Image of Chris Frischmeyer

Author Chris Frischmeyer

How Iowa Ag Producers Can Prepare for El Nino

While many Iowa ag producers have adopted mitigation strategies to minimize loss, they should also know there’s another threat on the horizon.

What Farmers Should Know About Recent USDA Lending Changes

Natural disasters affect the bottom line of farmers and ranchers. Fortunately, federal loan funds are available during times of limited production.

What Every American Should Know About The 2023 Farm Bill

The 2023 Farm Bill likely has implications for every American. Its success – or failure – could affect households at every income level.

Harvest Better Returns This Tax Season

Tax filing season starts in late January, and for many farmers, 2022 was a high-income year.

Rising Fuel Prices Put Pressure on Farmers

Farmers were already feeling the financial squeeze as inflation skyrocketed to 7.0% in 2021. Now, with inflation at 8.5% (as of July 2022) – down from 9.1%, producing food and other agricultural commodities might get too costly.

Advantages of Planting Fall Cover Crops

Attempting to escape rising crop input prices is an ongoing battle for many Iowa farmers. Consider planting fall cover crops to protect soil structure.

What You Should Know About the Ocean Shipping Reform Act

The USDA reported record-high agricultural exports in 2021. Corn, beef, grains, and a variety of other goods broke previous records despite pandemic-related supply chain issues. While that’s good news for farmers, there’s more to the story.

Crop Input Prices

Fertilizer and herbicide prices are 200-400% higher than last year. The drastic increase in farm input costs have been making headlines for nearly a year now and farmers are struggling to plan for the 2022 season.

Farm Loan Programs Available Through the USDA & IFA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Iowa Agricultural Development Division of the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) offer several government-assisted loan options for those in the farming and ranching industry.

3 Things About Your Farm's Finances You Can't Afford To Overlook

Like any other entrepreneur, you chose to farm because it combines your skill and your passion. And, like most, doing the work is more pleasurable than managing the enterprise, but being unaware of key financial metrics in real-time carries a risk.

New & Future Farmers – What you Need to Know

Farming has become much more competitive than it was 10 years ago. If you are a new or future farmer - we encourage you to check out this advice from our experienced ag lender.

5 Ways Farming Operations Can Stretch Cash Flow

In this blog, discover the actions you need to take to improve an operation’s liquidity when projected cash inflows fall short of projected cash outflows.