Episode Details

Ways to help expand your farming operation

• Introduction
• Answer questions
  • Listener Question: How have others been able to grow their farms?  I’d be interested in knowing what have been working for others to grow!
    • Reminder to submit your questions to farm4profitllc@gmail.com
• Guests
  • Corey Hillebo  @corn_porkNbeans
  • Q Connealy  @Qconnealy19  wakeboardingfarmer.com
• What’s working in Ag?
• Just that, how about we jump right into it this week and share from our network strategies, tips, and techniques that have helped them grow their farms!  We heard back from over 30 listeners, friends, and those on twitter about how they were about to grow their farms.
• We’ve put together over 20 headings for ways people have picked up ground or expanded their operations and will be breaking it into two different episodes for you.
• No Silver Bullets, but we can share examples that have worked
• Purchasing the land
  • Auction
  • Land Listing
  • Private Sale
    • Pre-determined price
    • Creative Land Contracts
      • 20 year contract that started at a reduced price, with low interest rate and payments are based of the ISU Cash Rent Survey – payment flexibility @stalzer20 – Matt Stalzer of Haverhill, IA
    • Most logical buyer – land next door
    • First to become aware of the land for sale
• Custom Farming @plotner_mike Mike Plotner Union County Ohio
  • Purchased a combine in high school to do custom work which got his name out.  Worked on growing his mechanical and business skills.
    • Negotiation
    • Breakevens
    • Preparedness
      • Stepping up in times of need
      • Being timely
    • Doing a good job
  • Custom farming can lead to other forms of expansion too @mikebelan3 Mike Belan Lambton County Ontario
    • More custom farming acres
    • 50/50 crop sharing
    • Rent when done taking the risk
    • Sale when ready to get out
      • Let your hard work and quality job show off
• Run your farm like a business
  • Hire out what you aren’t good at. Do what you do best and find someone else to do the rest
    • 360 review
    • People will notice from the outside in
    • Positive perceptions will go a long way
  • Focus on doing better on the land that you have now to maximize the profitability there.  Then take the profits from your current operation to purchase more in expansion. Anonymous -  Central Kansas
  • Taking advantage of the discounts and package deals that come with larger acres and negotiating power.
• Taking care of what you already have and doing a good job
  • Mowing ditches and water ways
  • Removing or building fences
  • Practicing the latest technologies or conservation
    • Farmer did strip till and cover crops.  Land lord noticed that liked the program and offered the land for rent if he continued those practiced – anonymous Iowa
  • Clean and maintained equipment and acreages – nothing has to be new
  • “Keep Doing a Good Job and Someone will Notice” - @gbahan Gary Bahan Central Ohio
• Build strong relationships with current landlords
  • Keep in contact, share updates on their land, and show what you have been doing to benefit them.
  • Share your intentions as a farm, if they don’t know what you want to become how can they help you get there?
  • If you treat them well they may tell other land lords and it could expand that way. @landon707 – Landon Friesen Crystal City Manitoba CA
  • Landlords are most likely