Water Street Solutions and Farm Progress Companies sponsored the Closing Learning Center Session Saturday at the 2010 Commodity Classic is Anaheim, CA.  The 2-hour panel discussion was a great opportunity for growers to learn things they do have control over on the financial end of their operation.  A summary of the contents of the session is posted today on Farm Progress web sites, and you can read it by clicking here.  In the coming weeks, video from this session will be shared here.

If you're coming to the Commodity Classic, you'll want to make sure to mark this session on your program.  At 1:30 on Saturday, March 6th, there's a panel discussion titled Controlling What You Can Control.  Arlan Suderman from Farm Futures Magazine told me that farmers come out in droves to attend an outlook seminar.  And he knows, because he gives them.  It's fun to talk about the factors impacting the markets.  But after a while it gets frustrating, because what can you really do about those factors?  Nothing.  During this session the focus will be on things where you can impact your profitability, simply by learning and tracking and knowing what numbers to watch and what to do with them once you've found them. 

       Max Armstrong                 Arlan Suderman                 Mike Jacobson                Tim Copeland                       Darren Frye

Max Armstrong (you've heard of him, right?) is hosting the session.  Our experts include:  Arlan Suderman, Market Analyst for Farm Futures Magazine; Mike Jacobson, Chairman, President and CEO of NebraskaLand National Bank; Tim Copeland, VP of Marketing at Great American Insurance and Darren Frye, CEO of Water Street Solutions. 

I'm sure you'll go home from this session energized about what you've learned and how it can help you take the financial reins of your operation.  If you can't be there with us, you'll be able to find information from the session on this web site.

There are more opportunities for profit if you just look closely.  Chip Nellinger talks with Tom Steever from the Brownfield Network about the places to look, in this report.

As we tie up the loose ends on 2009, it's a good time to evaluate the year and appreciate the lessons we've learned and also find where we can do better next year.  From a farm profit standpoint, there are four common places where farmers are leaving money on the table...four areas where we could be finding more profit.  These include production, crop insurance, marketing and expenses.  Three of the four of these fall right into the core of our business.  Chip Nellinger talks with KRVN's Ken Rahjes about how to get more money out of your operation by looking at these four areas.

Dec 14 2009 More Room for Profitability - Nellinger.mp3 (2.55 mb)

Even in the current grim economy, a good plan can lead to commodity marketing success, according to Darren Frye.  He talked with Brownfield's Tom Steever about the economy and the opportunities that still exist.  Listen to Tom's report here.

You know you want to make money, but how do you start building a marketing plan that's strategic and will help you get to your financial goals?  Water Street Solutions' CEO Darren Frye says it's a little like taking a trip.  First you start with a map.  That map is your financial analysis.  Here's more from his discussion with KRVN's Ken Rahjes.

Nov 30 2009 Starting a Marketing Plan with a Financial Analysis - Frye.mp3 (1.55 mb)

Grain and livestock marketing can seem a whole lot like gambling if you don't know what you're doing.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  Darren Frye talks to KRVN's Ken Rahjes about how we build marketing plans at Water Street Solutions and what a person needs to learn to manage risk and build profits.

Nov 23 2009 Whats Behind a Marketing Recommendation - Frye.mp3 (1.06 mb)

Pulling the Pieces Together:  Making a Difference for Farmer Profitability was the title of his presentation as Darren Frye addressed a workshop session at the American Bankers Association Ag Bankers Conference in San Antonio this morning. 

Darren addressed a packed room and kept them engaged as bankers seek to bring all possible resources to their ag customers.  He walked the group through why it's important to start with a financial analysis, best crop insurance strategies depending on the operation, and how to leverage marketing with financials and crop insurance for the best success.

Water Street Solutions likes to involve the banker in the work we do with our clients to make sure we're all on the same page and doing the best job for profitability.

When I joined Water Street Solutions, I didn't fully understand the kind of company I was getting myself into.  I've been pleasantly surprised to find a group of people who are committed to doing the right thing.....even though sometimes it's not the easy thing....to help farmers.  I had a chance to talk on tape, one-on-one with CEO Darren Frye about the company.  Listen in.

What Sets Water Street Solutions Apart - Frye.MP3 (4.41 mb)

Here's an article that ran a little while back in the Illinois AgriNews.  I wanted to share it with you, because it does a good job of explaining how our business works.

Illinois AgriNews Jul 31 2009 B.pdf (34.92 kb)