Telling Lenders a Good Farm Story Can Help Access Capital – By Blake Copley
In an era in which agricultural markets can turn on a dime, securing reliable and affordable financing has become a critical challenge that can determine the success or failure of a farming operation. Access to capital is the cornerstone of a thriving farm, whether...
A Farm Family’s Guide to What It’s Worth – By Blake Copley
In my many years of work helping farm families to enhance their businesses, I often am asked questions such as, “How can I justify paying the currently high market prices for (insert agricultural asset here) to be able to grow or maintain my operations?” or “ How are...
Strategic Planning is a Journey; Prioritizing Progress Over Perfection – By Josée Lemoine
On Dec. 31, 2023, Terry Betker, founder of Backswath Management, stopped writing for The Western Producer after 13 years. The team at Backswath has big shoes to fill as we take over the reins from Terry. Our voices will be different than his, of course, but we look...
Farmers can take steps to increase borrowing chances – by Terry Betker
I teach a course in the University of Manitoba’s ag diploma program that has an emphasis on lending and how financial management information factors into lending processes and decisions. Half to two-thirds of the students typically have plans to return to the farm....