Growing up, no one liked to talk about the possibility of going to summer school. But the folks who attended the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show welcome the opportunity to take part in their organization’s Summer Education Week.

“It’s an intensified week, [and it's open] to any member,” from newbies to experienced professionals, according to Paul Joerger, ASFMRA President. He added that the wide range of experience levels means ASFMRA needs to come up with topics that apply to everyone and their businesses. “One that comes to mind real quick is a negotiating class, [because] everybody’s negotiating something at sometime.”

And, echoing a common theme at the conference, Joerger said the networking members are able to do at this education week are invaluable. “That’s where you can find out about other ideas, you can bounce ideas, and that is as much as benefit as listening to experienced people speak in the classroom.”

He said the class is usually held in mid-July with signups held in mid-May.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Paul here: Interview with Paul Joerger, ASFMRA President

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

One of the things talked about at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show was how those with the Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) or Accredited Rural Appraiser (ARA) designations can come in handy, even down the road. Take Mark Williams, ARA from Michigan for example. He spent several years as a member but really inactive in ASFMRA. But he stayed active enough to take classes and get his accreditation.

“Several years ago, I started getting [more active] in the organization, and I then began to realize the value of networking with other appraisers,” he told Chuck during an interview. And now, Williams said he wouldn’t miss an ASFMRA conference, and he pushed others to follow his path of getting that accreditation and becoming more active. “Get on board. Get your education. Get your accreditation.”

Williams said the networking has really opened up some opportunities, and he encouraged others, especially young people with a passion for agriculture, to let it help their careers, too. “Come on aboard, and grab a-hold of somebody, and let them pull you up the ladder they way people pulled me up the ladder.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Mark here: Interview with Mark Williams, ARA

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

A common them at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show was how important ASFMRA accreditation and education is.

“The [Accredited Farm Manager, AFM accreditation] opens doors, provides credibility to the manager, is an industry-wide identity for that member, and it helps sell yourself when visiting with clients,” said Mike Krause, who works at Hertz Farm Management in Omaha and serve as chair of ASFMRA’s Management and Consulting Education Committee. He added that the networking possibilities through ASFMRA pay for themselves 10 times over. Plus, he said his organization is aware of the demands on people’s time and designs course materials to meet those educational needs as efficiently as possible. “Time is short for everybody. What we have is the right course material that’s specific to the daily needs of our members, and we utilize that material with examples so they get the most for their money in the shortest amount of time.”

Krause encouraged all members to seek out that accreditation, calling it a “complete” program.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Krause, AFM

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

With the ups and downs of the stock market in the past few years and the boom in the rural economy, institutional investors are looking at farmland as a tangible, stable asset to have in their portfolio. At the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show, Steve Kenney with the Hancock Agricultural Investment Group in Des Moines, Iowa talked about how investors are seeing ag areas as an obvious choice.

“Institutional investors are now taking a look at this asset class as a way to have stable income flow, steady returns to offset their liabilities from their pensioners. It helps to mitigate some of the volatility in their overall pension,” Kenney explained. He said interest is being driven by the volatility in stocks and bonds and the troubles in the commercial real estate market. “It’s a tangible asset. It’s something they can go out and kick the dirt… no pun intended.”

Kenney added that they can invest in annual crops, like row crops, or permanent ones, such as timber, or both, but the row crops offer less risk. He said the institutional investors are beginning to carve out a real asset portfolio, and farmland is part of that package. Kenney counsels that investors need to look at a long-term approach to this investment… at least 10 years and probably closer to 20-30 years.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Kenney, Hancock Agricultural Investment Group

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Communication is important for any organization, and at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show, Chuck caught up with George Baird, an accredited farm manager (AFM) who has a company called Baird & Brunson Land Management Group based in the Mid-South. He explained what one of ASFMRA’s communications tools is AgProLink, which Baird likens to a social network site just for farm managers.

“[We] work on problems, discuss issues… and it’s just another way to keep everybody tied together,” Baird said. He added AgProLink is helping farm managers do more things more efficiently. “We can’t do everything. Some of us are good at some things, [others are good at others]. This is a perfect way to lean on each other.”

And Baird stressed the importance of attending conferences like this one and the networking opportunities it brings. “People tell me it costs too much to go. I tell them, ‘I can’t afford not to go!’”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with George here: Interview with George Baird, AFM, Baird & Brunson Land Management Group

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Rising prices in the ag sector are prompting a lot of companies to look at investing in those areas. But since these companies might not know that sector, they’re going to need good farm managers and appraisers to make sure their investment is well spent. At the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show held in Indianapolis, Ind. attendees were able to hear exactly what that might mean for their fields.

“Those companies [looking to invest in farmland] are looking for good farm management talent to do the due diligence on those properties, see if they’re worth acquiring and at what level, which may lead into the management and appraisal of that asset,” explained Gary Thien, AFM, owner of Thien Farm Management in Council Bluffs, Iowa. And he says it’s why an organization such as ASFMRA and conferences like these are important. “It’s always a leading-edge conference, and you always come home with something afterwards.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Thien, AFM

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

The recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show held in Indianapolis, Ind. saw the election of the group’s new president. Paul Joerger, AFM, grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota and now is the Director of Asset Management and a vice president with John Hancock in Boston. He said he is honored and looking forward to serving the members of ASFMRA.

“There’s a lot of help around here… a lot of talent, and I think we have a lot of things to accomplish,” he said. Joerger added that, as with any organization, keeping and maintaining membership is a key to success. “We have some infrastructure that we need to develop to better allow us to mine and manage our membership. If 10 people took one class last year, and this next class would be a good fit for them, it’s easy to send an email to the folks saying, ‘Hey, please consider this.’”

Joerger is also a big advocate of the Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers accreditation program and what it means to practitioners of their craft. “It’s recognition in the marketplace that those who have taken accreditation have taken time and effort to try to be one step above our commitment to our profession. It also puts us at a higher level of accountability and that we’re ready to accept and to share.” He said that once he received his accreditation, he found even more satisfaction by teaching others.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Paul here: Interview with Paul Joerger, AFM, new president of ASFMRA

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

The election was a big topic of discussion at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show held in Indianapolis, Ind. (And, frankly, where WASN’T the election a big topic of discussion?) During the show and just prior to last night’s results, Chuck caught up with Merrill Swanson, a partner with the appraisal firm Dugger, Canaday, Grafe, Inc. out of San Antonio, Texas, and he said they were already feeling the effects of the election even before any ballots were cast.

“Much of our work applies to estate planning work, and with the tax law changes coming up, our firm has been extremely busy with estate planning appraisals of farms and ranches,” he said, highlighting that the end of the $5 million lifetime exemption ending on December 31st, has a lot of land owners are scrambling to get things in order. That includes a lot of sales with owners trying to beat that deadline. Swanson added that’s what makes networking at an event like the ASFMRA conference so important.

“Trends happen earlier some places than others,” he said, pointing out that land prices are at an all-time high in the Midwest with some Iowa farms going for as much as $10,000-$20,000 an acre. And those rising prices are lifting values all over the country as well. Plus with those changes in values and the pending estate taxes changes, they have their fill of work and won’t give any more appraisal reports until after the first of the New Year. He added the uncertainties of what will happen with all taxes and a lack of a farm bill now are prompting a lot of movement in the land appraisal business.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Merrill here: Interview with Merrill Swanson, a partner with Dugger, Canaday, Grafe, Inc.

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

A common problem you hear in farm circles is “Where are we going to get the next generation of producers?” That’s certainly also on the mind of the leadership at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show held in Indianapolis, Ind.

Jim Rickert, the incoming president for ASFMRA and a farm manager and rural appraiser, along with with wife and son in Northeastern California, says he’s trying to look to the future of where his 85-year-old organization is headed, as well as the aging farm producer population.

“We have a great demand for the services we have, but in the immediate future, we’re going to need to replace ourselves. We need to find young people to participate in our profession,” said Rickert.

To that end, Rickert said they’re getting more connected with university ag programs and explain those opportunities to young people, as well as challenging current ASFMRA members to bring in young people to the field. He added the new generation is bringing in new technology and ideas, as Rickert pointed to an example of how a group of young people, talking at a coffee shop, came up with a new way to do crop insurance by doing statistical models.

Rickert said he’s looking forward to the next conference next year, November 11-15, at the Peppermill Resort, in Reno, Nevada… although he doubts too many folks in his business, who already roll the dice in their everyday jobs will be looking to gamble there.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim here: Interview with Jim Rickert, incoming ASFMRA president

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

You just can’t put enough emphasis on good education, and that includes education for managing your agribusiness. At the 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, along with the AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show, the youngest producers are being encouraged to get involved with ASFMRA for the dividends it will pay down the road.

“In conversations we have with new members coming in to our organization, it seems they join for the education and stay for the networking,” said Jeff Berg, ARA and past president of ASFMRA. He added the group’s summer education week, held in either Omaha or Des Moines each year, provides core education for farm managers and appraisers in the Midwest. A couple of years ago, leaders at ASFMRA decided they really needed to open up this education to the next generation. “A lot of college kids don’t even know you can have a wonderful career in farm management, appraisal or consulting occupations.”

Working through their chapters and members at some of the land grant colleges, they set up the training that should help those young producers much further down the road. You can find out more at the ASFMRA’s website.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Berg, ARA, past ASFMRA president

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.