Financial liquidity stress test

wheat field

A common theme played out over the decades is that the lack of working capital and financial liquidity is often the choke point for financial and economic sustainability. This has been observed numerous times over the years in governments, households, and businesses. The financial stress of inadequate liquidity often comes very quickly. The economic environment…

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Juggling the economic triple play

wheat field

In baseball, a successful triple play only occurs when the convergence of events is navigated using precision execution. Moving to farm and ranch management, global macroeconomic, geopolitical, fiscal and monetary policies are resulting in the economic triple play. Strategic operations in an agribusiness requires one to simultaneously manage prices, costs and interest rates in a…

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Managing the economic, 3-headed dragon

wheat field

The economic journey that lies ahead is going to be a three-dimensional pathway full of challenges, but also opportunities for the proactive manager. Along this journey, disrupters can occur to bottom-line profits in the form of the three-headed, fire-breathing dragon. If not properly managed, it can lead to burning through profits and cash flow, then…

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Producer tips to managing the unexpected

wheat field

Rising inflation, interest rate increases, a conflict in Europe, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer preferences are creating an environment of unexpected consequences. Managing a farm or ranch business in an economic environment with extreme volatility can be challenging, but also opportunistic.  At a recent agricultural conference, Dr. Steve Isaacs, Extension professor of agricultural economics…

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Future uncertainty will require careful management

wheat field

The financial bottom line will be a key element in any farm and ranch game plan in 2022 and beyond. While the past two years have been both financially and mentally challenging, managing through uncertainty has had a silver lining. Prices for many commodities increased dramatically prior to inflating costs, which resulted in a positive…

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A view of the farm from the road, cyberville

road at sunset

The song, “On the Road Again,” by Willie Nelson would be very appropriate for my summer travels engaging with producers, lenders and agribusinesses. The spectrum of audiences and events ranged from multiday young farmer and rancher conferences to lending schools, online events and the occasional strategic planning venue where I have gained new perspectives and…

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