Best Practices for Professionally Managed Farm Businesses

This workshop focuses on best practices for putting in place professional management systems, governance processes and transition plans for commercial scaled farm businesses.  Wittman draws on real world experiences gained from four decades of client consulting and personal management of a diversified, multi-family farm business.  A formal introductory presentation plus informal question and answer format will provide a comfortable forum to discuss your most sensitive family farm business questions, challenges or transition concerns.

The opening presentation on best practices is followed by a case study work session that allows participants to simulate implementation strategies in breakout groups.

The goal is to have participants take home courses of action that can be implemented in day-to-day operations.  Topics in the case study session will take on a “how to” format addressing such issues as:

• How to get alignment of expectations in your business mission, vision and core values
• Dividing roles, responsibilities and deciding on reporting structures reflected in your organization chart
• Strategies for shifting these roles and structures as transitions are implemented
• Building formalized separation of board, management and staff identities & functions
• Identifying and managing potential career paths for family business members, including tips on managing the sensitive transition of the farm owner/manager from CEO to board chair/transition coach
• Identifying and putting in writing professional policies for key personnel and general business areas
• Identifying “Total Compensation” in family businesses and strategizing innovative approaches to structuring compensation packages for key employees and business owner/managers
• Setting up performance evaluation process for managers and employees in a family business (those that are blood as well as the non-family help)
• Proper ways for handling inter-entity and insider transactions involving individual principals and the common business
• Several mini-cases involving common conflicts

Erik Oberbroeckling, Steve Henry and Lloyd Schneider will provide an informal market panel discussing their experiences in successful farm transitions, establishing operating procedures and defining job responsibilities on the farm.  They will discuss challenges they faced and how they were able to resolve those issues.  Chances are, if you are struggling with a particular issue, they have already been through it.  Have you ever wanted to have a sit down with a successful farm operator to get ideas?  This is your chance.  Our goal is to open this panel up to Q&A, creating an interactive session that you can ask the questions that pertain to your operation.

Risk Management has become a necessary part of any producer success.  The 2024 season spent most of the year below the cost of production for grain producers.  High costs with low margins have brought an end to the bull run, but does that mean that profitability has to be beyond our reach?  Meanwhile the cattle market continues its multi-year upward trend.  We will discuss:

• What are the vital parts of a producers marketing plan
• What is the general weather outlook going into 2025
• How will acreage and demand impact prices as we move into next season
• What marketing tools did we use in 2024 that were successful that can be adopted in 2025?

With millions of followers combined, social media agriculture influencers have become the new face of agriculture.  Zach Johnson, Zoe Kent and Rob Sharkey will provide a panel discussing their journey in developing off farm income through their social media platforms and how it has impacted their farm careers.  They will also open up on their farm transition journey and how they came to be in their respective roles on the farm.  They will share their insights regarding what it takes to manage a successful business while operating in the spotlight.

Willie Robertson is the CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander and star of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty”. Robertson has expanded his family companies, from a living room operation to a multi-million-dollar enterprise and destination for all things outdoors. Duck Commander is the best-selling duck call brand in the U.S. It, along with Buck Commander are popular trademarks on apparel, hunting gear, food items and more. Robertson is executive producer of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” and “Buck Commander” on the Outdoor Channel. He is a New York Times best-selling author of “The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family and Ducks Built a Dynasty,”“American Hunter,” “American Fisherman,” and “American Entrepreneur.” Robertson’s story is a remarkable example of entrepreneurship and dedication built on hard work, faith, and family.