Inheriting the family farm can be a mixed blessing in a setting in which land and credit markets do not work well, and being in charge of the farm comes with familial and societal sharing obligations relevant to incentives for diversification into non-farm activities. Using original data on Senegal that include an individualized measure of consumption, we study the role played by land inheritance, other bequests and parental background as influences on an individual adult’s economic welfare and current economic activities, emphasizing differences between men and women.