08/15/24 Afternoon CommStock Report – Announcement of CommStock Family Farm Masterclass Save the date…February 21st-22nd 2025

Capitalism can be brutal.  One study found that of all the companies started in 1998, only 31% of them remained just 7 years later.  It is likely much less than that today.  Another report showed that over half of Fortune 500 companies disappeared in the last 20 years. Another comparison seemed to be appropriate considering the ongoing Paris Olympics.  You might remember Carl Lewis, who dominated sprinting events in the 1984 LA Olympics.  Based on his times, if he were to run today in the Olympics, he would have gotten dead last.   For me these examples highlight the need to forever be learning, improving and evolving.  While we can lament the challenges of today’s market downturn, it also can force us to improve rather than rest on our laurels.  Farming has been good the last several years but now it is our turn to go through another bottom cycle.  The challenging times will either force some producers out of the business while forcing others to adapt.   The ag industry in general is better prepared for this cycle.  Land values are the bedrock upon which many solid farm operations are built, and they have proven extremely resilient.  Ag lenders…