Category: Finance

  • 4 Ways to Make Win-Win Deals in Farming

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]aha
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    Don’t have time to read, click play above or subscribe to our podcast on itunes.

    Competition is a beautiful thing.
    At least, it is in the marketplace. Competition is what allows farmers to shop around and find the best deals.
    Since farmers are buyers of a lot of expensive inputs, shopping around is crucial. I talk to so many farmers who buy from the same supplier and use the same custom harvester every year.
    While I don’t think they need a cutthroat attitude, I do think they should understand that they’re in business to make money. They should price check and negotiate with their supplier. It’s nothing personal; it’s just business.
    For you farmers out there, there are ways to conduct yourself to ensure an outcome that’s best for you and your suppliers. In other words, you can secure a win-win, and who doesn’t love that?
    Here are four steps for making a win-win deal in farming.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]1) Know All Your Local Suppliers and the Products They Offer
     Unless you’re farming in the middle of nowhere, you should have multiple suppliers to buy chemicals and seed from.
    It’s important to form a relationship with each individual, to constantly chat with them and keep the relationship strong. That way when negotiation time comes, you won’t just be some stranger asking for a deal.
    aha
    I try to go out for lunch, dinner, or coffee with a rep at each of our local suppliers. During that time, I ask for their advice on various parts of my operation—which is a great compliment to their expertise. I aim to do this at least twice a year.

    2) Have a Solid Estimate of the Amounts of Each Product You Will Need for the Season
    At the time of this writing, farmers are done with their 2015 crops and planning for 2016. That planning can play a big role in the year’s negotiations.
    Meet with your seed advisor or agronomist. Figure out how many acres you’ll have of whatever you’re farming, then try to put together a chemical plan and a fertilizer plan.
    Then you can produce a sum of exactly what you need (e.g., 500 gallons of Roundup) to suppliers.
    Another way of putting is, you’ve got to know what you need to know what you need. 

    3) Get the First Quote for the Volume You Need
     I say “the first quote” because you’re going to get multiple quotes. Or at least you should try—that’s the wisest strategy for getting the best price.
    Tell your supplier what type of chemical, seed, or whatever it is you need.
    Then the next step is really important: don’t mention volume at first. When they give you a price, you always want to sweeten the deal, which leads us into number 4.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]4) Negotiate Like Hell
    aha
     This last step works as a series of mini-steps. Follow them carefully, and I guarantee you’ll get the most out of negotiation.
    Your suppliers are going to want to work with you—it’s to their benefit.
    Let’s say you go in and ask for their best price for Roundup and they tell you “$18/gallon”; that’s your first quote. Then you can reveal your volume, to sweeten the deal. In this example, you say you need 1,000 gallons. You ask if you can get a better price if you buy all of that with them.
    They lower it to $17.50; that’s your second quote. You should get a few more quotes, though.
    You’ve got storage, so you say, “What if I take the delivery price away?” and the supplier knocks a bit more off (down to $17.30). There’s your third quote.
    You’ve financed the purchase, so you say, “What if I pay you today?” and the supplier shaves it down further, to $16.75 or $17. We’ve arrived at a final quote. All around, the deal has been good for both of you.
    aha
    Keep in mind that it may take a month or so to play out a few of these scenarios and get the best deals. If you feel as if you might get better prices in the spring, you can let suppliers know you’re going to wait, too.
    If you absolutely want to stay with the same co-op, use the other ones to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Of course, if you pay a little extra for someone you like using, it’s not a huge deal. Just don’t miss out on saving opportunities.

    Conclusion
     Only the strong survive the competitive marketplace. Don’t get complacent and comfortable doing the same old program with the same old supplier, or you’re gonna watch your wealth walk out the door.
    I know a farmer who overpays for custom harvesting by over $20/acre. He farms 7,000 acres, which means he could basically buy a Ferrari every year with what he’s overpaying!
    You may love your co-ops, but if you can get the same quality for cheaper by negotiating elsewhere, why not do it?

     Supplies aren’t the only thing you’ll need to negotiate. You can become a master at negotiating land rent, too.
     As seen on Farm Futures
     Cash Cow Farmer was created to keep you from leaving a single dollar of profit on the table. Give it a look to learn more about how Cash Cow optimizes your operation!
     To learn more about the Cash Cow Farmer program, including software and consulting, give us a ring![/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]DON’T LET THE MARKETS WIN…SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

    SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY!

    [/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”10″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”10″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”10″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”15″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”10″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • 4 Steps To Price Cash Rent For Farmland

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]a1
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    Don’t have time to read, click play above or subscribe to our podcast on itunes.

    There are two main strategies farmers use to grow their operation. One is buying farmland; the other is renting it.
    I’ve talked to numerous farmers who sign up for Cash Cow who are concerned with their cash rents. They don’t want to lose their operation because the cash rent’s too high and they’re not making money. That is, they don’t want the ship they’ve chosen to ride to sink in the middle of the sea.
    If you can relate to that feeling, take it easy. These four steps will help you manage your cash rent and set you up to improve profitability.

    1) Determine the Commodity Prices by Using the Past 3 FSA Marketing Year Averages
    Step one is to find the right price to measure your marketing year success against.
    Every year, the FSA puts out marketing year average prices. Their reports make for an excellent history you can take advantage of.
    Take the last three years’ prices on the report and average them. For example, the projected futures price for 2015 corn was $3.70. In ‘13-’14, it was $4.46. And in ‘12-’13, it was $6.89.
    That big six-dollar price will bring up the average, but it has to be taken into consideration. (Some of the landlords still think we get $6 for our corn!)
    a1[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]2) Find Your Production Costs per Bushel
    Finding your production costs is the most time-consuming part because you’ll want to do it on every field.
    Calculate using the following formula:

    1) Find your farm operating costs per acre – These are your annual expenses for labor, machinery, land expenses, living expenses, etc. Factor in any expenses at all, even admin costs and the insurance on your trucks. Add all these costs for the year and divide them over all your acres.
    2) Add input costs per acre for seed, fertilizer, chemical, insurance, rent, and any custom expenses – Do this for each field; they’ll all be different. (My insurance fluctuates dramatically within the same county.) Note: it’s important to know exact prices.
    Add those two totals together and you’ll have the cost per acre.
    Then:
    3) Deduct revenues such as government programs and insurance revenues – If you’re getting an ARC-CO payment or using an NRCS program or getting any other government revenue, you need to deduct it from your input costs on those fields. You might not get government revenue on all your fields, but any deduction helps. Same goes for insurance revenues.
    Now you have your cost per acre to produce that bushel of corn, soybeans, etc.
    Then:
    4) Add up all costs per acre and divide by the yield to get your costs per bushel – Let’s say it costs $500/acre to produce corn and you’ve got 200 bushels of corn. Take 500 divided by 200: your cost to produce a bushel is $2.50. (Your cost per acre is likely more than $500, that’s just an easy math example.)
    If your final cost of production is below the three-year marketing average you found, you’re in a good financial position.

    3) Ask Yourself What You Can Do to Improve Your Operation???
    a1
    Farming’s a competitive marketplace: there are good and bad farmers, and everyone knows who they are. Whichever category you fall into, there are many things you can do to improve your profitability and lower your costs.
    For example, take advantage of precision technology to avoid being left in the dust. Sectional shutoffs and GPS are today’s farming miracles.
    Labor management, equipment costs… all these have to be properly managed. If others are doing this, they’re going to be able to farm that rental ground for less than you and eventually pick it up. That’s the beauty (and anxiety) of competition.
    Check local benchmarks on university websites to see how your costs stack up to your competitors’ (universities have lots of data on average costs). Or find a consultant in your area that can help you. (We do consulting here at Cash Cow, as well.)
    Don’t neglect talking to retired farmers, either. Use whatever means possible to improve your operation.

     [/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]4) If You’re Still Losing Money, Talk to the Landlord and Negotiate…
    …but don’t bet on a landlord’s taking a pay cut in rent. If they do, great. If not, help them find another tenant.
    Meet with the landlord, and show them the data that explains how you’re taking a loss by continuing to rent. Point them to neighbor farmers. Say, “You can call so and so to see if they’ll rent it for what you want. If not, my offer still stands to come down by [10%, 12%, or whatever you choose].”
    The opportunity to farm that ground again may come down the road, so you never want to burn a bridge. Treat your landlord with respect, but don’t continue to rent land that’s costing you.

    Bottom Line: Do the Work and Exhaust Your Resources
    It’s hard work figuring up your cost of production and other costs, but that work will pay off in many ways.
    And you don’t have to do it all alone. There are great resources out there to help you price cash rent. Take a look at some:

    The Art of Negotiating Farm Land Rent (blog post)

    Getting More by Stuart Diamond (book on negotiating)

    Cash Cow Farmer (software to make accounting easy; consulting to make failure hard)

    As seen on Farm Futures

    Cash Cow Farmer was created to keep you from leaving a single dollar of profit on the table. Give it a look to learn more about how Cash Cow optimizes your operation!
    To learn more about the Cash Cow Farmer program, including software and consulting, give us a ring![/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]DON’T LET THE MARKETS WIN…SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

    SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY!

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  • 6 Methods for Farm Tax Management

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]a1
    [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/cashcowfarmer/EP_009-_6_Methods_for_Farm_Tax_Management.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ]
    Don’t have time to read, click play above or subscribe to our podcast on itunes.

    My accountant and lawyer are pretty smart.
    Farmers, they tell me, are not always so smart. They say farmers are afraid to pay taxes and make some of the worst tax decisions around. Farmers try to get their income to zero every year, which can end up destroying their cash flow and thus, their whole operation.
    My two advisors have taught me some valuable lessons about taxes that other farmers need to hear, too. The simple lesson running through this article is this: pay, but plan, your taxes.
    Specifically, there are six things you need to consider for farm tax management.

     1) Accelerated Depreciation
    Section 179 of the tax code is available to everyone. It “allow[s] businesses to deduct the full amount of the purchase price of equipment (up to certain limits).”
    Let’s say you’ve made a lot of money this year—$500,000. That puts you above $400,000, the highest tax bracket, so you’re going to pay 40% in taxes plus any state tax. Section 179 allows you an accelerated depreciation of new machinery up to $500,000, to get your tax liability down.
    In other words, you can buy $150,000 worth of equipment that you need, or a bunch of stuff you don’t, to get your tax liability down to zero. Farmers are often guilty of this. They go out and buy many things that they don’t necessarily need to improve their operation.
    The problem is, when you do that you burn through your cash. If you made $500,000 and want to get your tax liability down to $250,000, you’ll have to spend $250,000 in cash. But just because you have a quarter-million dollars in tax liability, it doesn’t mean you have a quarter-million in cash.
    a1
    Accelerated depreciation, I think, is a weapon of business destruction, because it rewards businesses for burning cash. Tread lightly.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]2) Cash Flow
    Don’t spend a dollar to save 40 cents.
    If you don’t need to buy anything, don’t. The cash you relinquish by making unnecessary purchases outweighs any benefits..
    You’ve got to have enough cash to cover your land and equipment payments. Businesses don’t fail because they don’t make enough money: they fail because they don’t have enough cash. The last thing you want to do is ruin your cash position to save a little tax liability.
    We talked about “Cash is King” in an earlier post. 

    3) Do You Need It
    Sam Walton and other “lean and mean operators” have set an awesome business standard with their office setups. Corporate offices often have lavish expenditures, on desks and tables and window curtains. In contrast, Sam Walton literally had card tables set up in his back offices, not wanting to spend more than he needed.
    You might want to run your farm the same way. Your combine’s not obsolete after one year, so stick with it. Buy what you need and leave what you don’t. 

    4) Tax Planning
    If your farm size is consistent over a period of 3-5 years, you can probably figure out what to expect for income. Once you do, you can manage your budget to plan for tax payment. You can put aside 40% (or whatever appropriate percentage) of your average annual income in cash, so tax time doesn’t sneak up on you.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]5) Estate Planning
    a1
    When I’m dead, I won’t care what happens to my farm.
    This is a common sentiment among farmers. Others expect their affairs to sort themselves out in the end. When left alone, they rarely do.
    When you pass away, depending on the laws at that time, you could lose a lot of your farm because of inheritance tax. Inheritance tax is the top rate: 40%, plus any state tax. Think about preparing your heirs for that future tax as you go, by purchasing life insurance or giving them a lot of your assets before you pass away.
    Many farm magazines have specific sections on moving to the next generation. Check them out! 

    6) Get a Professional
    You need help from two people when tax time rolls around.
    One is a professional accountant who understands your industry. That last part is important: you don’t want one from California who works with movies. You want the right fit.
    Ernst & Young accountants are great examples, but ask the big farmers in your area who they use.
    The second professional you need is an estate planning legal advisor. Again, you need someone very familiar with your industry, who knows how to write deeds for land purchases and how to wrap things up into estates.
    Yes, it’s an added cost, but it may save you a million dollars over the next five years. That kind of advice is priceless.

    Conclusion
    a1
    Taxes are daunting, but it’s possible to handle them well.
    If you’ve read a few Cash Cow blog posts, you’ve probably notice a trend: I highly suggest finding an advisor for every part of your farm operation. That’s the most important piece of advice I can give for farm tax management.
    Get good people on your team, and you’ll go far.

    You may take a hit with taxes, but the government also offers a few great benefits for farmers. Check them out.
    Cash Cow Farmer was created to keep you from leaving a single dollar of profit on the table. Give it a look to learn more about how Cash Cow optimizes your operation!
    To learn more about the Cash Cow Farmer program, including software and consulting, give us a ring!

     [/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”MAXIMIZE PROFITS WITH CASHCOW FARMER!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]POWERFUL FARM FINANCIAL SOFTWARE THAT IS AFFORDABLE & EASY TO USE![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE 30 DAY TRIAL” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

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  • 5 Things You should know about Hedging Grain with Futures Contracts

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]a1
    [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/cashcowfarmer/Ep_008-_5_Things_You_should_know_about_Hedging_Grain_with_Futures_Contracts.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ]
    Don’t have time to read, click play above or subscribe to our podcast on itunes.

    Every farmer needs to take advantage of futures contracts, here’s an important first question:
    What are they?
    Futures are derivatives of a commodity that allow buyers and sellers of that commodity to fix prices at some point in the future. The whole purpose of the futures market (for you, the farmer) is to manage price risk.
    For a stock or bond, you buy and sell it whenever you want. Futures, on the other hand, have contracts that expire. That’s what makes them so complicated: every contract moves at a different rate than the next.
    Still, with a little knowledge, you can use futures contracts to hedge your grain. These five nuggets will help you learn how to use futures to manage your risk.

    1) The Farmer’s Natural Position is Long
    Every wise business choice you make must start with this foundational understanding: your natural position as a farmer is “long.”
    Long, in this case, is similar to owning stock. If you think Apple stock will go up, you buy it and keep it in your portfolio. When it goes up, you make money; when it goes down, you lose money.
    Farmers are in a similar position, growing a commodity this year and the next and the next. Let’s say you grow 100,000 bushels of soybeans. In general, for every dollar increase in the commodity’s value, you make $100,000 in increased revenue; for every dollar decrease, you lose $100,000.
    a1
    Farming sounds a little risky when you view it in that light, doesn’t it? Don’t panic: this only underscores the importance of risk management.

    2) Getting to Market Neutral
    While your natural position is long, you can shorten it by getting to market neutral.
    This should be your first goal, and you can do it in many ways, including options, futures, and cash sales. If you’re happy about today’s price, get to market neutral. Your revenue is locked in.
    Here’s how this looks: if you’re going to grow 100,000 bushels of soybeans and you think their value will go down, you can neutralize your position and sell 20 contracts worth 5,000 bushels each. If the price goes up, you don’t make any more; if it goes down, you don’t lose.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]3) Protecting the Downside
    Protecting the downside is basically assuring yourself that if the market goes down, you will make money. In the futures market, that’s “selling short.” It’s complicated to explain, but essentially it’s betting that the market will go down.
    First, identify if the market’s trending up or down. If you see a downward trend, consider selling short.
    To sell short, borrow a contract and sell it. It doesn’t actually take place like that, but that’s technically what happens in your account. You can’t sell something you don’t own, so in order to sell short, you have to borrow the contract from your broker and sell it in the market.
    a1
    Let’s say you borrowed 20 contracts, sold them short for $9, and the market went down to $8. At that point, you can buy the contracts back at $8, collect the dollar that you sold them at, and give the contracts back to your broker. You end up in the same position as before, but the market’s downward movement has actually made you a little money.
    It’s definitely complicated, but it’s worth your energy. Start small, and once you’ve done a few trades, the light bulb will go off.

    4) Doubling Down
    In this next suggestion, you become somewhat of a speculator in order to increase your income.
    Let’s paint a picture: you’re going to grow 100,000 bushels of soybeans, and you need 20 contracts sold short to offset their price risk. All the research you’ve read indicates that soybeans are “at a bottom.” What you might do is buy more contracts, thereby eliminating your short position and getting back to your natural long position.
    But you can also double down by buying more contracts. I’ll be honest: this increases your risk, but it also increases your potential for reward. At that point, you’re speculating, but if you’ve got a good track record and have done your homework, making decisions from the head rather than the heart, then you’ll be successful.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]5) Which Side to Choose
    Which side to choose—that is, long or short—all depends on your ability to cut your emotions cold, much like a successful day trader or speculator. You can execute trades at the worst time based on your emotions; make sure you’re cool in the heat of the moment.
    This applies not only to the markets, but business in general. Stick to a well thought-out strategy instead of getting impatient and rushing your goals. Everybody wants to make a lot of money, but there’s no shortcut to that point.
    a1
    As Charlie Munger said, “Step-by-step you get ahead, but not necessarily in fast spurts. But you build discipline by preparing for fast spurts. Slug it out one inch at a time day by day. At the end of the day, if you live long enough, most people get what they deserve.”
    If you’re trying to be a hero in the futures market, you’ll end up with your head chopped off. But if you stick to your guns, enduring the wins and losses, you’ll eventually get ahead.

    Conclusion
    JP Morgan was a great man, regardless of his reputation. When asked about what would happen in the stock market the next day, he liked to cleverly reply, “It will fluctuate.”
    Risk management is, in a sense, all a farmer has, because the future of the corn markets is really no different than the stock market: it will fluctuate.
    You can bet on that.

    For more strategies for hedging grain, here’s a
    great resource I recently published.
    Cash Cow Farmer was created to keep you from leaving a single dollar of profit on the table. Give it a look to learn more about how Cash Cow optimizes your operation!
    To learn more about the Cash Cow Farmer program, including software and consulting, give us a ring![/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]DON’T LET THE MARKETS WIN…SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

    SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY!

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  • The Top 5 Reasons Cash is King

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whether you’re running a lemonade stand or a 100,000-acre farm, “cash is king $$$”. That was, is, and always will be true.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]1a

    listen here
    [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/cashcowfarmer/EP_002-_Top_5_Reasons_Cash_is_King.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ]

    Whether you’re running a lemonade stand or a 100,000-acre farm, “cash is king $$$”. That was, is, and always will be true.
    As I’m writing this, the financial markets have just gone through a crazy week. The DOW has turned a loss for the year; the last 5-7 trading days have been losses. With the stock market and commodities down, everyone with money in publicly traded investments seems to be running for the door, converting everything to cash.
    There’s really only one way to stand secure while everyone else panics about finance, and that’s having enough cash. In particular, there are five reasons cash will always have its place on a financial throne.
    Don’t Have Time To Read…. Subscribe on itunes to our podcast or click play above…

    1) Liquidity
    In your mind, who’s the greatest money manager of our generation?
    You don’t even have to think about it: it’s  Warren Buffett $. If you google his name along with “cash is king,” or simply “Warren Buffett loves cash,” you’ll find tons of articles about how he keeps as much cash as he can. He says a “pile of cash” is something everyone should have as a savior in a tight spot.
    If a farmer buys really high-priced land and the land values plummet, the bank might be calling in some loans. They’re going to tell the farmer he’s under water on his notes, and he’ll need to use some cash to catch up. At that point, he’d better have cash on hand.

    1a
    Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway is worth a little over $300 billion, and his cash position is over $60 billion, which is a whopping 20%. You’re definitely a money master if 20% of your market value is in cash.
    Farmers can find this percentage for their own operations. If a given farmer were to sell everything in his farming operation right now, the resulting cash total would be his current market value.
    Let’s assume total market value is $10 million. 20% is $2 million, which would become the farmer’s ample safety net if aspired to match Warren Buffett’s sizeable percentage. But remember, that’s on the high end.
    I would encourage farmers not to let their cash position fall below 5% of their farm’s net worth. That’s a good and attainable target. Even at 5%, they don’t have to worry about financial strain. 5% of that same $10 million operation is $500,000, a good amount of cash. If they don’t do a good job marketing commodities, or some other strain occurs and they lose money, they can still sustain their business.
    There are times to aggressively grow and times to simply maintain. In a recession, which I consider us to be in, John Deere just reported a 40% drop in sales. If John Deere doesn’t have a good cash position, they could be in a bankruptcy position. They are in a maintenance phase.

    1a
    A final note about liquidity: Buffett says cash is dry powder that you can quickly fire. If you go to a land auction and see that a piece of land is selling for a great discount, you can buy it now and finance it later. (And yes, you should always finance purchases you can’t deduct.)

    [/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]

    2) Financing Power
    When farmers go to buy anything of high value, they have to present a balance sheet. Each one of those assets on the balance sheet has financing power.
    If a farmer goes to the bank with $1 million in cash and wants to borrow another million to buy land, the banker will have no reservations. Cash has at least a “one to one” power. Realistically, he could probably go to the bank with $1 million and be approved to borrow twice as much.
    Land is seen by banks at about 70% of its market value. So if a farmer has a $5,000/acre piece of land, his borrowing power against that land is about $3,500 dollars.
    Machinery is worse. If the farmer bought a combine two years ago at $200,000 dollars, it might be worth $100,000 today. The bank will value that asset even lower: somewhere between 40-50% of its market value, which means it’s worth about $50,000 to him.

    1a

    This is another reason why cash is king. The financing power it holds is astronomical compared to the power of other assets.

    3) Preservation of Net Worth
    Farmers must fall back on the #1 rule of investing: Preservation Of Capital.
    Cash positions don’t fluctuate much. If you have $100,000 in cash, it’s worth $100,000 in cash. On the other hand, if you had $100,000 in stocks during the week prior to this writing, it’s probably about $80,000 now. The same goes for other assets; machinery and land can lose their value—fast.

    [/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]

    4) Psychological Comfort
    If you ever watch Warren Buffett on TV, you’ve never seen a more relaxed guy when it comes to financial markets.
    It makes sense. When 20% of your company’s market value is in cash, you’re cool as a cucumber all day because you’re never going to go out of business. You have the best financial cushion possible.
    When farmers have a huge cash position, they’re relaxed to make better decisions. Many, however, are nervous now. Some spent a lot of cash on machinery in the last few years, their cash position is low, and they worry about whether they’re producing corn for more than they can sell it for.
    But the farmer in a good cash position isn’t even nicked by nervousness.

    5) Opportunities

    1a
    When everybody’s on one side of the boat, you have to be on the other side. As Buffet says, when everyone’s fearful, you need to be greedy, and when everyone’s greedy, you need to be fearful.
    Right now, the general financial landscape is full of fearfulness. If land is for sale, there won’t be a lot of buyers, which means that land prices will be better than they were last year.
    If you have a strong cash position, you can pick up land and machinery that will add value to your operation at good prices.
    They say “luck favors the prepared.” I’ve always believed that. If you’re prepared, you’re ready to execute on opportunities. You can buy publicly traded companies and buy land when everyone else is running away.
    That is, if you have a strong cash position.

    Conclusion
    If you need a little more convincing of the kingship of cash, google Warren Buffett and just listen to him talk. He maintains great return on investment without using 100% of his cash. He always has his “dry powder.”
    If your cash position is lower than 5%, convert to cash those assets that aren’t providing you lots of value. Sell off old machinery and scrap piles sitting around. Don’t spend lavishly.
    Once you have 5%, shoot for 10%. Try to get up to that Buffett level of 20%. You’ll never have an issue with financing, you’ll always be ready for time-sensitive opportunities, and you’ll never lose sleep at night worrying about paying your bills.
    For more specific instruction on when farmers should or shouldn’t use cash, check out this article on farm finance.

    [/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]DON’T LET THE MARKETS WIN…SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

    SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY!

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  • How to Save $50,000+ in Annual Farming Expenses

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It took me a really long time to figure out how to streamline the financial efficiencies on our farming operation.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]1a

    It took me a really long time to figure out how to streamline the financial efficiencies on our farming operation.
    But here’s the amazing thing about the world today: I can take lessons I’ve learned over most of my life, package them into a blog post or a podcast episode, and deliver them to you free of charge.
    The lesson in this case is how to save a lot of money in annual farming expenses. To help you trust that I’m qualified to teach the lesson, you need to know how I came to learn it.

    My Story…
    I was born and raised in South Dakota, in a small farm town of 99 people. My father was a farmer, as was my grandfather before him; so I’ve been riding in tractors and inhaling the sweet, yeasty smell of corn since I was a kid.
    About 30 years ago, my dad invented some farm equipment; he called it the Anderson Opener. It allowed farmers to put their small grains and fertilizer down in one pass. It was technology that really helped farmers, and it inspired me early on to develop something equally helpful some day.
    I went to college at the University of Nebraska, where I became interested in finance. I had stars in my eyes over the stock market, publicly traded investments, and the way the captains of industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s made fortunes investing in stocks and speculating in futures and exchanges.

    1a

    When Warren Buffett and Bill Gates came to my university for a Q&A, it was a tipping point for me. If a guy like Warren Buffet from Omaha could make it on Wall Street, so could Scott Anderson from Andover, South Dakota.
    After college, I was fortunate enough to have contacts who connected me to a job in New York—on Wall Street no less, working in investment banking. During that time, I continued to expand my finance education. I took a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) level one exam and went to Switzerland for a month to study finance at the Swiss Finance Academy.
    I learned enough to totally change the lens through which I saw farming when I returned to South Dakota a few years later. Farming, and really all commodities at that time, were on their way to record highs.  Anyone could make money farming. Unfortunately the music had to stop and the tide went out revealing those who were swimming without bathing suits. But my fortunate string of financial education had prepared me to weather the new challenge.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]

    The Creation of Cash Cow Farmer
    Back in South Dakota, I took over the farm operation and started to figure out the most efficient way to grow crops in our area. Most importantly, I wanted to determine precise production costs. Each field has a different productive capacity, and I wanted to know the cost of every bushel of corn and every soybean in our farm’s inventory.
    On Wall Street, I had used spreadsheets to model out corporate finance such as mergers and acquisitions; I could analyze what a company looked like at the time and how their efficiencies would change if they merged with a given company.
    So I used that experience to build spreadsheets for the farm. I would first build a budget and then record our actual production costs, and I discovered some very valuable information.
    We’d been renting 600 acres for 25 years from a certain woman. She had just increased our rent, and I realized that the fields were not in ideal locations and didn’t fit our operation well. My spreadsheet told me we were paying $150 an acre in rent, but only making $10-20 an acre.

    1a

    We cut those 600 acres, which is unthinkable for many farmers. But for me it was economical. Yes, our operation will be 600 acres smaller, but we were losing money in those fields, so retaining them wasn’t worth it.
    By the fall of 2014, the value of corn and soybeans had dropped by 30%. Everybody was losing money on their books. People were nervous, locally and around the world. So I thought I should share my spreadsheet, because one of the most comforting things for a farmer (or any business owner) is knowing exactly where you are financially.
    But for many people, the spreadsheet was too complex to be practical. It was 27 pages long and had to account foreverything. It was intimidating. I wished I could hide all the calculations so that a farmer could simply input what they paid (from their receipts) and applied (from their maps and controllers.)
    It was time to upgrade the spreadsheets.
    Around this time I went to Startup Weekend, a startup entrepreneurial event. The concept is that you pitch an idea for a business. If it’s selected by the audience, you can build a team, build your minimum product by Sunday, and present it in front of a panel of judges who are successful entrepreneurs.
    I pitched Cash Cow Farmer on Friday night. Out of 30-40 ideas, twelve were picked, including Cash Cow.
    I picked my team of 6 people, and we built a prototype and presented it. It was a hit, and we launched in December of 2014. The software is based in the cloud, accessed from a phone, tablet, or computer. We’ve found that when we present the idea to farmers, they realize it’s exactly what they need.

    [/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]1a

    My own farming has benefited tremendously from Cash Cow, especially as I prepared for 2015. I knew how much my operation had spent in 2014, and I used that data in Cash Cow to determine what I could afford to pay in 2015. I could present that information to the people I wanted to buy from and work out the best deals for our farm.
    Our billing procedures were also transformed by Cash Cow. In day-to-day billing, so much activity gets written down, shuffled around, and misbilled all the time.
    If, say, I get billed for $22 for Roundup when I’ve pre-payed $19, I can pull up my price sheet on Cash Cow and locate exactly what I negotiated for the product. So much money would slip through the cracks without the Cash Cow software to reference.
    It helped me again when we had a recent spike in commodity prices for corn and soybeans. I knew it would cost me $2.95 cents to grow a bushel of corn, and the cash price to sell it came out to about $3.60. I determined that I might as well sell; the profit margin took all the emotion out of the decision.
    Farmers try to call the top of the market, but that’s a dangerous game to play. Not many people can call the top, but you never go out of business selling at a profit.

    1a

    How to save $50,000+
    Now to deliver on the promise of the title: how can you save $50,000+ in annual farming expenses?
    The answer is simple and probably obvious by now: By using Cash Cow Farmer!
    And the sweetest part of the deal is that little plus you see after the number. Our farm saved at least $50,000 just by calling out billing mistakes. Since that’s only one small part of what Cash Cow does, you could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars or more after applying it across your operation.

    Conclusion
    Farming is the toughest job in the world, in my opinion. During the majority of the year, it’s the riskiest and one of the most labor intensive jobs in existence.
    Last weekend, we had a hail storm that wiped out several crops. Another time, we had both a drought warning and a flood warning in the span of a single week.
    Farming is really hard, but Cash Cow makes it easier. Most farmers aren’t fortunate enough to have the financial training that I have, which is why I’ve taken that training and created a tool for the everyday farmer.
    You can try a free trial of Cash Cow Farmer for 30 days. I guarantee that if you do, you’ll be able to see how the software can save you piles of cash and utterly transform the efficiency of your farming operation.

    [/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]DON’T LET THE MARKETS WIN…SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

    SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SESSION TODAY!

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  • Farm Finance: Repair Regulations & Depreciation on Your Farm Assets

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whether you’re a farmer, a banker, or a hot dog salesman, cash is always king.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]1a

    Whether you’re a farmer, a banker, or a hot dog salesman, cash is always king.
    But farmers have their own unique challenges when it comes to maintaining the best cash position. When farmers purchase or improve assets, it’s not always apparent whether they should buy with cash or finance those items.
    So how do you make the decision between using cash and financing to buy an item?
    It depends on what the expense does to the asset. Let me explain: 

    Expenses vs. Capitalization
    The main factor in the decision between paying cash and financing is how it’s deducted from your income.
    Past tax laws were kind to farmers. Under Section 179 accelerated depreciation allowance, farmers could deduct up to $500,000 of expenses per year.
    These terms expired last year, and under the 2015 version of Section 179, farmers can only deduct $25,000 per year at an accelerated pace. While this is certainly a game changer, and limits what farmers can buy and deduct, the principle for how to buy items remains:

    If you have to capitalize the expense, you’re better off financing it.
    Let’s say you spend $50,000 on precision planting machinery for your planter. The planter worked all right before, but this new technology will make your planting more precise and improve your yield.
    This expense can’t be deducted, since it’s an asset improvement. If you get audited, the IRS will say it needs to be capitalized.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is another text box. Paste your written content here or delete this section by hovering over it and clicking the trashcan icon. No formatting necessary.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]1a

    In this case, it’s better to finance the technology, especially with current interest rates where they are. You’ll have a liability on your balance sheet, but your cash position will remain strong. And remember, interest is 100% deductible.
    If you spend $50,000 in cash, your balance sheet will reflect improved assets of $50,000, but the bank might calculate that value at $25,000 because of mark-to-market accounting laws. As with driving a new car off the lot, your technology immediately depreciates. So in this case your net worth would be lowered by paying cash instead of financing.
    Your cash is worth more than that asset. Cash is more liquid. Cash has the highest value on your balance sheet, so you want to keep your cash position strong by financing the item that can’t be entirely depreciated or expensed.
    But in another scenario, let’s say your combine breaks down and won’t run, and $10,000 later it’s fixed. That’s a repair expense. Not all repair expenses can be deducted in the same year as the repair, but a repair that brings your machinery from a non-working to a working condition—as in this case—can be deducted 100%.
    That’s exactly the type of purchase for which it’s better to use cash, or an operating line of credit. This expense will decrease your income tax liability.

    1a

    To be sure, this stuff is tricky because it doesn’t always make sense. Taxes are a big expense, but If you’re paying a lot of taxes, find out why. If you had a profitable year, you’re going to pay taxes—so be it.
    But don’t buy $500,000 worth of machinery to save yourself $100,000 in tax liability. That’s not good for your net worth: it decreases it.
    Another thing to take into account as you acquire an asset is the item’s depreciation schedule.

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    Depreciation Schedules
    There are many lengths of depreciation schedules, depending on what the purchased item is.
    A land improvement, for example, has to be depreciated over 15-20 years. Let’s say you put drain tile on your farms. That expense can’t be deducted that year; it has to be depreciated over 15-20 years, legally.
    You can try to depreciate it, but if you get audited, the IRS will charge you taxes, fees, and interest. And because of high interest rates, you can expect to pay 2-3 times what you would have originally paid if you’d done everything properly.
    If you want to know more about the depreciation schedules, google the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System. MACRS is the current tax reference used in the U.S. to depreciate capitalized costs of tangible property.
    But the #1 rule for farmers is to get a good accountant who can reference the system for you.

    1a

    Take a look at the chart for a 7-year MACRS. It’s complicated, down to the hundredth decimal percentage place, which is why the accountant is so important. That savings you think you got can come back and cost you a lot of money.
    There are a lot of farmers who go to a land auction and buy land from a farmer who’s retiring or has financial problems, only to realize the IRS has a lien against the land because that farmer owes so much in back taxes.
    When farmers get caught up trying to minimize income tax, they run the risk of using up their cash position. And, if they don’t do their taxes correctly, it can cost them huge fees from the IRS later.
    The moral of the story? A good accountant is absolutely worth it. 

    Two Extra Tips
    1) Pay your taxes– You’re better off paying your taxes and hoarding your cash. You don’t want to burn cash to pay down debt. Debt is actually a pretty useful tool for offsetting income down the road.
    2) Talk to your banker– Bankers know what you can get for credit; lean on them for information as you purchase items.

    Conclusion
    Established farmers may already have land and machines paid off. But young farmers—ones who have farmed 15 years or less—will really need to focus on making good decisions about financing vs. cash, and being aware of depreciation schedules.
    Whatever your age or experience, you have to understand your cash position. And you shouldn’t just have cash sitting in the bank either. You want your cash working for you, whether through stocks or some other investment suggested by a money manager.
    For further help: EideBailley has developed a useful flowchart on how to treat expenditures related to tangible property. Follow it step-by-step to learn whether expensing or capitalizing an item will give you the best cash position.

    [/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”MAXIMIZE PROFITS WITH CASHCOW FARMER!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]POWERFUL FARM FINANCIAL SOFTWARE THAT IS AFFORDABLE & EASY TO USE![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE 30 DAY TRIAL” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

    NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED. START TODAY!

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  • Farm Finance: 6 Ways to Make Every Field Profitable

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Not all dirt is created equal.”

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]1a

    Not all dirt is created equal.” (Click to Tweet)
    Unfortunately, you can’t produce whatever you want and expect to make money. You have to let the field tell you what it can produce.
    Fields even a few miles apart will produce different amounts of rain; soil can change dramatically 100 feet away.
    Yes, some fields are sagging your profits. But don’t worry: you can make any field profitable if you handle it right.
    Here are six farm finance tips to maximize your profits and ensure that every field is profitable:[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]

    1) Determine which crops the ground is good for.
    Recently, I posted an article about how to build a grain marketing plan. In it, I talked about how looking at your inventory, in every field, is key for knowing when to sell your grain.
    Cash Cow Farmer is really good for this. It determines production costs on a per-field basis, and our software will help you decide which crops are profitable at the current commodity price.
    Not all fields can grow 180-bushel corn. And a 120-bushel likely won’t cover your production costs. It sounds obvious, but it’s a bad idea to produce corn on a low-productivity, high-production costs field, especially at the current market.
    One more thing to think about: is cropping the best route to go with the field? If it has good water, it can be pastured or put in a government conservation program for wildlife.

    2) What logistics help or hurt the ground?
    It’s not always about productive or unproductive fields: sometimes it’s how you operate.
    How far do you drive your machinery from your primary operation? How far do you haul grain to get to the buyer?
    If you’ve got a long haul, a high volume crop like corn may not the best. Maybe soybeans or wheat would work better—something lower volume.
    As for the field, is it square? Odd-shaped with lots of wet spots? Fields with hills or wet spots may be better for pasturing or a wetland conservation program than cropping.

    3) Cover Crop Rotation
    Cover crops can make unproductive ground productive.
    They do that based on their assistance with soil moisture and weed pressure.
    Cover crops can actually decrease your production costs based on how they work with the soil. This is one of those situations where spending a little more will save you a lot more.

    1a

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    4) CSP or Equip Farm Programs
    For uncooperative fields, you’ll probably want whatever income you can get from government programs. You’re trying to cover costs, so why not lean on programs made to help you?
    CSP and Equip are two standard government cropping programs. I highly suggest looking into them and maximizing revenue for your fields.

    5) Insure to protect losses
    Insurance isn’t a very common farm finance tip, but here’s why we mention it.
    Insured, you protect your losses. You also make sure your APH (proven yield) is above the cost of production. If your proven yield times the current commodity price is lower than the cost of production, you should consider growing a different crop.
    The main thing is to make sure your revenue guarantee on your insurance program will cover your production costs.
    If it will, you’re guaranteed not to lose money.

    6) When in doubt, rent it out
    The landlord almost always makes more than the tenant.
    Focus on what makes money; if a field doesn’t make you money, rent it out. If the field fits better into someone else’s operation, see if they would be interesting in renting. Even if it’s only certain pieces of the ground.
    Everybody has their rock star fields. Stick with those—and rent the rest.

    Conclusion
    Before you sell all your equipment and vow never to look down at the dirt ever again, try each of the farm finance tips above.
    Sometimes a field is better suited for pasturing than cropping. Sometimes a cover crop will take back what the weeds have stolen. And even if a piece of ground seems hopeless for you, you can rent it out.
    Every field can be profitable. NO field is profitable in exactly the same way. (Click to Tweet)
    Profitability is our area of expertise. Try out a free 30-day trial of Cash Cow Farmer today to project production costs, manage your present and future inventory, and more!

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  • S.D. farmboy – turned investment banker – creates farm management program

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    S.D. farmboy turned investment banker creates farm management program

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Original Article By Tracy Frank

    1aAfter growing up on a South Dakota farm, Scott Anderson became a Wall Street investment banker.
    But when his dad retired, he moved back to the family farm near Andover and brought some of his Wall Street wisdom with him.1a
    He created a spreadsheet to help manage the fields and calculate his costs to grow each bushel, field by field. When he tried sharing his spreadsheet with other farmers, however, he found it was too complex.
    “There were so many formulas and algorithms that it was unusable by anybody but me,” he said.
    Still, he knew there was something valuable in what he had done, so in September he pitched his project at a startup event in Minneapolis for technology entrepreneurs.
    His was one of 12 projects chosen out of 40 presenters for further development. He met with a team of developers and salespeople, and they created the management and marketing program, CashCow Farmer, which they released in December.
    “It’s been going really well,” Anderson said. “Farmers are really interested in signing up, mainly because the pressure on margins this year is really bad.”
    Bankers also like the program, he said, because it’s a true financial statement for farms.

    [/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]”Farmers don’t always sell within that calendar year, so their income is always fluctuating greatly based on when they sell,” he said. “This tells the banker and the farmer what they can expect to make on that crop.”
    Anderson was in Fargo recently to talk about CashCow Farmer at a Progressive Ag marketing seminar.
    1a “Farming is so  capital-intensive,  we’ve got to be real  savvy to make it  work,” he said.
    The program, he  said, is user-  friendly and allows  farmers to manage  each field like a  separate business by measuring what it costs to produce a bushel of grain on  each field. It helps them understand which fields are making money and  which are not so they can make informed farm management decisions, he said.
    “It simplifies the process so the farmer just has to think about those things that change in his production,” Anderson said. “If the yield changes, how is that going to change my income? If I don’t do a certain application of fertilizer or if I buy a certain chemical at this price, how is that going to change my income?”
    The farmers he talks to, he said, typically use Excel spreadsheets or pencils and paper.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]Nate Yourchuck of Minneapolis, the program’s main developer and chief technology officer, said most people appreciate the program’s simplicity.
    1a“It’s very easy to enter in the numbers and it steps them through a process of building on a price sheet, seeing how much money they paid for fertilizer, how much they paid for seeds,” he said. “Then they enter in their fields, how big each field is, how many seeds they’re planting in each field, how much fertilizer they’re applying, and the program does all the calculations for you to tell you how much money you’re going to make on each field.”
    CashCow farmer costs $750 to $1,500 a year, and can be purchased through Progressive Ag or at https://cashcowfarmer.com.
    “In farming and in any sort of business, luck favors the prepared, those people who are most prepared to take advantage of opportunities when they come,” Anderson said.[/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”MAXIMIZE PROFITS WITH CASHCOW FARMER!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]POWERFUL FARM FINANCIAL SOFTWARE THAT IS AFFORDABLE & EASY TO USE![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE 30 DAY TRIAL” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

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  • 7 Proven Strategies to Overcome Low Commodity Prices

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I don’t need to tell you that farms are under a lot of financial pressure right now…[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

    I don’t need to tell you that farms are under a lot of financial pressure right now…
    You’re well aware that there’s a huge supply of grain and a great harvest worldwide, and because of that…commodity prices are low. Real low.
    But there’s hope…
    There are ways to lean up your farming, and we’re about to show you how. We’ve compiled a list of seven proven strategies to help you come out on top, even when commodity prices are low.
    At the very least, it’ll make your banker happy  🙂

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]cash1[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”SCHEDULE A FREE GRAIN MARKETING STRATEGY SESSION” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2Fmarketing-strategy||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]

    1) Preserve Working Capital:
    Current assets minus current liabilities—that formula equals your working capital. It’s the most important figure that bankers use to know if a farmer will be able to cash flow their operation.
    Debt on the books is a liability. Your cash today, not including your equipment, is an asset.
    The idea is to put yourself in a good position, that is, on top of a fluffy financial cushion.

    2) Reduce capital expenditures:
    This includes any new machinery purchases or other shiny things.
    There are really good deals out there. But the farmer needs to ignore those deals unless the cost of restoring the old is greater than buying the new.

    3) Pay your taxes:
    Farmers like to offset tax liability by capital expenditures and prepaying inputs.
    You might get next year’s fertilizer now, but that means next year you won’t have any expenses, and you can say hello to a ton of tax liability.
    When you have income, pay the tax bill. It’s worth it in the long run, and you’ll protect yourself against the tag-team of taxes and low commodity prices.[/vc_column_text][ult_buttons btn_title=”TRY CASHCOW FARMER FREE FOR 30 DAYS” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-small” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][vc_column_text]

    4) Restructure debt with longer-term loans:
    Currently, there are lots of short-term loans available, but they are at a variable rate and they come with large annual payments which will put pressure on cash flow.
    You can extend your payment plan on machinery. This decreases each year’s payments, leading to the most important thing during a low-priced commodity storm: increased cash flow.

    5) Lock in interest rates on debt, and restructure if possible:
    It’s a low interest rate environment right now. So your task is simple: take advantage of low long-term interest rates by locking them in for good.
    This might take you an afternoon of phone calls, but believe me…it will be well worth it.

    6) Reduce family living expenses:
    Family living expenses for farms have skyrocketed based on high commodity prices from years past. Beach trips, snowmobiles, and new trucks are great, but too much high-expense living is devastating for the farm.
    So hold off on large family purchases for now.
    As Dave Ramsey says: “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.” (Click to Tweet)

    7) Understand your farm break-evens, and make sure every field is profitable:
    This is where Cash Cow Farmer becomes your best friend. You’ll need to know your production costs on every field: how many acres to produce soybeans as opposed to wheat or corn, and so on.
    Also, remember that farmers don’t sell acres: they sell bushels. So you need to know your break-even cost per bushel, which is exactly what Cash Cow is made to help you do.
    You can even input your family expenses, literally tracking the financial state of your entire farm.

    You can get through it
    For the short-term, the golden years in farming are over. Commodity prices are not in our favor. We need to focus on the business side of farming and make sure we’re going to make money, or at least not lose it.
    At the end of the day, the lean farmer wins. And, as Mr. 100-Dollar Bill himself said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” (Click to Tweet)
    Are you struggling to gain financial momentum during the tough pricing season? Sign up for a 30-day free trial for Cash Cow Farmer today and let us help you make it out.

    [/vc_column_text][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”40″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”40″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”30″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row dfd_row_config=”full_width_content” dfd_row_parallax=”off” dfd_row_responsive_enable=”off” dfd_enable_overlay=”off” css=”.vc_custom_1470889834038{background-color: #2d2d2d !important;}”][vc_column width=”3/4″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_tag=”h3″ heading_content=”MAXIMIZE PROFITS WITH CASHCOW FARMER!” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#ffffff” subheading_type=”customizable” subheading_tag=”h5″ sub_heading_default_weight=”400″]POWERFUL FARM FINANCIAL SOFTWARE THAT IS AFFORDABLE & EASY TO USE![/ultimate_heading][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”25″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”25″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”15″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”10″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″ column_responsive_mobile_classes=”dfd-remove-right-padding” column_responsive_mobile_resolutions=”dfd-apply-mobile” css=”.vc_custom_1470810100672{padding-right: 2% !important;}”][dfd_spacer screen_wide_resolution=”1280″ screen_wide_spacer_size=”15″ screen_normal_resolution=”1024″ screen_tablet_resolution=”800″ screen_mobile_resolution=”480″ screen_normal_spacer_size=”0″ screen_tablet_spacer_size=”0″ screen_mobile_spacer_size=”0″][bt_animation animation_type=”_flipX” duration=”2″ repeat=”2″ allow_margins=”yes” scroll_offset=”5px” no_hide=”yes”][ult_buttons btn_title=” FREE 30 DAY TRIAL” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcashcowfarmer.clickfunnels.com%2F30daytrial||target:%20_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#ffffff” btn_bg_color=”#00ab61″ btn_hover=”ubtn-fade-bg” btn_bg_color_hover=”#ffffff” btn_title_color_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#ffffff” btn_color_border_hover=”#00ab61″ btn_border_size=”2″ btn_font_size=”18″][/bt_animation][vc_column_text]

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