feels like I’ve succeeded. Not everything is a win, but it’s something I’m able to do, to learn to deal with bumps and bruises and growing pains. For me, it’s a grounding thing. A reconnecting, recharging. A direct connection with our food feels like the way things are supposed to be. Growing food is about relationships. It’s a way of being in sync with other living things. It affects how you are in the world and with the people around you.
When did you leave Kalamazoo? I moved during my senior year of high school at Kalamazoo Central. I didn’t like the trajectory I was on, so I went to an adulted program in Parchment to graduate. To be honest, by then I was already grown up, working a job. After graduation, I went into the Navy and was stationed in Japan. The military was hard for me. Being on water months at a time was mind-blowing. It changed me. It taught me this life lesson: You gotta be able to float, to be buoyant. It led to seeing I had a choice about what kind of person I wanted to be. When I came back, a big part of me was unsure what I wanted to do. But another part was going against society. As a teenage boy, society tells you what you are supposed to be doing. I didn’t feel like I was meeting those expectations. I couldn’t. If this was a race, it was one I wasn’t going to win.
What do the plants and the land teach you? How to maneuver. The tortoise always wins the race, slow and steady. Nature does what it does on a slow scale, but it lasts. It’s a way of paying attention and observing that other life forms have their own intelligences, so different from ours. I’ve also learned the more control I let go of, the better the crops turn out.
ASK Please send your questions to:
Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.
ASK Q. Why would I
Q.
How have you been supported by the community? The opportunity to work with the farm manager at DeLano Farm (part of the Kalamazoo Nature Center) in 2019 and 2020, was huge. Kirsten (Clemente) believed in me, encouraged me, and by seeing, learning and hands-on doing I gained so much confidence. Serving on the board of Zoo City Food & Farm Network gives me access to the Kalamazoo Farmers Market, aggregated resources, and people that share my ethics. By that I mean as a culture we have to think differently about resources and ways to foster healthy relationships. I know we all have to make a profit, but by intentionally partnering, we can feed each other. And my customers who support me by buying my produce and my teas — they fuel me to keep going.
THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING
LAWYER
My husband is going into a nursing home. I’ve been told it is possible for me to create a trust and protect my assets from the spend down at the nursing home. Is that true?
ASK
THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING
LAWYER
THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING
LAWYER
Please send your questions to:
I’m a single father of two very active twin boys. One of the reasons I wanted to farm is so they can be with me. Being a dad is my first job. I also work full time at Kendall Electric as a forklift operator, and it’s a balancing act to manage my roles as a father, farmer and at the company and stay true to my core values. For me, it’s not the farm work itself that’s hard. The harder part is the mental aspect of creating and building a business. There are so many scenarios to think about, I’ve had to learn to shift the way I think about things. It requires a lot of discipline.
— Interview by Donna McClurken and edited for length and clarity
Ask MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW
What challenges do you face?
A. You might consider a Trust instead of a simple Will because a so-called “liv-
AND ESTATEing trust” will generally avoid probate when you die, whereas a simple Will as you put a Trust in place PLANNING describe generally would not. Avoiding probate avoids significant costs and time a simple Q. instead of LAWYER Will which distributes delays. Next, when one creates a Trust, we see the possibility of creating asset Willis Law protection for Trust beneficiaries (you and your children). A simple Will which A. Q. all my assets outright directs and distributes assets outright (noting that this is the same for a Trust that 491 West South Street Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A. and directly to my distributes assets outright) provides no asset protection for its beneficiaries. Third, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 A. children? if estate tax is a concern, a trust is able to minimize against estate tax for current and 269.492.1040 Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willis.law
Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.
A.
THE BUSINESS
Yes. Most often when folks talk on trust planning, they are referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally is set up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there Please send your questions to: husband going into a nursing home.that I’ve told it is is anMy irrevocable trustisfor persons in your circumstances can been be established withtoyour assetsatotrust the extent they exceed protected possible for me create and protect my the assets from the spend Willis Law amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). down at the nursing home. Is that true? 491 West South Street If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an Kalamazoo, MI 49007J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS MICHAEL annuity LAW income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in 269.492.1040 such Yes. a circumstance the trustwhen will no folks longer talk be considered Most often on trusta countable planning, they are www.willis.law asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid Please send your questions to: referencing a My revocable trust. Ingoing fact, that case probably more intois atheand nursing purposes. This is husband a sophisticatedis planning technique, I highly home. I’ve been told it is thanencourage 99% of you the time. counsel A revocable trust underthisMichigan law generally before implementing or possible toforseekme to create a trust andtechnique protect my assets from the spend is set only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there anyup other Medicaid planning. Willis Law
Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.
9471992-01
down at thepractice nursing home.and isyour Is thata certified true? 491 West South is andanCounselors irrevocable for persons Michael J. WillisStreet is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys at Law, is licensed totrust law in Florida and Michigan, in registered ascircumstances public accountant that can be the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, Kalamazoo,insignifies MI 49007 established with foryour the Heextent exceed that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized the highestassets levels of skill to and integrity. is listed in thethey Best Lawyers in America. the protected 269.492.1040 amount (whichYes. under Michigan law will cap folks at a little Most often when talkover on$125,000). trust planning, they are www.willis.law If the trust is irrevocable and the assets are effectively established in an referencing a revocable trust. In fact, that is the case probably more annuity income stream back to you per the terms of the trust, then in than 99% of the time. A revocable trust under Michigan law generally such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable up only to avoid probate--that’s its only benefit. However, there asset, isbutset instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid purposes. is a sophisticated I highly is an This irrevocable trust forplanning personstechnique, in your and circumstances that can be encourage you to seek this technique or the protected established withcounsel your before assetsimplementing to the extent they exceed any other Medicaid planning. amount (which under Michigan law will cap at a little over $125,000). Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors Law, istrust licensed toispractice law in Florida andand Michigan,the and isassets registered asare a certified public accountant established in an Ifatthe irrevocable effectively in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognizedincome for the highest stream levels of skill and integrity.to He isyou listed inper the Bestthe Lawyersterms in America.of the trust, then in annuity back such a circumstance the trust will no longer be considered a countable asset, but instead an income stream and thereby exempt for Medicaid This is a sophisticated technique, and I highly Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneyspurposes. and Counselors at Law, isplanning licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent encouragewhich you to seek before implementing this over technique or Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, hascounsel been rating lawyers for a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. any other Medicaid planning. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.
future generations which is not at all available when one simply distributes assets directly outright through a Will or otherwise. These are some of the reasons why you might consider a Trust instead of a Will, but it would be wise to talk with an estate planning attorney to acquire more information specific to your circumstances.
Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.
9471992-01
9471992-01
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