The stress is debilitating… you’re working round the clock to plant, harvest and sell; and you look at your bank account, and there’s nothing there. This is supposed to be the time of year when you transition from a net …
“The August Feeling.” That’s how one farmer described to me that bone-tired feeling of peak-season… when crops and sales are in full-swing, and despite working as quickly and efficiently as possible, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get …
I often compare bookkeeping to exercise… it’s something we know we should do and the benefits are clear. With regular exercise, you can maintain a healthy body – it helps to keep your weight, blood pressure and cardiovascular health in check. Is it …
On March 9, 2020, I was scheduled to fly to a conference in Peoria, IL. The conference organizers had booked me to speak about farm business management and offer speed-coaching. At the time, it felt like a milestone as I …
“That cannot be the way to write clearly.” I had shared the introduction of my book, The Farmer’s Office, with my uncle Roman and this was his feedback. The manuscript was in its final stages of editing before heading to the …
I got an email the other day from a farmer/student, Will. He was working through the homework from our class, had a bunch of questions, and wanted to schedule a coaching session to go through them. Something troubled me about this …
Steven had an itch on his back for a couple of weeks. At first, he thought it was just a bug or spider bite… nothing unusual since he works in the fields most days. He figured it must have been …
Talia has been raising and selling livestock for the last 5 years. She sells the chickens, pork and beef at farmers’ markets and direct to her customers who pick up their orders from her farm. Up until this point, she’s …
I’ve long espoused the skills needed for a successful entrepreneurial (farm or otherwise) business: financial acumen: you need to know your numbers and what they mean operational proficiencies: you need to be able to produce a high-quality product efficiently marketing …
This was the feedback I got from one of my culinary school instructors. I recall the specific drawing that prompted this: I had sketched out the plate presentation of a trout dish with green beans and risotto. I submitted the …