Crazy up and down days in the markets are hard on our emotions.  And if you don't have a plan, they can be equally hard on your finances.  This week Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks with Ken Rahjes of KRVN about strategies for managing this.  Keeping Your Head Amidst Volatility - Frye AUDIO

In this week's Finance First column on www.farmfutures.com , Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about debt and how to manage it when you come into some cash.  Read his comments here.

Passing the farm from one generation to the next is a long process, rather than a single document.  Done well, it helps grow the legacy in the next generation.  In a recent AgriNews column, Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions discusses how a financial analysis can be a great tool to use in that process.  IN AgriNews - Using Financial Analysis in Succession Plan

Commodity marketing isn't easy.  Some farmers have hired this kind of help without success.  In this video, taken at a Commodity Classic seminar earlier this year, Arlan Suderman, Market Analyst with Farm Futures and Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talk frankly about the process of hiring a marketing service, including some of the traps you can get into.  If you're really thinking you need help in marketing, watch this video to help you make a better hire.  

We all want to be better marketers.  One way we can do that is by understanding the way we operate and the emotions we bring to the markets.  Water Street Solutions' Director of Development Dean Heffta has a unique analogy to help you better understand how you approach the markets.  He talks here with Ken Rahjes from KRVN.

The Marketing Zoo - Heffta AUDIO

It's important to have a healthy amount of working capital during periods of volatility like these.  Water Street Solutions' President and CEO Darren Frye talks about some of the indicators that your working capital might not be where it needs to be in this week's post to Finance First on www.farmfutures.com.  Read it here.

The ballots are in and the People's Choice Award goes to Dean Heffta.  Dean's session at Top Producer Summer Seminar, The Seven Keys to Forging Farm Success, was the highest rated by farmers who attended.  They gave it a perfect 5.0.  He spoke about what we can do as producers to make our businesses better.  Dean has gleaned the best practices from his experience with top farmers throughout the Midwest, and his presentation pulled many of those concepts into practical advice that we can use on the farm.  He co-presented with "Sharpie" who you see on the slide here.  

As you're thinking about the right way to hand your farm to the next generation, it's got to be about more than passing down the assets.  You have to also pass on the dreams and the challenges to help give the next generation a jump start.  Today Water Street Solutions Director Ben Metzger talks with Ken Rahjes from KRVN about using a fairly simple tool, a financial analysis, to make that transition easier.  Combining Financials and Succession Planning - Metzger AUDIO

Last week's USDA production and ending stocks estimates reflected the challenges of the planting season.  Water Street Solutions' President and CEO Darren Frye was a guest on Brownfield's Managing for Profit.  Listen to the report here.

We challenge our clients to track their working capital and target a goal of 40%.  That's asset minus liabilities divided by gross revenue to give you a percentage.  This week Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about why this is the right metric to track and to grow.  Read his Farm Futures post here.