Modern Farm Business Podcast

17/01/2019

Nobody ever became a farmer because they were super-excited to work on a farm’s finances. It’s not typically a job most farmers look forward to. In fact, balancing the books can sometimes be downright intimidating. But knowledge is power, so this week on Modern Farm Business, Dean explores and explains some basic financial building blocks—to take the fear out of farm finances and empower each farmer to get the most out of their numbers.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB082__Finance_on_the_farm.mp3

THREE NUMBERS TO KNOW I. Working Capital: The capital available for the business to do its work [CURRENT ASSETS - CURRENT LIABILITIES] gives you a dollar amount, but t only means something if you put it into perspective with a ratio. So we divide that number by our GROSS REVENUE. Let’s plug in a c...

10/01/2019

Most mistakes in business come down to a breakdown in communication—specifically, breakdowns in understanding. Late 19th-/early 20th Century German, author and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said “Everyone hears only what he understands.” With this in mind, Dean Heffta urges listeners this week to become aware of the assumptions we regularly infuse into our communication—and to work to eliminate those assumptions and objective definitions in favor of clarity.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB081__Tools_for_building_understanding.mp3

03/01/2019

We all like to think of ourselves as calm, rational people, but emotions are all too real—and when we move into the world of any market, emotions can often take over—whether we’re trading baseball cards, comic books, antique furniture…or grain commodities. In this episode we’re discussing the emotional reality of trading and a handful of principles that can help us manage ourselves better in that environment.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB080__Managing_market_emotions.mp3

27/12/2018

Giving others corrections can be a tricky situation. Leaders often feel as much stress and discomfort as their charges when it comes to this sort of interaction. Nobody like a know-it-all—or to feel like one yourself. This week, Dean shares a few keys to correcting others with ease, so that leaders can feel less stress when facing this challenge.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB079__Thank_you_for_the_correction.mp3

20/12/2018

There once was a time when all it took to be a success in farming was working longer and harder than your neighbors, and producing a really great crop. Those days have long gone by the wayside, for today we find that though those aspects are still unarguably important, this business depends more on solid working relationships than ever before.

In this episode of Modern Farm Business podcast, Dean explores a handful of methods to help us improve our relationships so that they work for us toward success in business and life.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB078__Yep_its_a_relationship_business_now.mp3

DRIVING THE RELATIONSHIP ENGINE OF BUSINESS What’s made relationships so important in today’s business? They’ve always been important. Settling the prairie, the most important currency we had was building trusting relationships to help us purchase cattle, get credit from the feed store, lean o...

17/12/2018

It's easy to make plans to change a behavior or discipline...But sometimes we get in trouble when it comes to the follow-through. In the newest Modern Farm Business, Dean reveals five principles to help us achieve success in changing unhealthy behaviors.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB077__Ideas_are_easy-change_is_hard.mp3

06/12/2018

Questions have the power to help us focus on a particular subject or identify opportunities. In this week’s episode, Dean offers a host of questions we can use as leaders to assess ourselves and our organizations—consequently identifying areas ripe for improvement.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB076__The_power_of_questions.mp3

04/12/2018

What is it that ag lenders are looking for in a potential client? What does it take to secure that loan with the bank? In this flashback episode, Dean talks with ag lender Jason Peterson of Bell Bank in West Fargo, North Dakota about the changing dynamics and tools for building a farm's capital plan, offering you a look from the lender's side of the table. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/18_MFB018__Power_up_your_lender_strategy.mp3

29/11/2018

It’s important as a business leader to focus most of your time on the core of the business—but spending too much time in one area can cause stagnation on the path toward your intended future. Don’t get caught up in the here and now or your business will never see the tomorrow you have envisioned.

In this week’s podcast, Dean talks about the 70-20-10 rule and how a farm or other business leader should be allocating their time and other resources to not only take care of the important tasks at hand but also pave the way to a brighter future through spending adequate time on planning and innovation.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB075__The_70-20-10_rule.mp3

27/11/2018

Farm family meetings don't have to be a free-for-all of personal attacks and over-the-top defense mechanisms. Conflict is a good thing if it's handled correctly. In our most recent podcast, award-winning writer and farm family consultant Elaine Froese discusses the many ways healthy conflict skills, open communication and transparent farm transition plans can positively impact the lives and business of a farm family.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB074__Farm_communication_matters_w_Elaine_Froese.mp3

23/11/2018

This week Dean welcomes guest Elaine Froese—the award-winning writer of Planting the Seed of Hope and Do the Tough Things Right—whose latest book, Building Your Farm Legacy, helps farm teams across North America achieve better communication and improved conflict resolution—and to find solutions for continuing the farm business into future generations. Elaine is a certified farm family coach, mediator and advisor with nearly four decades of experience helping families form and embrace healthier habits for their relationships and businesses.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB074__Farm_communication_matters_w_Elaine_Froese.mp3

21/11/2018

Yes, tomorrow is a holiday, but don't worry--we'll still be here, serving up a fresh slice of Modern Farm Business® podcast. Might be a good day for a marathon, come to think of it. Stream all 74 episodes at www.modernfarmbusiness.com or find us on your favorite podcast provider. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and THANK YOU for your support and listenership.

15/11/2018

It might seem to a lot of farmers like farming is not really the seasonal job it used to be “in the good old days.” Between the planting and the harvest—and the harvest and the planting—a farm leader’s days are filled with paperwork, meetings, phone calls, machinery maintenance, number crunching, crop year planning…the list goes on. It’s a 24/7 gig that seems to offer no respite. In truth, however, it is still a seasonal business—the difference is that farm leaders have to behave today more like business owners than ever before.

This week Dean shares five exercises to help a farm leader make the most of their winter “off season” and best ready themselves for the upcoming crop year.
https://bit.ly/2Tgj7GQ

WHERE DID THE SEASON GO? “There’s never any downtime anymore,” is a common lament in agriculture. We pine for times past, when there was a simpler pace and two distinct seasons of planting and harvest. Today we can feel tossed from one season to the next, never having enough time to catch our ...

13/11/2018

Knowing and understanding your financials isn't enough. The key is to use them to better understand your operation—and then leverage that information to make decisions that move the farm forward intelligently. In this flashback episode, Ag Finance Specialist Tim Brhel guides Dean through the spectrum of farmer mindsets regarding their financials, and shows how a farmer can start using their numbers as a tool for more power as a successful business leader.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/17_MFB017__Financial_fundamentals.mp3

08/11/2018

Though in some aspects farming is a business like any other—in others it’s actually a business unlike any other. The basic model of Make-Sell-Count holds up in farming, but the “sell” aspect is incredibly different from other businesses. Quality and branding do not figure in to commodity pricing in the way that manufactured materials have different price points based on where and how they were made. This makes marketing one’s grain a substantially more complex matter than selling retail goods or services.

In this week’s Modern Farm Business® podcast, Dean explores seven unconventional but effective ways to approach thinking about marketing one’s grain. Listen below or through Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. Please spread the word to others if you like our podcast; also, feel free to subscribe and leave a rating in iTunes.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB072__7_contrarian_mindsets_for_grain_marketing.mp3

06/11/2018

Gratitude: It's an important part of a healthy working environment. Encouraging the heart is an integral behavior of the most successful leaders. Dean explores this idea, inspired by Kouzes & Posner's international bestseller "The Leadership Challenge." https://bit.ly/2Rrv3Uw

05/11/2018

Managing generational differences can be a challenge not only at home but also in the workplace. Back in episode 16 Dean was joined by Cam Marston, leading expert on generational change and its impact on the marketplace. As an author, columnist, training & development designer and lecturer, Marston imparts a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/16_MFB016__Eliminating_generational_frustration_w_Cam_Marston.mp3

01/11/2018

In this episode of Modern Farm Business® podcast, Dean introduces the works of James Kouzes & Barry Posner, discussing in particular the fifth attribute of the leadership model they assembled after a worldwide survey of exceptional leaders—the attribute known as "Encourage the heart." Expressing gratitude is an integral part of that behavior; it can build you as a leader and improve not only your team and its performance, but the culture of your organization as well.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB071__The_power_of_gratitude.mp3

30/10/2018

Learning, knowing, deciding and doing: four activities at which a farm leader must be adept. But what do they mean really, and where is there risk for misapplication? Dive into the latest Modern Farm Business® podcast to find out.
https://bit.ly/2OPMWPS

A leader on today's farm wears a lot of "hats," holding ultimate accountability for every aspect of the operation. This week, Dean explores the four activities a farm leader must regularly undertake to keep things running smoothly. LEARNING: IT IS NOT A “STAGE” OF LIFE. ONCE FORMAL LEARNING ENDS...

29/10/2018

It's a struggle sometimes to overcome the rampant spread of misinformation regarding our industry. Today we're taking a look back at our fifteenth episode, when Dean had a great conversation with ag advocate and founder of Cause Matters Corp., Michele Payn, around how to share the story of agriculture and your own farm with neighbors and others around your community.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/15_MFB015__Telling_the_farm_story_better_w_Michele_Payn.mp3

25/10/2018

Farm leaders wear a lot of hats. Being flexible and knowledgeable in many areas is a prerequisite. This week Dean discusses four activities that a farm leader must engage in regularly to maintain an environment of teamwork which fosters constant learning and personal investment from their team. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB070__Learning_knowing_deciding_doing.mp3

23/10/2018

In this flashback episode, Dean reveals secrets to holding better organized and more effective meetings that will boost your farm's internal communication game. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/14_MFB014__Five_meetings_your_farm_needs.mp3

22/10/2018

In this episode, Dean introduces listeners to The Great Game of Business, a goal-oriented leadership and teamwork system that was conceived of in 1983 to save a failing International Harvester factory after its management team purchased it from the company—to eventually become SRC Holdings, which today is one of the nation's most successful companies. In particular, we're looking at one key aspect of the Great Game—the concept of the Critical Number, and how it can help any business attain more health and reach its operational improvement goals.
https://bit.ly/2OGhRhP

15/10/2018

When emotions run high and so do the stakes...that's when conversations turn CRUCIAL. Have a listen to this episode from last year when Dean talked with leading social scientist for business performance and coauthor of New York Times bestseller "Crucial Conversations," Joseph Grenny. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/13_MFB013__Crucial_Conversations_w_Joseph_Grenny.mp3

12/10/2018

Need to get in some good reading once is behind you? Here are a few of our recommendations to keep a farm or other small business leader sharp and steered toward continued success in their operation.

11/10/2018

We welcome to the program this week author, speaker, consultant, and Science Director at Heartland Institute, Dr. Jay Lehr. He’s a leading authority on groundwater hydrology who has consulted with U.S. and foreign governments on environmental issues and policies. Dr. Lehr has authored over 30 books and more than 1,000 magazine and journal articles. In this episode of Modern Farm Business, he joins Dean to talk global trends in food supply & exports, domestic water supply, battling rampant misinformation in ag, crop insurance subsidies & more.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB068__Exploring_ag_-_the_environment_-_and_regulation_w_Jay_Lehr_PhD.mp3

10/10/2018

Abraham Lincoln, when assembling his cabinet, did the unconventional: He brought together a team of his former republican rivals for the presidency. He recognized that they were bright, no-nonsense men geared toward action, and they'd challenge his beliefs and assumptions as well as offer him new angles on the issues of the day. We can learn something from Honest Abe about embracing opposition in our lives. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB067__The_power_of_opposition.mp3

08/10/2018

Branding is no longer reserved for just large corporations and Fortune 500 companies--it's a concern for everything from giant conglomerates down to tiny mom & pop stores, small business owners, online storefronts and even hobbyists. Take your farm’s story to the next level. Dean reviews the components of a more effective message and brand for today’s farm business.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/12_MFB012__Build_a_better_farm_brand.mp3

05/10/2018

Do you prefer Spotify for your podcast needs? Good news! You can now find Modern Farm Business® there as well. Just search us up in Spotify's podcast section and all 67 episodes to date are there for the taking. Happy listening!

04/10/2018

As humans, we tend to want to shy away from conflict and opposition. It’s just easier to avoid that stress and tension—but tension can be beneficial and make us grow. Facing a little opposition is perfectly healthy and helps us sharpen our skills as well as develop new ones. Abe Lincoln knew what he was doing when he assembled his cabinet from a bunch of his former political rivals. In this episode, Dean will discuss the importance of increasing one’s comfort with…discomfort—and how to get outside of your own head and see things from multiple perspectives before making important decisions.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB067__The_power_of_opposition.mp3

01/10/2018

You don't have to be Einstein to run an outstanding farm, but we've all got a genius-level expertise and matching skill at something. Tap into the genius inside yourself and your team to meet the farm's needs. Here's a flashback to an older Modern Farm Business Podcast episode: "Where's My Genius?" http://bit.ly/2gNOvhd

27/09/2018

Google loves using data to answer questions (surprise, surprise), so it naturally followed that when the bosses at Google noticed some teams performing much better than others, they decided to gather data to determine exactly what was going on. Google studied nearly 200 teams, conducted hundreds of interviews and analyzed mountains of data to come up with a list of five common attributes of the most successful teams they encountered. This week, Dean presents that list with commentary on how to translate Google’s findings to your own farm or small business.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB066__What_Google_learned_about_great_teams.mp3

25/09/2018

EUSTRESS is beneficial stress—either psychological, physical, or biochemical/radiological. The term was coined by endocrinologist Hans Selye, consisting of the Greek prefix eu- meaning "good," and stress, literally meaning "good stress." Eustress was originally explored in a stress model by Richard Lazarus. (Wikipedia)
Learn more about how to move away from DISTRESS and toward eustress in this week's Modern Farm Business® podcast. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. http://modernfarmbusiness.libsyn.com/065-seven-tools-for-redirecting-stress

24/09/2018

In August of 2017 we had on the show John G. Miller, highly sought-after keynote speaker and author of the fantastic book on personal accountability, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question...and many more. He and Dean had an insightful discussion about personal accountability and the attributes of a great organization. Don't know about you, but we are serious about the QBQ and always have plenty of copies on-hand to loan out. Highly recommended.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/10_MFB010__Building_a_great_organization_w_John_G_Miller.mp3

20/09/2018

Stress is a fact of life. In itself, stress is just an indicator of change in one’s environment—neither inherently good or bad. Our physical and emotional reactions to stress, however, can be either constructive or detrimental to our growth. When stress is introduced to our muscles, they strengthen; when we venture out of our comfort zone and experience the stresses of a new environment, we learn new skills for adapting to the world around us. “Good” stress like these examples are called eustress, while the negatively connoted form of stress is called distress.

In this episode of Modern Farm Business®, Dean explores the phenomenon of stress and how to use it to your advantage and become a better leader by following seven simple guidelines to shift your own stress experiences from distress to eustress.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB065__Seven_tools_for_redirecting_stress.mp3

18/09/2018

Famed expert in family farm dynamics Jolene Brown is on the latest episode of Modern Farm Business. She talks with Dean about building leadership skills, handing the farm off to the next generation, and avoiding self-sabotage in leadership. http://modernfarmbusiness.libsyn.com/064-help-my-family-farm-is-a-business-w-jolene-brown

A walking, talking champion for the people of agriculture and the family-owned business, Jolene Brown, CSP, CPAE, shares her credibility, authenticity, humor, and wisdom with audiences worldwide through her writing, keynotes, and workshops. She’s a 2017 inductee into the prestigious CPAE Speaker H...

17/09/2018

Negotiating and doing business with people outside your operation can be challenging. In this flashback to episode 9 of Modern Farm Business Podcast, Dean Heffta gives you tips to forge much stronger relationships with your landlords and suppliers. Listen today and subscribe in your favorite podcast app. http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/09_MFB009__Building_better_supplier_and_landlord_relationships.mp3

13/09/2018

"HELP! MY FAMILY FARM IS A BUSINESS!"
This week on Modern Farm Business® podcast, Dean welcomes Jolene Brown, CSP, CSAE. A walking, talking champion for the people of agriculture and the family-owned business, Jolene shares her credibility, authenticity, humor, and wisdom with audiences worldwide through her writing, keynotes, and workshops. Herself being a farmer from West Branch, Iowa, Jolene is proud to use her platform to celebrate the people of agriculture and to share leading-edge best practices with the power to increase productivity, profitability and peace of mind.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/MFB064__Help_My_family_farm_is_a_business_w_Jolene_Brown.mp3

11/09/2018

http://modernfarmbusiness.libsyn.com/063-measure-twice

MEASURE WHAT YOU WANT I recently built a garden shed, and as I was measuring a stud to cut, it suddenly struck me that no matter what cut I was making, I never measured the bit I didn’t want--I always measured the part I was going to use. But how often in life and work is our focus on that little ...

10/09/2018

Back in episode number eight, Dean welcomed human resources professional Andrea Majors, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, to discuss "Seven questions you forgot to ask about employees." Give a listen and find out why it's become one of our most popular episodes. If you have employees in your operation, you can't afford not to.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/modernfarmbusiness/08_MFB008__7_Things_you_forgot_to_ask_about_employees_w_Andrea_Majors.mp3