Articles
Farm Management Articles
Research-based information and tools to help with your farm business management decisions
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Wisconsin Farming: Insights from the 2022 Census of Agriculture
Every five years the USDA undertakes a detailed inventory of farming operations across the country. The most recent 2022 Census of Agriculture provides a snapshot of the nation’s farming economy, including demographics, production practices, land use, and economic trends.
Ten things to consider for succession planning
Business succession planning doesn’t happen on its own. Producers must intentionally focus on the planning and work with a team of professionals such as a tax specialist, attorney, financial planner, and lender. Family businesses in particular, should first recognize that family and business systems focus on different goals. A family farm inherently mixes family and […]
Working together to address farmer well-being and mental health
Every day, farmers and farm families face financial challenges, demands of the job, and changes outside of their control that impact their lives and livelihoods. Market volatility for inputs and outputs, access to labor, challenging weather conditions, and the pressure to grow and modernize are underlying drivers of this occupational stress.
Setting Risk Management Goals for Your Farm Business
There are four strategies that can be pursued to help manage farm business risks.
Counselors have a place in agriculture
Understanding what mental health is, the stigma around it, and the benefits of counseling and other resources available can help you decide if it is right for you.
Evaluating a Farmer’s Risk Tolerance
Understanding how a farmer’s own risk preferences and that of others affect the risk management decisions made for the farm business is important.
Measuring Price Risk for Your Farm Business
Let’s look at the concept of price risk with an example of the average monthly corn prices in the United States.
Identifying the components and sources of risk on the farm
The greater the uncertainty, the greater the risk.
The more likely a negative factor will occur, the greater the risk potential.
Creating Career Paths For Your Farm Employees
Creating career paths, or “career pathing” is the process of aligning opportunities for employee career growth with organizational talent priorities.
Finding the right people
Effective recruiting plans should be a critical part of your business model as you seek out key talent to help your business grow.
Finding the formula for success
Understanding the formula for success can provide a road map to achieving our purpose which brings us peace of mind and that desired sense of contentedness.
A Brief History of Crop Insurance
The Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) provides insurance coverage for the production of most U.S. agricultural commodities against financial losses caused by adverse growing and market conditions.
A Brief History of Grain Markets
Grain markets have been noted in history as early as during the Roman Empire.
Permits, licenses, and labels
Take the next step by connecting with a licensing and permitting organization such as: Additional Resources
Five tools to address stress
Stress management is an essential business skill in today’s agriculture. As a farmer, you have a responsibility to maintain your mental and physical health just like you have a responsibility to maintain your farm equipment.
Take a systems approach to people-management on your farm
A system is a series of interconnected parts that drive an organization forward. A “systems approach” to human resources management on your farm considers the interconnectedness of all the efforts you’ve made to make your farm a great place to work. It includes every aspect of the employee life-cycle, from the first time a prospective […]
