We can all learn from other people’s mistakes without having to make them ourselves. We have had so many members have one bad year that they end up paying for over the next 3, 7, or even 20 years, without even realizing that is what they are doing. This is exactly what you are doing by terming-out your losses from one bad year over multiple years. 

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org 

Today I’m joined by Weston Birkeland, a 4th generation farmer who grows mostly wheat and barley on about 20K acres in Montana. We take a deep dive and discuss how Legacy Farmer has impacted absolutely every aspect of his life and business in only 3 short weeks. 

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org

We all have the assumption that when we move back to work on the family operation that one day we’ll take it over or at the least buy them out of the operation. This assumption holds true until we find out that the family member that we want to take over for or buy out is in massive, crushing debt. Until you see their numbers and cashflow, you know nothing about your family’s operation. 

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org

We are conditioned to see mistakes as failure, but the truth is we should see them as the stepping off point in the journey that God has laid out for us. At least in making a mistake you are doing something and decisions are being made. There is so much power in just getting off zero and making moves to get your life where you want it to be. Mistakes are good because they always bring lessons and growth.

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org

Today, Andy and I discuss why we put our bankers on a pedestal and have complete blind trust in them and what they do and say. We aren’t taught what we need to know when going in to deal with the bank and in many cases we work with bankers that our family has for decades. Many of the people working in the bank are not in a position to be giving business advice.

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org 

If you are stuck in victimhood you will never achieve anything, all while wondering why good things won't happen to you. It’s easy to play the victim, it’s much harder to find, and learn the lesson in each situation. Once I stopped settling and started taking action everything started to fall into place and God rewarded me.

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org

Come the busy season all farmers and ranchers start to feel the pressure of all they need to get done. The problems come in when they bring all that stress and worry home with them. They fall directly into victim mode about all the first world problems they face, completely overlooking how good they have things and not realizing that there are millions of people in this world that would kill to have their problems. 

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org 

Many people in the Ag industry try their best to avoid hard and uncomfortable conversations, it’s just the kind of people they are. If you are not willing to have those difficult conversations, the underlying issues will just sit there and fester, and eventually destroy the relationship. There will be short-term pain, it’s unavoidable, but the long-term benefits will be massive.

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org 

So often we get in our own heads with worries and negative thoughts. Speaking positivity to yourself and reassuring yourself that things will be ok, and that you can overcome whatever is thrown at you is far more beneficial. The latter can completely change the trajectory of your day. It may sound too simple, because it is, but it also works. 

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org 

So many times in family-run operations we just blindly trust the family members we are in business with and we dread even thinking about having the hard conversations with them about where the business actually stands. Sometimes you need to demand to have the hard conversations and force structure into the operation, because it’s your family and livelihood on the line too. Other Times, you need to walk away.

Check out the Impact Legacy Farmer is having on the American Farmer here:  www.legacyfarmer.org