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General Farm Management & Strategy

Capturing the Upside & Buffering the Downside

Recorded November 30, 2015 | Key management strategies farmers can use to successfully manage their farms during the economic downturn in agriculture.

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​Long-Term Outlook for U.S. Ag. Economy

Recorded October 30, 2015 | Discussion focuses on the macroeconomic outlook and expected impacts on exchange rates and interest rates, a review of factors driving change in the crop sector including shifts in supplies taking place, and a review of expected returns for corn and soybeans and prospects for farmland prices in the the Midwest.

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Buying (Selling) Inputs in the Current Business Climate

Grain farmers are facing significantly lower prices and incomes in 2015 compared to previous years which have resulted in intense pressure to lower costs by aggressive negotiation on land rents and purchased inputs. Much of this negotiation has focused on price–farmers are asking/expecting price reductions, but suppliers of fertilizer seed and chemicals in particular are hesitant to adjust prices down.

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Agricultural Productivity Growth and Regulation

This paper uses measures of regulation from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University at St. Louis to examine the impact of regulation by these agencies on state-level agricultural productivity.

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Becoming a “Best in Class” Farm

Corn Belt agriculture is in the midst of transitioning from one of the most profitable periods on record to what could be an extended period of tight margins for most corn and soybean operations. Now that the 2015 planting season is drawing to a close, you should take time to reevaluate your farming operation and consider how you can make sure your farm is strategically positioned to be a “best in class” operation in the years ahead. Doing so will help ensure that your farm will thrive, not just survive, in an era of tight operating margins.

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Strategic Positioning: Focus vs. Flexibility

The mantra of almost all strategic planning discussions and recommendations is that a company cannot be all things to all people – – it must be focused in its choice of customers and how it will create value for those customers.

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Strategic Decisions: You Can’t Always Be Right

No matter how well informed you are, how careful you have been in specifying the problem, how much data and information you have collected, how systematic you have been in the decision process, it is possible you will make a mistake – a wrong choice.

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Managing in Turbulent Times: Positioning to Capture the Upside, Buffer the Downside

Risk dominates the farming sector, and most farmers try to reduce or manage/mitigate the risks they take. Risk is perceived by most to be “bad” – – something to be avoided.

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Managing Your Farm Business in Tougher Times

The business climate for the farming sector is transitioning from a period of unprecedented prosperity, particularly for the grain sector, to a much less robust period. To help you navigate this new business environment, we’ve identified ten strategies for long-term success.

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2014 Farm Bill Questions​​

Recorded February 16, 2015 | Analysis of key decisions farmers and landowners need to make regarding their participation in programs available under the 2014 Farm Bill.

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