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farm management

Hit a Homerun Using the 4 Components of Farm Profitability

June 2, 2015 by Steve

If you’re a baseball fan….you know that the only way to score is by rounding the bases.  You need to rely on your coaches and work as a team.  Farm profitability is very similar.

4 Components of Farm Profitability

  1. Let’s say you are up to bat at home base….we’ll consider that production.  It all starts here….where you have the most control….focused on preparing the field, planting the right seed at the correct depth and nurturing it through the growing season.
  2. Let’s compare first base to crop insurance….protecting your investment to secure revenue and provide peace of mind.
  3. Now you’re heading for second.  We’ll call that grain marketing.  The most difficult job a grower faces.  Utilize Corn Capital Innovations experts to help you get the competitive advantage in the changing market.
  4. Third base is financial management and analysis, whether to buy a new combine or expand your acreage.  We help you figure out your profit margins, manage labor and set up a business plan.

Hit a Homerun with CCI

Visiting the field - NEPSRounding third and heading for home is putting all 4 components of farm profitability together for your unique needs.  That’s where CCI becomes a truly educational hub of information and a great hand in farming.

Let us be part of your winning team! Contact us at (320) 523-2252.

Categories: Farm Profitability, General | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

2015 Planting Prep

April 15, 2015 by Steve

The snow has melted, the grass is starting to turn green and farm equipment across the midwest is slowly starting to roll out of hibernation. Spring is here and that means planting season is just around the corner! Are you prepared?

Recently I had the opportunity to contribute to this article “Four Areas to Consider in 2015 Planting Prep” by WaterStreet Solutions. I felt it was important to share this information with you. Below are some key points from the article including a link to the full article.

What will it take to prepare for a successful 2015 planting season?

In my opinion, mindset is very important going into a crop year – it greatly influences success or failure. It will be important to approach the 2015 growing season with discipline, patience and strong belief in the crops potential, despite challenging farm economics.

These are four primary components to preparing for the new planting and growing season:

  1. PlanningPlant 15 Prep
  2. Agronomics
  3. Patience
  4. Execution

Planning

  • Anticipate the emotion that happens during planting season
  • Create revenue by increasing production
  • Mentally walk through your planting and growing season
  • Review “what-if” scenarios

Agronomics

Check that all inputs are ready by going through a series of questions. Please review the list of seed, trait packages, fertilizer, weed, production and yield questions in the full version of the article.

Patience

Be patient and consider the soil conditions before you start preparing the ground. Remember: By the time you’ve finished planting you’ve already dictated 75% of the yield potential of your crop! That’s how important soil conditions are during planting. In the full article I’ve included a few questions to ask yourself to determine if the soil is optimal for field work to begin.

Execution

  • Use the previous three factors to execute when the time is right
  • Preparation promotes a smooth season in the field
  • Keep your eyes on the ultimate goal – being the lowest cost per bushel producer

Prepare For a Successful 2015 Season

Make sure you do your pre-planting prep work and take time to prepare your mind for the challenges and opportunities that a new growing season presents. Start by reading the entire pre-planting prep article from WaterStreet Solutions and answering the questions provided. The team at Corn Capital Innovations would be happy to guide you through the pre-planting preparation process, please contact us for more information.

Read Full Article – “Four Areas to Consider in 2015 Planting Prep”

How do you prepare for the planting and growing season? Please share your tips in the comments below.

Categories: General, Mindset, Production | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Future of Farming – Recap of 2015 Water Street EDGE Event

March 24, 2015 by Summer

Water Street AttendeesFarming is changing…how do you develop your Edge? Water Street EDGE farm seminar attendees at the Willmar, MN event on February 16th & 17, 2015, learned the skills needed to lead and manage their farm operations in the future. They were engaged in interactive educational sessions, participated in 1-on-1 conversations, and took advantage of networking opportunities.

We value farming as a business and understand how vital education is for future success and advancing technologies. Therefore, we were honored to have the opportunity to co-sponsor the Water Street Edge event with Water Street Solutions. We wanted to ensure that farm businesses and families in south-central Minnesota and surrounding areas had this educational opportunity available to them.

For those of you who were unable to attend, we wanted to share some seminar highlights with you, and what better way to do that than by using technology. Social media is other technology that is fast becoming a part of the future of farming.

Water Street EDGE Tweets

During the event we used the #WaterStreetEDGE to tweet important take-home tidbits from each speaker and session. Here’s some highlights.

Follow us on Twitter @corncapital for more educational information, photos from the field and tweets from the tractor!

Photo Gallery

Here’s a visual tour of the event. We had a great time connecting with all of the farmers, both new and familiar faces! Take a look.

Thank You from Corn Capital Innovations

Most importantly, we want to give a big thank you to all the speakers, panelists, attendees and coordinators of this event! It’s wonderful to be part of a group of agricultural leaders who support ag education and contribute to the future of farming.

Attendees – Do you have any take home tidbits to add to our list? How have you started incorporating what you learned into your farm business?

Categories: Farm Profitability, General | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Water Street EDGE Farm Business Seminar – Willmar, MN on Feb. 16th-17th, 2015

January 13, 2015 by Summer

Can you believe that it’s 2015 already! With a new year brings new changes and challenges in farming. The Water Street EDGE Farm Business Seminar provides educational sessions that will teach you the skills needed to successfully manage your farm operation in 2015 and beyond. Take a look at the two-day seminar schedule listed below.

Day One

  • 12:00-1:00 PM – Registration
  • 1:00-2:00 PM – Market Sense for a High-Frequency World
    Arlan Suderman, Senior Market Analyst at Water Street Solutions will build your understanding of the key drivers in today’s markets and help you consider how to approach market volatility – in such a wayFarm Business Seminar that your plan makes sense with the long-term goals of your operation.
  • 2:30-3:30 PM & 4:00-5:00 PM – Rebooting Farm Leadership
    Richard Hadden, CSP will provide current and future farm leaders with real-world applications of key leadership practices – as well as revealing the skills farm leaders will need to lead in a changing world.
  • 5:30-7:30 PM – Reception & Dinner
  • 7:30-8:30 PM- Keynote: It’s a Jungle Out There! Blazing New Trails for Agriculture
    Jolene Brown, CSP will explore the four major influencers that affect decision-making for ourselves and our customers. With lots of laughter, you’ll learn how to build important bridges for a joy-filled journey in today’s agricultural ‘jungle’!

Day Two

  • 8:00-10:00 AM – Straight Talk, Straight Actions: Agriculture in a Changing Economy
    Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus of Ag Economics at Virginia Tech will help you consider what it will take to run your farm business successfully in the shifting ag economy.
  • 10:30-11:30 AM – Farm-Level Financials: Key Foundations for Decision-Making
    Mike Gustafson, Chief Operating Officer at Water Street Solutions will focus on farm financials and how you’re making decisions for your operation. Through a case study approach, this workshop-style session will apply concepts from Dr. Kohl’s economic view at the individual farm level.
  • 11:30-1:00 PM – Table Topics Lunch
    Back by popular demand, we’ll host Table Topics, a chance to sit and discuss topics of your choice in a small group setting.
  • 1:00-2:00 PM – Cultivating Communication: Grow Your Skills, Grow Your Edge
    Darren Frye, President and CEO at Water Street Solutions will share four core skills to use as you communicate each day with family members, non-family employees, vendors, advisors, landlords and lenders.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL PROGRAM AGENDA (PDF)

Corn Capital Co-Sponsoring

Corn Capital Innovations is proud to be co-sponsoring this event along with Water Street Solutions at the Best Western Plus in Willmar, MN. We are firm believers in the importance of continuing education to achieve future farm success. We encourage all farmers in our area to attend.

Develop Your EDGE

Develop your EDGE! Attend the Water Street EDGE Farm Business Seminar on February 16th-17th, 2015. Time is running out, register today!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 

Are you attending Water Street EDGE? What learning sessions are you most looking forward to?

Categories: Farm Profitability, General | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Who’s Hiding the Humor?” Customer Appreciation Event a Success!

December 3, 2014 by Summer

In the CCI office this morning, we are still smiling and chuckling from our customer appreciation event last night. It was definitely not one of those regular seed meeting that we find ourselves attending throughout the year. It was a night to honor our clients! A night of good conversation, even better company and a speaker who was honest, inspirational and humorous!

Who’s Hiding the Humor? – Jolene Brown

We were honored to have Jolene Brown come to Olivia and speak to a full house with over 140 in attendance! Her passion for ag advocacy, appreciation of hard work and ability to find the humor in any situation rang true during her entire speech. Everyone left the event with a more positive mindset than they came with. It was the perfect way to end the evening.

For those of you who were unable to attend our event, you’re in luck! Jolene will be returning to the area on Feb. 16th-17th, 2015 to speak at the Water Street EDGE Farm Business Seminar in Willmar, MN. Jolene is part of a group of top speaker who will share their expertise about managing a modern farming operation. We encourage all of you to attend and as an added bonus we are extending the Early Bird Rate to all CCI customers through December 31st, 2014. Please contact us for more information and to register.

Thank You!

Thank you for celebrating another great year with us, we enjoyed spending time with our amazing clients, co-workers and friends. The event was a wonderful success and we truly are grateful for your patronage over the last year. Please enjoy our collection of photos from the event below.

What hit home most with you after hearing Jolene’s speech? Were you inspired to advocate for your industry and look for the humor in life? Please share in the comments.

We wish you all a wonderful holiday season!

Categories: General, Mindset | Tags: , , , , , , ,

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