Knowledge Center Blog

If you have attended any agricultural conferences or meetings lately, you very well may have heard someone say that agriculture as an industry needs to do a better job “telling our story”.  That message is resonating more and more through the agriculture community, but have you hear why?
 

The weather is finally starting to get a little warmer in this area, which hopefully means that spring-like weather is on its way to stay (I know, I know, technically spring started almost 2 weeks ago, but it definitely hasn’t felt like it!).  With spring, farmers who plant annual crops, or who make hay, are starting to think about spring planting, and that first cutting of hay.  Before you head out to the fields, it’s always smart to run through some general maintenance on your equipment…

At first glance, this may seem like a fairly simple question – right?  Except, it’s not; not really.  Fifty years ago, defining agriculture would have been easier; most agricultural operations looked somewhat similar.  But today?  Today, agriculture is a diverse, multifaceted industry…and it is important to look at all the different angles in order to get a true understanding of the industry, and how it affects everyone on a daily basis. 
 

Do you have a “go-to person” for advice?  Children often rely on their parents or grandparents for advice.  Adults often rely on certain friends.  My students, well, they rely on Wikipedia, Google, or YouTube.  Farmers often rely on their accountant for advice – about everything related to the business. 

Last month I made a bunch of sarcastic (and not so sarcastic) comments to get you thinking about your future and your family’s future.  Hopefully you’ve started thinking that transition planning might be worth the effort.  A little bit of planning might help preserve your family farm or business, and more importantly, it might keep your family together.  So what’s the next step?