Ag-Visors

Those of us in agriculture know the statistics: 1/3 of the nation’s farmers are age 65 or older, 50 percent of farmers are planning on retirement in the next decade, half of our nation’s farmland is controlled by farmers age 55 or older, and only 5 percent of our farming population consists of farmers younger than 35. Why this disparity? In discussions with several friends who are entering or have entered the industry, we came up with three top reasons: lack of financial resources, limited access to land and high-risk contributing to low motivation.

Mastitis in animals is a very common but nasty problem. This is the inflammation and/or infection of the mammary glands. It is very easily contracted from the environment and/or caused by man. We will break this down into to primary problems, but it is actually very complex.

The outcome of cases in Tax Court depend somewhat on the philosophical approach of the individual judge hearing the case.

Drought Strategies
Last summer and fall, it looked as if the following IRS Code Sections would be very relevant in preparing 2012 farm taxes. However, many farmers experienced significant increases in expenditures (grain, hay and fuel) to the extent the delaying or deferring of income was not an issue. However, producers should have at least considered the options provided by the following:

What determines credit worthiness? A question that I get asked quite often is “what does a credit analyst actually do?” Usually I find myself answering that my job entails looking at tax returns and financial statements and crunching numbers. In all honesty, though, that’s just part of the story. While the financial aspect is important in analysis, it is only one factor of what we in the financial business call “The Five C’s of Credit” – Capacity, Capital, Collateral, Conditions and Character.

We have finally had some rain. And March is here. While driving around the country, you can see green grass coming up in most fields. This is a great site for all cattle and horses. We have all depleted our hay stores and I am sure everyone is getting tired of feeding hay.

What determines credit worthiness? A question that I get asked quite often is “what does a credit analyst actually do?” Usually I find myself answering that my job entails looking at tax returns and financial statements and crunching numbers. In all honesty, though, that’s just part of the story. While the financial aspect is important in analysis, it is only one factor of what we in the financial business call “The Five C’s of Credit” – Capacity, Capital, Collateral, Conditions and Character.

Appreciation in value of a taxpayer’s farm or ranch property is often a significant issue in the context of the hobby loss rule.  Although a “reasonable” expectation of profit is not required, the profit objective must be bona fide.  It is the expectation of gain, and not the gain itself, which matters.

As I write this article, my family’s cattle business is right in the middle of the spring calving season. It’s my favorite time of year, seeing those new calves hit the ground running, sometimes almost literally. In order to have a successful calving season, though, there has to be preparation beforehand – selecting the right bull, providing adequate nutrition for the cows, administering necessary vaccinations and pregnancy checking. The same process can be applied to preparing for a successful year for your operation – selecting the right financial partner, figuring out the right financial input and protecting against complications, foreseen and unforeseen.

As I write this article, my family’s cattle business is right in the middle of the spring calving season. It’s my favorite time of year, seeing those new calves hit the ground running, sometimes almost literally. In order to have a successful calving season, though, there has to be preparation beforehand – selecting the right bull, providing adequate nutrition for the cows, administering necessary vaccinations and pregnancy checking. The same process can be applied to preparing for a successful year for your operation – selecting the right financial partner, figuring out the right financial input and protecting against complications, foreseen and unforeseen.