It's easy to get caught up in the tactical world of our farming business.....livestock to be fed and watered, planting, marketing, mechanical work. But if you're going to grow, you need to be pro-active on the strategic side. Water Street Solutions President and CEO Darren Frye talks here with KRVN's Ken Rahjes about this.

Work ON Your Business - Frye AUDIO

The books that Darren recommended are: E-Myth by Michael Gerber, Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler and First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.

For the text of the interview, click here: Working ON Your Business

A packed house turned out this morning to hear Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions, talk about how to drive working capital numbers higher.  If you weren't able to sit in, you can listen to the condensed version in the following two audio files.

Top Producer interview Part One

Top Producer interview Part Two

This was the title of the presentation as Water Street Solutions' President and CEO Darren Frye addressed Tomorrow's Top Producers in Chicago this afternoon.  Frye challenged growers to recognize when they were playing the role of entrepreneur, manager, or technician on the farm.  He assigned a reading list that included the book E-Myth, which presents the concept of a business owner playing each of those three roles, but often gravitating toward the role of the technician.  Frye says those technician jobs, like planting, livestock chores, even marketing can be hired out, but a business owner needs to be responsible for building and communicating the company's business plan and the vision for the future of the business.  Frye will speak again Thursday morning at the Top Producer Seminar.  His session is titled "Driving Working Capital to 40%".     

How will you know if you're successful?  And what's the best way to try to get to what you consider success to be?  Dean Heffta, Director of Development at Water Street Solutions says the definition of success is a personal one.  He talks more about this with KRVN's Ken Rahjes. 

Understanding Success - Heffta AUDIO  For the text of the interview, click here: Understanding Success

Growers in the Norfolk, Nebraska area joined us at Divot's today for a half day workshop focused on the segments of business that we need to focus on to lead us toward profitability.  Sessions focused on Ag Finance:  making profitable decisions using the right numbers; Crop Insurance:  how to get the most use of your premium dollar; Marketing:  how to get to your goals with the right strategy; and Business and Family Succession Planning:  how to get started. 

The conversations continue today in Thomson, Illinois.  Our local host is Crop Insurance Specialist Brent Dykstra who is originally from this area and is currently based in Kewanee, Illinois for Water Street Solutions.  We had a nice lunch with these growers at Buck's Barn.  After this meeting we head to Norfolk, Nebraska for another meeting this Friday.  Because of the level of interest in these Profitability Planning Workshops, we're planning two more in February.  We're going back to Covington, Indiana on February 22nd and we'll be in Evansville, Indiana on February 23rd.  If you're interested in joining us for one of these, please register by calling Kathie Johnson at 866-249-2528.

Today's meetings are slated for Galesburg, Illinois and Burlington, Iowa.  We arrived at our Galesburg site early this morning to learn from our hosts that - well, we're special....and so is pot roast.  We'll meet with growers here this morning and then we head to Burlington, Iowa this afternoon.  Tomorrow it's on to Thomson, Illinois and then we head to Norfolk, Nebraska on Friday.

Farm meetings are a great way to promote better communication in your farming operation.  So let's talk about how to hold good productive meetings with those involved in your operation.  Here KRVN's Ken Rahjes talks with Dean Heffta, the Director of Development at Water Street Solutions about what goes into good meeting habits.

Farm Meetings That Work - Heffta AUDIO

Water Street Solutions' farmer meetings are in full swing today. We're visiting with growers in Springfield, Illinois and Peoria today.  Attendees learned about the four levers of profitability:  Production, Insurance, Marketing and Financials and the opportunities to make the most of a production year by leveraging the four together.  There was also a session on Estate Planning.  Meetings continue through the week.

The new year brings a new law for farmers in the area of estate tax.  It might be something we put off because we don't like to think about it, but having a solid plan can make the difference when it comes to passing your farm to the next generation.  KRVN's Ken Rahjes talks with Ben Metzger of Water Street Solutions.  Ben heads up the Estate Planning Department at Water Street.

Changes in the Estate Tax Law - Metzger AUDIO  For the text of the interview, click here: Changes in the Estate Tax Law