October 2012 Archive for Leave a Legacy

From Legacy Moment (10/26/2012).
Please join us for future issues,
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Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

From Legacy Moment (10/19/2012).
Please join us for future issues,
delivered via email each Friday.

It's no surprise that local food sales are increasing. Consumers are responding to the health benefits, freshness and community appeal of locally grown products.

According to the study "Local Foods Marketing Channels Encompass a Wide Range of Producers" by Sarah A. Low and Stephen Vogel, the size of the local food market in the U.S. was $4.8 billion in 2008. While that number accounts for a small sector of U.S. agriculture, it continues to grow.

What does this mean for you? For an experienced producer, it might lead to new opportunities or expanded operations. For an aspiring farmer, it might lead to a starting point. Locally grown produce can be a way to get your foot in the door and start farming without a huge cash outlay. Even if you have bigger ideas on the horizon, don't pass up the opportunity to start a business, serve the customer and experience farming firsthand.

News & Resources for You:  

Gary and Crystal Dell understand the importance of remaining open-minded to new opportunities.

Remember the upcoming Legacy Project Workshops in Amarillo, Texas; Salina, Kansas; and Denver, Colorado.

At Dairy Today's Elite Producer Business Conference, catch a presentation by the Legacy Project's Josh Sylvester on Wednesday, Nov. 7. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of the Moehling family ('Robert is Here')

From Legacy Moment (10/12/2012).
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delivered via email each Friday.

Many preharvest crop decisions (such as the timing and extent of soil preparation, seeding and pest management) vary with local soil and weather conditions. Operators often learn through trial and error as much as through training, Extension service, and suppliers. Similarly, successful livestock enterprises require breeding, feeding, and culling savvy that improves with experience. Marketing decisions—when to sell, how much, to whom and under what kind of arrangement—also benefit from experience and new information. Moreover, the relevant experience is specific to a particular farm business (encompassing the commodities being produced, the services provided and the resources available to that business), which is why business age matters, and not simply the operator's age and personal experience."  

This passage, from an article titled "Experience Counts: Farm Business Survival in the U.S." in the April 2007 issue of USDA's Amber Waves publication, is possibly the best argument I've read for forging a mentor-protégé relationship. It reinforces the value of experience and emphasizes the true worth of tenured experience on a farm, raising the same crop and employing a given set of resources.

A young person intent on a farming career is well advised to gain as much specific experience as possible. There is no substitute for the wisdom that can be gleaned from working with an experienced operator.

To those just launching a career, I ask - Who do you confide in, and do they possess the specific skills and abilities necessary to help you grow the operation?

News & Resources for You: 

• Each generation involved in the operation has a role to play in its development.

• Meet two neighbors who have established an ideal mentor/protégé relationship, in this recent "Leave a Legacy TV" episode.

• Jump-start your succession plan with a Legacy Project Workshop. Sign up today for events in Amarillo, Salina or Denver. 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

 From Legacy Moment (10/05/2012).

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• "Farming, like other businesses, exhibits high turnover, with many thousands of existing farms going out of business each year.

• "As in other industries, new farm businesses enter at a high rate and new entrants subsequently exit at high rates, irrespective of the size of the farm or the age of the operator.

•  "Exit rates fall as businesses age to 5 to 9 years old, and then fall again, although modestly, for more experienced farm businesses."

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

From Legacy Moment (09/28/2012).
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delivered via email each Friday.

• Are our goals centered on continuing to farm?
• Are our goals focused on preserving a farming legacy on family land?
• Are our goals intent on growing family wealth and providing future generations with career opportunities?

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.