Crop insurance is going to be a big savior for this year's crop.  Now it's important to do the right things to get your crop adjusted for a payout.  Deb Etheridge is Vice President of Insurance for Water Street Solutions.  Here she talks with Dewey Nelson of KRVN about the right way to move forward.  The Drought and the Crop Insurance Process Etheridge AUDIO

For the text of this interview, click here: The Drought and the Crop Insurance Process

This year was to have been the first year of a new policy that required earlier collection of crop insurance premiums - but now the drought is changing that.  The Risk Management Agency is announcing that for the 2012 crop year only, accrual of any interest on unpaid spring crop insurance premium is deferred for 30 days, until November 1, for all policies with a premium billing date of August 15, 2012.  For any premium that is not paid by October 31, interest will accrue consistent with the terms of the policy.  For example, without this change, policies with an August 15 premium billing date would have interest attach starting October 1 if premium was not paid by September 30th.

This is an important reminder for farmers who are thinking about destroying their drought damaged crops by chopping them for silage, haying, grazing, etc.  Please be sure to contact your insurance agent.  It is important for crop insurance purposes that you talk with your agent and/or claims adjuster FIRST.

Buying more farmland is an option when you're thinking about ways to increase production.  But there are other ways to add revenue to the bottom line and grow your business through lesser investments.  This week Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about adding irrigation on www.FarmFutures.com.  It's not an option in all areas, certainly, but it might be a consideration for you as you look to your future.  Run through the numbers with him by reading HERE.

It's easy to get buried in the duties of the day to day.  Prioritizing and living by those priorities takes work and discipline.  Dean Heffta, Senior Director of Development with Water Street Solutions talks with Dewey Nelson from KRVN about this.  Staying on Track Heffta AUDIO

For the text of the interview, click here: Staying on Track

You probably never thought about this when you decided to start farming - but you might have foes out there that have nothing to do with Mother Nature or insects.  I'm talking about lawyers.  This month in Money Matters in Illinois AgriNews, Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions walks you through some potential risks - and ways to take them off the table.  ILAgriNews_July 13 2012_Smart business procedures can help prevent litigation

You may have decided you want to grow your operation, but the current price of farmland is making you nervous about debt.  Dean Heffta, Senior Director of Development at Water Street Solutions, talks today with Dewey Nelson from KRVN about some of the other opportunities out there.   More Opportunity Without More Land - Heffta AUDIO

For the text of the interview, click here: More Opportunity Without More Land

Forty cents up, twenty-five cents down, next day up, up, then down.  Big swings.  Hang on tight.  It's a weather market.  This week on www.farmfutures.com, Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about when you can feel more comfortable marketing in a weather market.  Read his post HERE.

It might have fallen off the radar screen in Congress.  But it's still there.  At the end of this year the current set of estate tax exemptions will go away.  It was a temporary trade as the President was campaigning for more unemployment benefits a while back.  It's something you need to know about.  Here Ben Metzger, Director of the Legacy Planning Department at Water Street Solutions talks with Dewey Nelson from KRVN.  What is Congress Doing with the Estate Tax Laws Metzger AUDIO

For the text of the interview, click here: What is Congress Doing About Estate Tax Laws?

When we say we want to grow our operations, we're usually talking about more acres.  But it doesn't have to be like that.  Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions discusses the alternative this week in Finance First, his post on www.farmfutures.com.  Read it HERE.