Insights CategoryFood & Agriculture

Please note: The following information is current as of March 13, 2025, at 10:45 a.m. CT. Pinion will continue to monitor changes and create updates.

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

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 IRS issued an increase in the standard mileage rates for business travel, effective January 1, 2025. While the IRS states that standard mileage rates

The 2024 federal elections will have significant impacts on policies that affect U.S. food and agriculture. With election day in the rear-view mirror, it is

For many of you the stress of harvest season is over and now you enter a new season in family business: the holidays! As if

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

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

After over a year of anticipation, the U.S. Treasury has released long-awaited guidance on the 40B Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credit, along with updates

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

The estate tax exemption doesn’t sunset until the end of 2025. So why worry about it now? Unfortunately, this historically high estate and gift tax

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.

When a piece of farm equipment breaks down, chances are slim to none that you take it to a general repair shop. If you can’t

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

By Jeanne Bernick, Certified Family Business Advisor For many of you, the stress of harvest season is over and now you enter a new season

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

Beginning January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act requires all U.S.-based entities to report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) detailed information about the

6 in 10 Americans have a retirement account, while only 1 in 3 have an estate plan. While the majority of Americans see the importance

Running a successful farm in a small town can be isolating, and constantly improving and expanding your business is challenging. That’s where peer group can

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

Ask any successful family business leader “What is your most important accomplishment?” The overwhelming response is: ‘my legacy’. And yet, only one in six have

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is the leading international standard setting body for GHG accounting and reporting. In September of 2022, the GHG Protocol

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

“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

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

By Jeanne Bernick, Certified Family Business Advisor For many of you the stress of harvest season is over and now you enter a new season

As the world strives towards a zero-carbon economy, more than 4,000 businesses worldwide have committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the Science-Based Target

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

On August 7th, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. The bill is now expected to be

Following its approval by the U.S. Senate on August 7, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – also referred

Under the USDA’s Farm Service Agency new disaster program, Emergency Relief Program (ERP), producers who lost crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to qualifying disaster

Until now, farmers and ranchers faced a roadblock between the key metrics they could collect and how to truly use them. The good news is

Farmers and ranchers don’t have to look far to find income opportunities. Revenue opportunities are often literally on the ground beneath their feet. As landowners,

Rarely has U.S. agriculture been at such a pivotal, transformative era. Globally, and here in the U.S., the world’s major governments, food companies, and the

Changes in land ownership and the farming workforce are unfolding across U.S. agriculture. Among key drivers, of course, is the aging population of American farmers

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:

Over the past few years, U.S. agriculture has seen more women coming back to join their family farms. “Women have realized it takes brains, not

There are some important lessons garnered from 2021’s exploratory year for growers considering carbon sequestration. Pinion’s Advisory team recommends three things you can do now

What a year it’s been for carbon markets. The subject has really taken the food and agriculture industry by storm. After many months of discussion,

President Biden recently signed into law the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that has been stalled in Congress for several months. Below is a summary

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

After a 38-year absence, Form 1099 Nonemployee Compensation Tax has made its return in the 2020 tax year, and its January 31 deadlines are right

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

In an effort to provide additional stimulus funding, The Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed by the President on December 27, 2020. Included in the guidance

Agricultural businesses have withstood their fair share of COVID disruption – from family life to the workplace. While this has forced financial strain, labor disruptions,

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

In recent weeks, we have learned of an uptick in fraud cases for businesses who have applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds for coronavirus

It has been the talk of the Ag sector throughout the last few weeks: expectations for another round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for

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

Update 5/21: CFAP Relief Update & Good News for Exporters: The Form CCC-942 that was released this week to certify 75% of Adjusted Gross Income

Earlier in April, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Treasury addressed whether businesses should include any non-U.S. laborers in their employee count applicable

(Washington, D.C., April 17, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This new U.S. Department of

April 21st Update: Just announced: Senate passes bill allowing small ag businesses relief through disaster loan eligibility.   Following a close analysis of the CARES

By Jeanne Bernick Farm business owners don’t have the luxury of putting their heads in the sand during a crisis. They have the health and