Economics
Turbulent economics: It’s a time to buckle up
With over 10 million miles of air travel — equivalent to 18 trips to the moon and back — I still find turbulence unsettling. The same applies to managing an agricultural business amid today’s economic uncertainties, driven by geopolitics, conflicts, societal trends, and Mother Nature. Navigating this requires a focus…
Marketing at a glance
In mid-February, producers had the opportunity to hear marketing updates at both the macro and micro levels from two experts: Allison Thompson, owner of The Money Farm, and Randy Fortenbery, a professor and the Thomas B. Mick Endowed Chair in Grain Economics at Washington State University. The session was part…
5 ways to (finally) kick-start your financial plan
For many people, the idea of long-term financial planning may seem like that dentist visit or home repair project you keep putting off — you know you’ll have to do it eventually, but actually sitting down and organizing your budget, portfolio, estate, and retirement plans, all while juggling a career,…
Improving the odds
“When should I sell my wheat?” This question is something every wheat grower has to work through each crop year, but there is an implied condition that is not stated. “When should I sell my wheat and get a good price!” No one wants to sell their wheat at a…
Colfax business takes advantage of Whitman County’s bounty
Jaimie Appel was admiring the view of wheat fields from her home in Whitman County when the idea for a new business started to germinate. “I love being part of a farming family, but I wanted something of my own. My dad or my husband suggested making flour out of…
The many uses of LLCs in business operations
The author and his son, Corey, utilize hundreds of Limited Liability Companies, or LLCs, in their respective practices to help solve clients’ various needs. I break down such uses between: An LLC is often used as the business entity of choice vs. a corporation for its simplicity of forming. The…
Perspectives on business transition planning
A major trend in American agriculture will be the acceleration of estate and transition planning. The transfer of wealth will also be a high priority item for the general population as $68 trillion of assets and equity will transfer between 2025 to 2040. With many elderly in the demographics, the…
Highway to the future
One of the most important highways in the Pacific Northwest isn’t paved, but that doesn’t stop billions of dollars of goods and services from flowing up and down its length. Marine Highway 84, or M-84, is comprised of portions of the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette rivers and stretches from Lewiston,…
A germ of an idea
The Port of Columbia is looking to build on the success of its Blue Mountain Station by paying tribute to the grains grown in the surrounding countryside. “I grew up on a big wheat and cattle ranch on the breaks of the Snake River, so this is my town. This…
From mishap to mistake
We all have mishaps in farming. Say you spray 100 acres of fallow for weed control, but you forgot to add the herbicide, or you forgot to unplug hydraulic lines while unhooking from an implement. These are definitely a couple of farm mishaps that may or may not have happened…
