“Tho they may never expect to become farmers, urban youth will soon be in positions where their word may count strongly for the welfare of agriculture. Having them in your community offers a good chance to make lasting friendships for yourself and all farm people.”
Inviting non-farm people to visit farms and farm communities is […]
This past week, I taught a session at the state Soil and Water Conservation District Summer Supervisors’ School. The session was an overview of the current agriculture climate and many of the risks involved in the business.
One of my summary statements was ‘make time to take stock’.
Re-evaluate
What I meant by this statement is for […]
In early June I had the opportunity to attend a three-day farm management in-service training in Omaha, Neb. After sitting in meetings for two days I didn’t want to go back and sit in my hotel room, so I decided to take an early evening walk.
I was hoping to be able to take in […]
The prolonged depressed milk prices in the dairy industry are creating critical cash-flow and long-term survivability issues on Ohio’s 3,328 dairy farms. Cost-cutting decisions must be made with full awareness of both short- and long-term production and economic consequences.
Many farms are analyzing every aspect of their business to see where money can be saved. The […]
I have either observed or been a part of many competitive events in my lifetime. Watching the Olympics on television has been almost like being there.
Then there was that time I watched a dairy judge take 15 minutes to decide what two-year-old would end up with the blue ribbon. I’ve even attended OSU/Michigan games […]
Now, more than ever, big swings in crop prices and input costs points toward negotiating some flexibility in cash leases for farmland.
“Volatile” and “uncertain” are two words that might best describe grain prices and input costs for row crop production heading into the 2009 planting season.
With this increased volatility and uncertainty, risk increases […]
Many employers would be shocked to learn that good wages and job security are not necessarily the ultimate motivators for employees.
Hello northeast Ohio dairy farmers.
With the financial crunch being experienced in the dairy industry, many farms are analyzing every aspect of their business to see where money can be saved.
Labor efficiency
One area farm managers are examining is their labor efficiency. A variety of research surveys have stated the number one issue facing businesses […]
Spring lifts all our spirits. It is the season that allows us the time to step away from reality and renew our hopes for a better year than the last.
We can briefly put away our dismal moods and enjoy the simple beauty of turning the cows out to pasture for the first time in […]
Plummeting prices in the dairy industry are creating critical cash-flow and long-term survivability issues on Ohio’s 3,328 dairy farms.
Full awareness
Cost-cutting decisions must be made with full awareness of both short and long-term production and economic consequences.
For instance, do you really save money by buying a bull and not purchasing frozen semen?
A first […]
