5 Professionals Farmers Need on Their Farm Team

The business of agriculture is not just planting crops, milking cows or feeding pigs. Diversification has changed as agriculture has changed. Today's farmers are business professionals with necessary knowledge in biology, animal management, mechanics and crisis management. They handle a wide array of things on a daily basis but there are five professionals farmers need on their team. They may not need them all the time, but when they need them it's a smart idea to have that team in place!

This is beyond family, employees and organizations. All of these provide support and information as well as a helping hand. As agriculture has changed business has also and you need these professionals in your corner. These are not necessarily in order of importance, but are important to have in place.

Professional #1 - a good Ag attorney. This isn't just any attorney but one familiar with agriculture issues. Whether it's for crisis situations of humane official harassment or someone getting hurt on the farm, having an attorney in place that you can pick up the phone and be in contact with can help tremendously. There are other reasons an attorney may be needed in farm operation from business legal filings to account maintenance so you don't *have* to have an attorney.

Attorneys like Cari Rincker have handled cattle and served on industry boards as well as having the legal expertise needed for today's agriculture. Her Rincker Law PLLC firm has handled an assortment of legal details related to farming and agriculture including property law, probate, crop insurance, environmental issues, wind energy development and other matters that can affect today's agriculture. Some farms for tax or other purposes incorporate or form limited partnerships, which an Ag attorney can make a big difference in a successful outcome. Many people think of an attorney as someone you go to when you're getting sued but smart businessmen have an attorney to try to prevent getting sued! This is invaluable for farmers today.

Professional #2 - a good accountant. Record keeping determines a business. There are many people who grow their own food, raise purebred livestock and sell an occasional animal or perhaps sell the excess from a bumper garden crop. These aren't businesses. Documentation and pursuit of a profit makes a difference. There are many things you can do yourself on a day to day basis but a good accountant, especially one with farm experience is invaluable.

Begin with a good accounting program in the farm computer. "Quicken is fine for personal stuff but not efficient for business purposes. QuickBooks, Peachtree, etc are suited for business use" notes accountant Naimhe Jeanne. This isn't just during tax season. "Taxes aren't going to be prepared properly without adequate accounting being done on a regular basis throughout the year." She adds "Statements should be reviewed monthly, or at least quarterly, in order to determine profitability and areas where changes may be needed. "

Professional #3 - publicity or promotions. For those who direct market to the public promotional work - publicity - is an important means to finding customers and getting your products out there. A purebred livestock producer having a production sale won't have a very productive sale if no one shows up, and this means publicity. There are other ways that someone familiar with publicity or promotional measures can be of benefit to your farm. Today's market is tough and having an edge can make the difference between selling and not.

Additionally such a professional may be needed for other reasons. One farmer considering putting in commercial turkey barns found that activists had gone to his neighbors with inaccurate information. They painted a picture of horrific stench such as they wouldn't be able to be outside on their own property, the dead birds, water contamination and other issues. When he tried to get permits to construct the barns he found it blocked with complaints before a shovelful of dirt even was dug. With good publicity it was turned around and neighbors saw the misinformation. He got his barns and they don't find any interruption in their lives from it. This is just as applicable to smaller farms also! Look at online agriculture websites such as SmallfarmCoOp.com for contacts that can help.

Professional #4 - marketing adviser. This is not just someone who knows the major financial markets. If your business or farm doesn't deal with that then such an adviser won't help you a great deal. However, be it large or small farm, crops or livestock, specialty crops or "byproducts" someone with marketing expertise can help your farm in ways you may not have considered.

An example of this might be someone who seeks and finds other things you could sell or do to provide farm income. This might be selling compost for someone who raises purebred livestock or selling wood for someone with an orchard. On whatever level you are on, an adviser who understands and helps you maximize your earnings is especially valuable in today's agricultural environment.

Professional #5 - a trusted farmer in the same field. This person need not be a neighbor but could be. He or she is important to your team because they are familiar with "the way things work. This might be a fellow dairyman, or a purebred cattleman. The importance is that it's someone in the same part of agriculture, not necessarily the same breed. A purebred Hereford breeder can discuss professional issues relative to the purebred cattle world even if the other breeder raises Simmental or Charolais or Angus. This can serve as an invaluable sounding board on major decisions, management feedback or even just keeping up on the latest technology.

These professionals can help you focus on running your farm. They can keep the worries of hassles from the IRS or other problems away. They're an important team - get a good one!