Articles

Planning and cash flows go hand-in-hand

Many of us have spent numerous hours building the perfect plan, only to see it end up useless because our assumptions were wrong or some unforeseen disruption occurred in life. Thus, we conclude that planning is useless, a big waste of valuable management time. However, I think we are missing the point. Eisenhower said plans were useless, but the process of planning was indispensable.

First impressions matter: The importance of onboarding farm new hires

Labor shortages are widespread, workers are expecting higher starting wages, and after farms hire and train a new employee, there is a risk that they will jump ship for a better-paying job. Improve the retention odds on your farm by putting a plan in place to improve the employee onboarding experience.

Prepare Your Farm for the Next Cyclical Low During the Good Times

Cyclical lows tend to be a time of greater anxiety for many and include increased exit from the industry. However, even in cyclical lows, some farms are making profits. For these farms, it is also a time of opportunity as capital asset prices for machinery, land, and cows are often lower as well. The question is: What do these successful farms look like at the end of cyclical highs that enable them to continue that success during cyclical lows?

Is your dairy ready for disaster?

Whether it’s fire, flood, wind, or injury- a disaster on your farm can cause devastating loss and requires pre-planning to minimize the disruption.

Can farmers match airlines’ safety record?

As the harvest season approaches, put on your pilot’s cap. Get your team together. Pull out your manuals, checklists, and protocols. Be purposeful. Make the changes that need to be made, and make sure all of your team members have their wings! It’s a lot of work, I realize. But as we see from our friends in the airline industry, it does make a difference!

Using the lean canvas to refine your farm business idea (old for redirect)

Redirects to https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/articles/using-the-business-model-canvas-to-refine-your-farm-business-idea/

How to Stay on Track to Reach Your Farm Business Goals

Part II of this article series discusses how to clear obstacles that litter the path to implementing important decisions on the farm through the use of Fishbone Diagram and Forcefield Analysis.

Identifying strategies to maximize potential and minimize risk

Business strategies are practical actions that communicate how a business plans to reach its goals. Thinking strategically about the farm business as a whole helps determine emerging themes, issues, patterns, and opportunities. Learn how to complete a SWOT Analysis for your farm.

How to Find the Next Creative Idea for Your Farm

Part I of this article series introduces “The Memory Jogger” booklet and how brainstorming and nominal group technique can help generate your farm’s next great idea.

AgriVision Episode 34 – Alternatives to Renting Land

Host Katie Wantoch and Bill Halfman, Professor and Extension Agriculture agent in Monroe County, discuss an alternative to renting more farmland – buying high quality forages from their neighbor.

Develop an organizational chart for your farm business

Organizational (org) charts are a visual depiction of your farm’s staffing structure. They define roles and clearly illustrate “who reports to whom,” with connecting lines showing accountability and reporting relationships. An org chart for your farm can help keep things running smoothly and efficiently by providing several benefits.

Anhydrous Ammonia-It’s time to review employee safety

Used extensively as a source of nitrogen fertilizer due to its relative ease of application and wide availability, the obvious downside of anhydrous ammonia use is the serious hazard it presents to workers during transfer and application. The word “anhydrous” comes from the Greek, meaning “without water.” Because of the chemical’s strong affinity for water, […]

Creating A Value-Added Business Model That Works

Many commodity farms face a fork in the road at some point. The status of their physical infrastructure, labor availability, size, age, or other factors create a time where they must decide to invest in economies of scale or use their resources they have in a more value-added way. Those who invest in economies of scale are […]

AgriVision Episode 29 – Take one step at a time in farm transition

Host Katie Wantoch and Ben Jenkins, Agriculture Extension educator in Green Lake County, discuss considerations for a farmer to consider with a future land purchase from his uncle.

Effective Farm Safety Training Starts with a Purpose

The top strategies include conducting regular educational meetings, promoting open employer-employee communication and acting in ways that create a workplace culture where safety is accepted, valued and viewed as key to business success.

Establishing Your Values and Purpose – Strategic Thinking for the Farm Business

Farmers track and plan for evolving market conditions only to have a something like a global pandemic further disrupt markets and raise concerns of worker safety. Wisconsin farm leaders have adapted, and they continue to make decisions amid increasingly complex circumstances making it necessary to lead from a well-constructed strategy. Most farm leaders stay on […]