By Carolina Vargas, Ph.D., Agricultural Economist and Farm Business Management Advisor for Pinion As a leader of an agricultural commodity-based business, it is important to
By Carolina Vargas, Ph.D., Agricultural Economist and Farm Business Management Advisor for Pinion Farmers are no strangers to change, but 2025 is shaping up to
Automated accounting uses software to take over repetitive tasks like payroll, bookkeeping, expense tracking, and data collection. Think of it as your digital financial assistant
In today’s economy, stretching every dollar matters. But efficiency isn’t just a cost-saving tactic — it’s how ag businesses set the stage for sustainable growth.
Trade disputes, funding cuts, worker shortages, and delays in tax reform and the farm bill are impacting U.S. agriculture. Each of these policies and legislative
“After more than a decade of working with farms, livestock operations and other agribusinesses, I’ve found that the most successful entities aren’t determined by geography,
Cash flow is king when it comes to preserving working capital and a strong balance sheet. It can be your best defense when you have
The official announcement made by President Trump on April 2 was met with a wide level of concern across many industries. Pinion advisors present a
Weak commodity prices and an international trade war have inflicted pain on American agriculture – at a time when U.S. farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses can
In times of heightened uncertainty, farm owners and managers must take proactive steps to strengthen their financial foundation. A well-organized financial picture not only provides
On his first day in office, President Trump sought to make a significant display of his priorities by issuing dozens of executive actions. Executive orders
What key issues will your agricultural operation face over the next 20 years? Are your concerns in line with other producers’ worries? Farming has grown
The dust is still settling from the Presidential election, but if you are a dairy farmer, you have another weighty vote to cast. The proposed
As producers begin their annual reflection upon the past year and shift the focus into next year, planning considerations around tax and financial strategies become
What individual farmers can do to mitigate risk in the midst of crisis: 1. Have a farm emergency action plan in writing. “Most state departments
Recovery from Hurricane Helene is well underway in the Southeast, and many farmers are struggling with decisions on what to do with damaged crops and
Farming is a risky business. With changing policies, weather events, global dynamics, and other factors beyond a farmer’s control, it feels less and less predictable
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced August 14, 2024, as the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers that suffered losses as a result
What keeps a farmer in business through droughts, rising costs, falling prices and other invisible struggles? What helps you weather through? “As an Ag marketing
Is your accounting system holding your business back? Maybe you’re so busy running the business that sorting through scattered financials seems more of a headache
In recent years, securing new employees has been an overwhelming concern for businesses, with several reasons contributing to the shortage of job seekers. The pandemic
After nearly two years of rising interest rates, many farmers are tapping into their cash reserves from prosperous years to avoid taking out new loans.
Farmers need three key things for their business: the best price, the best quality, and the best service. All of these come at a cost
Congress has drafted new tax legislation that is shaping up well amongst both the House and Senate Committee leaders. The $78 billion tax agreement, introduced
The beginning of the year is a great time to perform an overall financial check for your business. “We recommend that farm operations do this
As the calendar year draws to a close, many farm co-ops are also approaching their fiscal year-ends. As a co-op CEO, now is a good
Across the country, landowners are seeing new cash crops emerge in the form of wind, solar and other farm easements. Renewable energy opportunities can add
As a farm manager, you’ve invested in high-tech field equipment like GPS tractor systems, efficient irrigation systems and automated milking parlors to make your life
Today’s farm technology is not what it was five or even two years ago. In the past several years, most farms have revisited the way
In December 2022, the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Montréal with a focus
Under the Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, new insurance obligations became effective on January 1, 2023, with employee benefits beginning January
“Cash is king” is an expression that has been used to refer to the importance of cash flow in the overall fiscal health of a
Proactive planning for the long-term future of your business gives it staying power. The surest way to secure the legacy of a business is to
This year has been anything but conventional, and the lending environment is trending the same. We are seeing decades-high inflation and interest rates as high
With planting and input decisions already heavy on their minds, ag businesses are asking how they should manage their decisions around raised input costs and
Once harvest begins, producers put non-urgent tasks naturally get pushed to the back burner. Crops need to be harvested, equipment needs to be kept in
Like many growers and livestock producers, you’ve probably vowed to keep up with technology, at least to some extent. You’ve heard that technology can help
From Ag trade and government agencies to the farmers prepping fields for Spring planting, there is one certainty stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
Earlier this week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a meeting with representatives of U.S. agricultural products (livestock, grains, specialty crop, and dairy
No matter what the presidential outcome, there was never any question that the outlook for estate tax planning would be different in 2021. How much
In an effort to provide additional support to farms and ranches due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently made
A series of announcements have been made regarding CFAP funding recently. Below, K·Coe’s Farm Program Services team has summarized what you need to know about
With the start of 2021, the obvious “silver lining” is that despite all of the headlines, we are now experiencing some of the best commodity
On January 15, the USDA announced rule changes that would provide additional assistance for many farmers and ranchers due to COVID-19 disruptions. The new rules
Working on behalf of American Food & Agriculture businesses, K·Coe Isom submitted an open letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue on October 28, 2020 regarding
The state of the farm economy has certainly seen better times. After accounting for input costs, farmers and ranchers received only eight cents out of
While production agriculture is no stranger to facing adversity and adaptation, no one could argue that the Economic Disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has
I look out my window in Eastern Iowa and see uprooted oak trees that once stood as guardians of our neighborhood. A displaced street light
April 21st Update: Just announced: Senate passes bill allowing small ag businesses relief through disaster loan eligibility. Following a close analysis of the CARES
While President Trump has declared a National Emergency on the federal level in response to COVID-19, it is dependent upon the Governor of each affected
With an honest viewpoint heading into 2020, there is no sharp improvement or further downturn ahead. Many farmers deem ‘selling land’ as unthinkable. K·Coe’s ag
Now is the time to take a good look at where your operation stands, to determine the financial health path you should take for 2020.
For many agribusinesses, it’s almost time to close the books on 2019 and start planning for next year. We often advise clients on the importance
With the deadline only a month away, all eligible producers are being advised to apply for their FSA Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payment immediately. It’s
Financial cleanup doesn’t sound like any fun, but neither does mucking out the stalls. Yet both are a necessary evil for most ranch or farm
By Thomas Eatherly Midwest agriculture has had to rewrite the book for making smart crop decisions this year. Weather has prompted delivery, logistics, and storage
If you’re still using Excel and other software programs to track crop rotation and inputs, but are struggling to tally the full costs involved in
Today’s ag environment shows commodity prices are below break-even for some operators, while barely budging the break-even level for others. Economists have referred to this
6 Signs a Business is in Survival Mode: 1. Everything has become urgent, and you feel like your back is up against the wall. 2.
The IRS has agreed to last-minute relief for farmers by extending their tax payment filing due date to April 15, 2019 – and withdrawing the
Over the years, many of you have adopted farm technology that’s revolutionizing agriculture. Maybe you’ve added a GPS-guided tractor or a self-propelled sprayer to your
Every week I speak with more producers who are struggling with managing the bottom line and, at the same time, hit an invisible moving target
