Once you start managing people on the farm, the whole dynamic changes and you have to communicate more.  Especially if people are new to your operation (as in "not your family") it's important to lay out expectations.  In another segment on the CEO farmer, Mike Gustafson, Chief Operating Officer with Water Street Solutions talks with Ken Rahjes from KRVN about setting and communicating standard procedures.  CEO Farmers Set Procedures - Gustafson AUDIO

You can't do it all in farming today.  You need help with some of it and sometimes that means hiring a trusted advisor.  Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions discusses how to go about that selection process.  You can find the post on www.farmfutures.com or read it by clicking here.

If you're going to run a farm these days, you have to be a business person, a CEO.  Today Mike Gustafson, Chief Operating Officer of Water Street Solutions, continues his conversation with Ken Rahjes from KRVN about what it takes to be a CEO on the farm.

The CEO Farmer - Gustafson AUDIO

Many farmers have a lot of work ahead of them when it comes to putting together an estate plan that outlines their legacy.  For a moment today, let's think about legacy from another perspective - not your bank account, but what you instill in your kids.  That's the focus of Darren Frye's Finance First this week on www.farmfutures.com.  Read the post here.

Are you farming, or are you managing a multi-million dollar business?  It's likely that the way you answer that question is a good predictor of your success in the future.  Mike Gustafson, Chief Operating Officer of Water Street Solutions talks here with Ken Rahjes from KRVN about what it takes to differentiate yourself as a CEO.  Be the CEO of Your Farm - Gustafson AUDIO

Human resource issues on the farm bring their own set of challenges.  As farm owners, we can feel like we don't have a lot of options.  Dean Heffta, Director of Development with Water Street Solutions talks with Ken Rahjes of KRVN about the kinds of employees you want to avoid.  Who Not to Employ on the Farm - Heffta AUDIO

Whenever you're building a relationship with someone new, trust is a factor - especially if that new person on the farm is a financial or marketing advisor who is going to have access to your financial information.  It's important to pay attention to why an advisor wants your business and their motivations for that, according to Dean Heffta, Director of Development at Water Street Solutions.  Here he visits with Ken Rahjes from KRVN about the issue.  It All Comes Down to Intent - Heffta AUDIO

As you're planning your 2012 crop year, it's important to manage risk.  One of the newer tools available for farmers is Total Weather Insurance from the Climate Coportation.  I talked here with George Bercaw, a Premier Agent for TWI who works for Water Street Solutions.  Learn more about the product by listening to this short interview.  George Bercaw on TWI

It's definitely something that gets put off, because while it's important, we sometimes don't see the urgency.  In his weekly post on www.farmfutures.com, Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about why you need to put legacy planning on the top of your list for 2012.  Read the post here.

At this time of the year we often take stock in our relationships.  Today let's think about our business relationships and if they have value on both ends.  Here Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks with Ken Rahjes from KRVN about achieving win-win in this game.  The Importance of Trusted Relationships - Frye AUDIO