It is time to stop guessing what everyone thinks, feels, wants and needs. Explore what stories your grandparents, parents and siblings are telling themselves about the future and transition of wealth on your farm. Ask Grandpa or Mom, “I’m just curious, what is the story you are telling yourself? Is this a scarcity mindset issue? How much is enough? Would you ask for the help of a financial planner to give you more financial security and certainty for your income streams as you age in place on this farm?”

In agriculture, uncertainty is a constant challenge, from unpredictable weather patterns to fluctuating market conditions. However, these uncertainties should not paralyze decision making or delay essential long-term strategies such as succession planning.

Beef production business and ranch managers have been anticipating and preparing for the fall busy season including weaning, selling calves, vaccinations, fall calving, etc., for weeks. Now it is time for managers to be doers. Right? Well, yes and no.

We all can remember situations when we felt out of place or like we didn’t belong. In that moment, time stood still. We stood there, feeling like a sore thumb, looking desperately for someone to make us feel like we were meant to be there.

If you or someone in your farm family is getting married soon or considering marriage in the future, having the prenuptial conversation can be helpful in providing peace of mind and legal protection if the marriage does not go as planned later down the road.

In a breakout session presentation at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, last February, Sarah Moag discussed management transitions and employee management strategies that have worked for her business, Noblehurst Farms, in western New York.

Protocols on a dairy farm are essential for a smooth, organized workflow, ensuring safety and efficiency for cows and farm staff. They maintain high health and well-being standards by supporting proper animal care and management.

Do you have a clear picture of who you are and how you lead on your farm and in your family?

As silage season approaches, now is the time to start having conversations about silage safety with your children. It is also the right time to put practices into place that will make this silage season safe. Here are five tips to help you keep this silage season safe for your children. 

You never hear someone say they love farming because they love sitting in a meeting room talking about business. They will probably say they’d rather be doing anything else – with animals, crops, machinery, you name it – than sitting in meetings.