On July 4, 2025, The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) was signed into law to extend, enhance and, in some cases, make permanent some of the Tax Cut Job Act’s tax law changes from 2018. It will bring back additional options for you come tax season filing time – and it may add difficulty in filing your return by March 1 this year as tax accountants and their software providers work through all of the OBBB changes.
Many farmers operate under the common misconception that all farm income tax returns are due by March 1 each year. While that is one of the deadlines, it does not have to be the case for all farmers. The IRS allows farmers and fisherman to avoid paying income tax estimates during the year if the following criteria are met:
- 66.67% of your gross income for the current tax year or the prior tax year is from farming
- You file your tax return and pay all the tax due by March 1
In addition, if no income tax is due, the farm return is not due until the normal April 15 individual filing deadline.
Due to the nuances and rules involved, many times farmers simply say they want to file by the March 1 farm deadline, but there are reasons to consider other options.
Why not March 1?
Meeting a March 1 due date is becoming harder and harder from a compliance standpoint. Many farmers receive 1099s from their cooperatives and other business activities such as rent, custom hire work, and other miscellaneous income, and are not receiving those until late in February.
Farmers who have outside pass-through entities with ownership for which they receive K-1s or have personal brokerage investments for which they receive a 1099 have the same challenges with not receiving the necessary documents until late February. The timing of receipt of this information creates a struggle to properly prepare farmers’ tax returns by March 1.
What other options do farmers have?
Rather than being forced into the March 1 time crunch, farmers can make an estimated tax payment on January 15 and then have until April 15 to complete the return and make a payment due for any remaining tax.
The January 15 payment plan comes with two options for the farmer. The IRS did farmers a favor by allowing them to pay by January 15 the lower of 100% of the prior year’s tax or 66.67% of the current year’s expected tax.
The options help accommodate the income volatility often experienced as a result of crop yields, commodity prices, and/or in recent years government aid. Paying at the lower of the prior or current year allows the farmer to hold onto more of their cash for as long as possible.
Below is an example of how this would work in two different scenarios:
Balances due at the completion of the tax return would be offset by these January estimated payments made. For example, in scenario 2, if the tax return were finalized and the farmer had income tax of $15,000 per the tax return, the $5,000 balance would be owed as of the filing date — typically April 15.
Making the January 15 estimated income tax payment can be extremely useful for a farmer especially in years where your taxable income will be higher than the previous year. It provides more time, until April 15, to file a correct individual income tax return that maximizes tax deductions. You receive 45 more days to see how the current year is going as well – which can help with decisions on how aggressive you are in utilizing Section 179 and bonus depreciation methods.
Additionally, considering the cost of funds and timing of the payments made, it could result in a net benefit from an interest standpoint. Using scenario 1 from above, consider the following payment dates for a farmer that did or did not make an estimated income tax payment by January 15:
The same amount of tax was due regardless of whether an estimated payment was made — it simply moved the timing of the required payments. In this scenario, a $10,000 payment was made 45 days ahead of the March 1 date, but the remaining $30,000 was not due until April 15. At the current prime interest rates, this would save the farmer approximately $200 in interest costs when paying the income tax from an operating loan.
Whether for interest savings or documentation receipt timing and filing accuracy, adjusting your farm tax filing process may be a solution worth considering. Should you have any questions how this would work for your specific situation, consult with your CPA or your GreenStone income tax professional.
Sugar beet harvest is underway in Michigan, and beet tonnage and sugar content both look favorable for the state’s growers in upwards of 20 counties.
However, rising costs of producing and processing sugar beets into sugar have squeezed operating margins and weather challenges in various regions have affected production potential. Sugar beets have historically been a high-profit-per-acre crop but have become an average commodity due to low prices, disease pressures, and labor issues, according to Jake Moegle, VP of Lending at GreenStone Farm Credit Services.
“Sugar beets can be expensive to grow because of the many fungicide applications necessary to keep the plants healthy and producing,” he says. “So, it really needs to pay well for people to be excited about growing them.”
Founded in 1906, Michigan Sugar Company is headquartered in Bay City, Mich., and has sugar beet processing facilities in Bay City, Caro, Croswell and Sebewaing, Mich.
Drought impact
Planting conditions were generally favorable this year, Jake says, but drought conditions affected certain areas and delayed early-dig by a week.
“It wasn’t widespread, but there were significant pockets where it was dry,” he explains. “It’s hard on everything when you’re digging. Tips can break off the beets leaving part of the beet in the ground. It also takes a toll on digging wheels. Machines ride hard, and you wear things out in a hurry when we haven’t had rain in a long time.”
Jenna Maher, an agronomist with Michigan Sugar, says the weather has been sporadic this year.
“We have areas that haven’t received rain in two months and some areas with more than two inches of rain recently,” she says.
The regular sugar beet campaign – slated to start in mid-to-late October – requires beets to be piled at several locations around the state. “We really need some colder conditions for favorable storage,” Moegle says.
Permanent piling (full harvest) will continue through mid-November, according to Rob Clark, Michigan Sugar’s senior director of communications and community relations.
Favorable sugar content
Sugar content has been the highlight of harvest. At Michigan Sugar’s four factories, more than 630,000 tons of sugar beets have been sliced, and the sugar content is averaging 16.31%, according to Clark.
“We are seeing higher numbers now on a regular basis,” he says. “To date, we have produced more than 150 million pounds of sugar.” Weather mainly controls sugar content to finish the crop, and growers are paid on pounds of sugar per acre.
To date, Michigan Sugar’s grower-owners have harvested more than 600,000 tons of sugar beets, about 15% of the projected crop, according to Clark.
“While recoverable white sugar per ton (RWST) is tracking well above the five-year average of 270.1 pounds, yield is tracking below the five-year average of 31.95 tons per acre,” he adds. “We are seeing some pressure from leafspot and aphids across our growing region. We need more rain and are asking growers to continue to care for their crops over the coming weeks before permanent pile begins.”
Hiring seasonal workers to harvest the crop continues to be a challenge.
“Finding workers with a CDL who you trust to drive the semis and be loading on the go in the field is sometimes difficult,” Moegle says.
Current Production Status for 2025
- Planting Progress: According to Betaseed, Michigan Sugar reported 97.5% of the 2025 sugar beet crop was planted by May 5.
- Acreage: Michigan Sugar planted 139,000 acres of sugar beets in 2025, down from slightly more than 143,000 acres in 2024.
- Yield Projections: Early estimates suggest average sugar beet yields between 27-32 tons per acre for 2025.
- Harvest Timeline: Michigan Sugar’s 2025 early dig harvest started on Aug. 25, and slicing at its factories began in late August and early September.
- Michigan ranks as the third largest sugar beet producer in the United States.
Despite ongoing challenges, including lower prices and operational difficulties, industry representatives maintain cautious optimism. As Moegle notes, “The outlook is still positive. I think there’s a nice crop out there waiting for us.”
Lisa Cram has built a long career in the law enforcement industry, and as she is nearing retirement, she has big plans for how she is going to spend it!
Lisa comes from a deep-rooted agricultural family with generations of farming experiences. Growing up, she was one of four daughters who were raised in a vegetable and nursery operation. Lisa grew up hearing stories of her grandparent’s dairy and swine farms and as a little girl, always wanted animals. Being raised in rural Jackson County on an agricultural farm with an open-air market, her whole family was involved with different parts of the operation. Being raised with a soft spot for livestock, Lisa knew she wanted to get back into agriculture at some point but never knew when. She shared, “The plan all started about three years ago, at that time we lived at the lake and had hoped we could sell that and move.”
In between her dream land and her current home, she spent much of her time researching what her niche could be. While searching, she found a group called Cowgirl Confident. The group offers support for agriculturists anywhere in their journey. “It was very cool because I saw somebody like me that had very little knowledge in the industry and could ask any question and nobody was judging for it,” Lisa enthused!
When Lisa retires in 2026, she plans to officially kick off her agritourism operation. Lisa was also able to get a head start on her retirement plan with her land purchase and home mortgage through GreenStone. The plan is to welcome farm visitors with unique glamping spaces, livestock interactions, and other rural experiences focused on making memories and smiles as she officially launches. All pieces of the farm will be intentionally chosen, to keep the guest experience top priority. “It’s all about the experience,” Lisa stated as she explained her hopes for the land.
Over the years, the Cowgirl Confident group has grown larger and there have been various conferences and events hosted to connect their community.
Earlier this year, when she found GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth grant, she excitedly took advantage of one of the group’s events. “This year I said, that’s it. I’m a year away from kicking off and it’s time to really get serious and learn a whole lot more.” Using the grant, she was able to attend a Cowgirl Confident event in Oklahoma!
Lisa and the Cowgirl Confident Group!
The event was focused on bringing their community together and talking about the various types of cattle operation but had a variety of different sessions to choose from. The event ranged from business advice, to agritourism planning, bovine reproduction, and even the renowned Dr. Temple Grandin made an appearance as the keynote speaker for her work in animal husbandry. In addition, Lisa was able to network with other producers from around the country. “There was just so much valuable information to take away,” Lisa noted.
After the conference and with her community of Cowgirls, Lisa feels more set in her plans for retirement next year. She plans to keep being intentional and looking out for any furry additions as she prepares for the official launch of her agritourism operation.
GreenStone is proud to support up and coming farmers like Lisa as they reach for their dreams. To learn more about our CultivateGrowth program and grant for young, beginning, or small farmers, click here.
Determining Land Value Benchmarks
GreenStone’s team of expert appraisers evaluate land values annually throughout Michigan and northeast Wisconsin. These values are measured by re-evaluating the same plots of land every year, providing our customers and landowners with a picture of how the value of cropland, transitional land, recreational land, and dairy improvements have changed throughout the year.
Revaluating the same plots of land each year eliminates variances that could occur with other survey methods. This provides our team of appraisers with the most accurate representation of market value trends. There are many factors that influence the results of these appraisals, including changing commodity prices, governmental regulations, the economy, tourism, and weather.
Land Benchmark Results
In 2025, alongside the same thirteen plots of land that are evaluated each year, three additional plots located in northern Michigan, north central Michigan, and northeastern Wisconsin were also appraised to give a more complete picture of land value trends across our region. The results from these land benchmarks were clear – the value of land is holding steady. Across the board, the average value of land increased by 5%. Land value increases ranged from 5-15%, with only one benchmark experiencing a decrease in value.
While land values have continued to increase over the past five years, they remained steady in 2025, suggesting the market may finally be leveling off and finding a balance post pandemic. This is still good news for landowners, as a majority of the benchmarks appraised continued to either increase or hold their value. These results are also optimistic for those trying to acquire land, as demand seems to be steadying in an ultra-competitive market.
Dairy and Cash Crop Land Values
Most notably, concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) sized dairy farms have experienced more than a 100% increase in value over the past five years, effectively doubling in value since the pandemic. Increased construction costs, and a healthier dairy market with increased demand and steady supply over the past few years are both contributing factors to this increase. In 2025 alone, CAFO dairy operations increased in value by 7.5%. Many producers have even been able to expand their facilities in recent years because of an increase in profitability.
Out of the ten cash crop land benchmarks surveyed, seven of them experienced an increase in value, ranging from a 2.4% increase to a 14.5% increase. Michigan’s crop diversity is a contributing factor to the stabilization of these land values.
Western Wisconsin, and southwest and west Michigan showed the largest increases in value for cash crop land again this year due to continued competition for land. Three benchmarks maintained their value, after each experiencing a substantial increase in value in 2024.
Recreational and Transitional Land Values
Recreational and transitional land values also experienced an increase in value. Recreational land saw an increase of 5.7%, while transitional land – agricultural land expected to be developed for another use in the future – increased by 5.3%. Only one recreational benchmark, located in southern Michigan, experienced a decrease in value. This comes after a 17.8% increase in 2024, once again suggesting land values are finally steadying post pandemic.
Transitional land values continue to hold strong despite not experiencing the dramatic increase in value we’ve seen over the past five years. Increases in construction costs and shifting economic factors are both influences to transitional land values.
Land Remains a Strong Investment
Buying and owning land continues to be a strong investment in your future. For many landowners, it is very likely the value of your land has increased over the past few years. While we continue to see an increase in land values, the stabilization of land prices is also positive for those looking to acquire land.
GreenStone’s team of financial experts are here to help you find a solution that’s tailored to you, whether that’s securing vacant land or expanding your farming operation. Click here to learn more about the resources GreenStone provides when it comes to purchasing land.
This article was originally published in Michigan Farm News.
If you’re a hunter in northeast Wisconsin or Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, you could turn your trophy buck into cash with GreenStone’s annual Deer Challenge! Don’t miss this opportunity to show off your hunting skills and win dollars for your deer.
The contest is free to enter. Participants will compete for more than $1,000 in cash prizes. The challenge is open to all Wisconsin and U.P. residents who harvest a deer in GreenStone’s northeast Wisconsin territory or Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between September 13 and November 30, 2025.
The Big Buck class will include eligible participants 18 years and older. Hunters 17 years and younger are invited to compete in the Junior Buck class.
Big Buck Contest (Adults 18 years and older)
- First Place – $400
- Second Place – $200
- Third Place – $100
Junior Buck (17 years and younger)
- First Place – $200
- Second Place – $100
In addition to being eligible for a cash prize, junior hunters who harvest their first deer during the challenge will receive a trophy that can be picked up at their nearest GreenStone branch.
All participants who harvest a buck or doe with a legal gun, bow, muzzleloader, or crossbow and enter the contest will be entered in a drawing to win a game camera or a $25 gift card.
To enter, hunters should complete the form found at GreenStoneFCS.com/DeerChallenge or drop off a completed entry form with witness signature and photos of the deer to GreenStone’s Clintonville, Coleman, Escanaba, Little Chute, Manitowoc, and Sturgeon Bay branches. All entry forms must be submitted by December 6, 2025. For complete contest rules, contact your local Wisconsin or U.P. branch to learn more.
Regular firearm hunting season is rapidly approaching for both Michigan and Wisconsin hunters. Before the season begins, consider using this quiet time to evaluate your property and land improvement tactics to get your hunting land in tip-top shape.
There are four things to keep in mind with hunting land management to harvest the perfect buck: food source, water source, proper coverage, and keeping the correct ratio between does and bucks.
Providing Adequate Food and Water Sources
In order to maintain wildlife, just like you and I, they need to eat! Some land might not naturally provide the right mix of food options for the wildlife you want to attract. However, you can grow this food yourself on a food plot.
Adding different foods to your food plot will attract different types of animals. If you’re hunting deer, consider growing things like barley or rye.
These days, you don’t need any fancy tools or tractors – many manufacturers produce seeds you can throw down, and they’ll grow into a garden for your wildlife with little to no extra work needed from you.
If a pond or lake doesn’t already exist on your hunting property, you will need to create a source of water for wildlife.
Low-lying patches of land can be dug deeper to create an area for water to fill. You could also install a liner in these areas to make sure they remain puddles of water for your wildlife.
Creating Shelter for Your Wildlife
Animals need a place to hide and sleep. For their own protection, deer will not typically settle down in an open field space.
Evergreens and trees are good additions to provide more coverage on your land. If your land already has trees, you may even consider knocking some over, so the deer have more places to hide.
Another option for open spaces is to allow your fields to grow plenty of weeds and grass to act as coverage for wildlife.
Maintaining Your Buck to Doe Ratio
While the goal is to attract wildlife, having a population too big is equally problematic. For deer, you’ll want to try to keep the ratio of does and bucks close to 50/50, if possible. Too many deer mean a lower food supply, and the bucks won’t stay.
If one of your goals is to be rewarded with a trophy buck, you may want to consider deer management practices, such as only harvesting deer of a certain size to allow younger bucks to mature.
When sharing your hunting land with other people, talk with them ahead of time about your expectations for the land, and what wildlife should and should not be harvested.
Getting Started with Managing Your Land
How you will manage your hunting land should be considered early in the year, well before hunting season begins. This will ensure your property is ready and the animals are comfortable, so you can enjoy a successful hunting season. It is also important to reevaluate your practices each season to determine what worked and what didn’t work, to know what is best for the wildlife’s health and population on your land.
There are plenty of perks to owning your own hunting land. If you haven’t made the purchase, you might consider these benefits for future ownership. Learn about a few of the benefits of recreational land ownership in this resource here.
Our recreational land experts are here to walk you through the land buying process. Get started by checking out these frequently asked questions or contacting your nearest branch.
The 2025 Michigan apple outlook projects a strong, above-average crop of approximately 30 million bushels (1.26 billion pounds), marking the fourth consecutive year of higher-than-average crop yields. However, 2025 is not expected to rise to the levels seen in 2024 and 2023.
“The crop is expected to be down from the past couple of years,” says Joel Arends, GreenStone financial services officer. “However, most growers are satisfied with the fruit counts.”
USApple announced its harvest forecast in August. However, estimates vary across organizations.
- USApple projects 30 million bushels
- The Michigan Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association forecasts a lower yield of 25.5 million bushels—15% lower than USApple’s forecast and 6% below USDA’s final 2024 production.
The USDA’s national apple production estimate for the 2025/26 crop year is 11.5 billion pounds (273 million bushels), representing a 6% increase from 2024.
Harvest estimates are developed when “growers and other industry experts report on what they are seeing in various regions of the state, then come to a consensus on the crop size estimate,” according to Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee.
Unlike Michigan, Wisconsin apple production is not singled out in USDA reports.
Favorable Growing Conditions Set the Stage for a Good Crop
The higher yields in recent years are being driven by:
- Favorable spring and summer weather conditions
- Adoption of high-density orchards, allowing for additional bushels on fewer acres
The 2025 growing season has been particularly favorable with no significant frost or freeze events in the spring and a gradual warm-up, setting the stage for a good crop in Michigan. This contrasts sharply with 2012, when 90% of Michigan’s apple crop was lost due to 80-degree days in March followed by freezing temperatures in April.
“Scab, a common fungal disease of apples, has been limited despite moderate rain events in the first half of the season,” Arends said. “Major hail damage in an isolated area along ‘The Ridge’ in the Ottawa/Kent County corridor will have minor overall impact on Michigan’s fresh fruit supply. West Michigan is experiencing near-record drought conditions, which is impacting fruit size.”
Industry Innovations Enhance Fruit Quality
“Michigan Apple growers work with tree fruit researchers to implement the latest growing techniques and use new technology to monitor growing conditions,” said Smith, highlighting the industry’s commitment to innovation.
“This includes weather, soil health, and plant nutrition, among other factors. Michigan growers are committed to bringing the best quality fruit to the consumer,” she said.
Market Conditions
Marketing large crops has necessitated changes in how growers market both fresh and processing varieties.
“Growers are carrying less inventory into the summer of 2025 than they had in 2023 and 2024,” says Arends. “This is helping with the cash flow tightness growers were seeing in those years.”
Fresh and processing prices appear to be recovering going into the 2025 harvest compared to the lows seen in 2023 and 2024. With current tariffs affecting Pacific Northwest exports of processing apples, “there could be added supply pressure backing into the Michigan processor market,” Arends says. “Expect to see any price impacts in the second half of the harvest season.”
Retailers continue pushing for year-round availability, according to Arends. “Michigan marketers will continue to adapt to this need and will be storing more apples into the summer months,” he says. “Production management will continue to put more emphasis on fruit that can maintain quality longer.”
Apple Industry Outlook
The nature of apple production requires multi-year planning for production and variety selection. “Abrupt changes to industry marketing habits and excessive labor costs will be the major driving factors affecting producer profitability,” Arends notes.
Michigan harvested an estimated 30.5 million bushels of apples in 2024. The state has more than 17.6 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 38,000 acres on 850 family-run farms, making apples the largest and most valuable fruit crop in the state.
Many growers continue to expand into markets like hard cider or find themselves managing new varieties to support growth and balancing emerging varieties with consumer demand and retail space.
While Red Delicious remains the second most-produced apple, its production has declined steeply over the last five years. Conversely, Honeycrisp production has increased by 46% or almost 9 million bushels during the same period, according to USApple.
“New or replacement of older orchards continues at a cautious rate,” Arends says. “Producers are reducing heritage varieties with the majority of new plantings being Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, and Evercrisp varieties.”
Michigan and Wisconsin’s Market Position
Only Washington and New York produce more apples than Michigan, which exports to Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. However, the majority of Michigan’s apple crop is sold domestically in 32 states.
Michigan apples are available year-round and can be found at approximately 200 farm markets and cider mills in Michigan, as well as more than 12,000 retail groceries across the U.S.
By comparison, the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association represents 170 commercial apple growers from across the state. Commercial orchards are found in 46 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, comprising about 7,400 acres and producing approximately 56 million pounds of fruit worth over $9 million per year.
“I told him we were never going to get egg chickens. And then he talked me into some egg chickens,” Brittany laughed. This marked the start of the Frudzinski’s adventure in agriculture.
Ben and Brittany Frudzinski originally started their adventure together as automotive engineers. Within the past few years while raising their three children, the Frudzinski’ s realized they wanted to experience growing and raising their own food.
With the egg laying chickens giving them a running start, they dove into learning more about our food system. Brittany noted, “We found the importance of quality food, and what it could mean to grow it into a business.”
Eventually, the family started raising meat chickens and meat ducks. After two years of successfully raising poultry, they now have added seven pigs!
The Frudzinski’s are in the process of building their forever farm where they will continue to expand their operation. The couple found their land and are in the process of a DIY home construction through GreenStone. In the meantime, Ben and Brittany are educating themselves on homesteading and what that could look like on their new farm.
“At first, I kind of brushed it off, I didn’t think I would be eligible. So, I started poking around, and realized I did meet the criteria!” Brittany shared her experience about GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth Grant.
To qualify for the grant, you must meet one of these three options. GreenStone members can qualify for up to $1,000 and non-members can qualify for up to $500.
- Young – 35 years old and younger.
- Beginning – Have less than 10 years of farming experience.
- Small – Make less than $350,000 annually on agricultural products.
With the help of the grant, Brittany was able to register for the online suite of courses called Foundation in Farming and Homesteading. The online course offers education on laying hens, broilers, pigs, cattle, and so much more! “They break the course into small nuggets, which is nice because I can watch as many or as few as I want without feeling like I’m stopping in the middle,” Brittany noted.
The Frudzinski’s were able to jump right into learning more about their land and agriculture as they began their operation. Brittany shared how the course she took aligned with their values, “The course is very into having a solid layout and focusing on regeneration. That’s our target and our goal.”
Between working full-time, farming, and having a family, it is hard to find extra free time, but the couple has found ways to make it all work. Instead of opening and closing their chicken coop each morning and evening, Brittany used her engineering skills to program the door to do it automatically. She stated, “And that’s what engineering does to you, you’re always asking questions. How can I do it faster? How can we make it cheaper?”
GreenStone aims to empower the next generation of agriculturalists, like Ben and Brittany. To learn more about our CultivateGrowth program for young, beginning, or small farmers click here.
Expanding or improving your current farming operations can be both an exciting and daunting undertaking. With so many factors to consider, how can you be sure you are managing your farm’s growth successfully? Let’s start by defining what success looks like to you, no matter what your goals are for scaling your farm!
Find Your “Why”
Implementing an effective growth strategy looks different for every farm and business. What long term goal will your improved operations help you fulfill? Start by defining the “why” behind your expansion. Whether you are looking to enhance the operational efficiency of your current processes, diversifying your crops or livestock, or entering a new market, any goal you set for yourself should point back to your “why.”
Your “why” could be to preserve a family legacy or simply to embark on a new challenge or opportunity. Look at your “why” as your guiding compass. When making decisions surrounding the growth of your farm, every decision should point back to your “why.”
Maximize Before Expanding
An inefficient operation will not become efficient just by growing. In fact, growth often magnifies weak spots in your business. You should be maximizing the assets and resources of your operation before you consider scaling up. Study your current practices and operational metrics – your average yields or production, equipment and facility utilization, financial metrics such as cost of production and capital structure – then compare them to industry averages, and more importantly, to the top 25% of operations in your industry. This will help you assess performance and the efficiency of your day-to-day business operations and give you an idea as to where your efforts at improving should be focused.
If there are areas in your processes that can be improved upon, focus on those first. For example, improving your cost of production could include adopting new technology to reduce input costs or redesigning your facilities to be more efficient and allow you to get the same jobs done in less steps.
When implementing new processes, it is crucial to effectively communicate expectations to your entire team, especially new employees. One of the biggest challenges of change management is getting buy-in from your whole team. As critical as understanding your “why” is, it is every bit as important for your team to know and understand the “why” as well. Clear and effective communication, including the underlying rationale, as well as an environment that allows open and honest feedback, can ease the transition of implementing new processes.
Find a Network of People
Finding the right people who can provide their expertise and support is essential to any growth strategy. Working with a team of experts who understand your business and your industry will save you time and resources in the long run. If you identify a weak area in your processes, it needs to be addressed to continue to scale your business. Consider working with an outside consultant that specializes in your industry and can bring fresh eyes, ears and ideas to your situation. Such consultants bring helpful experience from working through similar challenges with others. Your CPA or attorney can also be a valuable resource.
Specialized lenders, such as GreenStone, bring familiarity to the unique circumstances that come with growing an agricultural operation and can provide tremendous value to your expansion efforts.
Engaging with a peer group is another great way to hold yourself accountable and learn from the experiences of others who have already experienced many of the challenges you are facing. These relationships can help you learn growth strategies from others in the industry, how they managed their operations through periods of growth, and what they learned from it. Never stop learning. Utilizing resources and continuing educational opportunities will help you learn from experienced peers in your industry. If you are a young, beginning, and or small farmer, GreenStone offers a CultivateGrowth mentorship to learn from experienced mentors.
Set Sustainable Goals
Once you’ve identified your growth strategy, it’s time to prepare for monitoring and measuring the results of your efforts. Establish a set of benchmarks or check-ins for yourself that will help you track your progress. This can be quarterly, semiannually, or whatever time frame will best help you stay on track with your goals. Know what metrics you are looking for and set a timeframe for when you expect to see progress.
Most importantly, check in to make sure your growth strategy is still aligned with the “why” behind what you are doing. If you don’t see the results you would like, take the time to reassess your plan and the execution of your strategies. There will always be things you will need to adjust from your original plan as you continue to grow.
Remember growth is not always linear (if only it were that simple)! You are solving an equation that is unique to your situation – that is the reason behind the emphasis on your “why”. You may have to slow down to gain momentum and see the results you are looking for in the long run. Again, no matter what your goals for your operation are, or what your growth strategy is, always go back to why you started, and your long-term vision for your farm.
GreenStone’s dedicated team of experts are here to support the growth of your agricultural operation. Contact your local branch today.
This article was originally published in Michigan Farm News.
As a testament to the association’s focus on member-focused service, GreenStone Farm Credit Services is proud to announce 95% customer satisfaction based on its annual member survey. The results mark 21 consecutive years the cooperative has exceeded a 90% satisfaction score.
“We’re committed to providing tailored financial services and solutions that support the growth of our members,” said GreenStone President and CEO Travis Jones. “Our members’ trust in our association underscores our exceptional team’s dedication to delivering effective and reliable service.”
The customer satisfaction survey uses a seven-point scale ranging from being “very dissatisfied” to “very satisfied”, as well as measuring customers’ perception of GreenStone’s performance over the past year. For the third year in a row, 98% of those surveyed responded they felt GreenStone is a financially sound lender with effective staff, and 73% of customers were “very satisfied.” Customers also reported the highest level of satisfaction in five years with the association’s crop insurance and tax and accounting services.
Two branches have received three or more years of an average customer satisfaction score of 100%, demonstrating the branches’ commitment to providing consistently excellent customer service.
Customers noted their appreciation for the cooperative’s Patronage program, where GreenStone gives back a significant portion of its profits to members as a dividend. This year the cooperative exceeded more than $1 billion in total dividends returned to member-owners over the past 20 years.
Additional points of high satisfaction were the cooperative’s clear communication, efficient processes, and overall positive experiences, underscoring the value of the relationship between GreenStone’s staff and its customers.
“These scores represent our commitment to continuously providing member-focused service,” said Jones. “We’re deeply invested in the success of the rural communities of Michigan and Wisconsin and take great pride in being a trusted partner in our member’s growth.”
Overall, this year’s survey results demonstrate the importance GreenStone places on providing its members unique financial solutions that help them build businesses, build lives, and build up the rural communities we call home.