MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Kyle Walker, CAC

In central Iowa, the heat and humidity have set in over the last couple of weeks. Crops are looking good and trying to catch up from the late planting season. I anticipate all the corn in my area will meet the old adage, knee-high by the Fourth of July. Most corn will be chest or head height by that time. We received an inch of rain last night and I like to joke that you can hear the corn growing on days like today.

We have eight new members who have joined ASAC since the beginning of the year. These new members are from the states of Nebraska, Arizona, Montana, New York, and New Hampshire. It’s nice to see the geographic diversity in our membership base. This membership growth is encouraging as compared to previous years.

The annual meeting committee is currently planning the 2022 conference in Oklahoma City. Pete Weisenberger and his team have secured all speakers and they are in the process of finalizing the tour agenda. Exciting commitments include Paul Neiffer (Business Planning), Harold Black (Economics / Federal Reserve), and Harrison Pittman (National Ag Law Center). Brittany Krehbiel-Hukill will be the banquet speaker. Brittany is a fifth-generation farmer and business owner from central Oklahoma. She is an Oklahoma State alumnus and was a finalist for Producer of the Year in 2022. 

We continue to see record land sales across the country, with many investors looking for an inflation hedge. Through June 17, 2022, Peoples Company’s internal appraisal database shows land values are up 13% across Iowa from Q1’s average. We show that highly tillable farms (85% or greater) are selling for nearly $16,000 per tillable acre.  We anticipate headwinds to come with inflation and rising interest rates. The next 24 months will be increasingly volatile and hopefully lead to opportunities for my business.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING NOTES, JUNE 2022

Financial Report – Russell Morgan, CFO

The accounts receivable continues to improve as more renewals are processed. We are waiting for the check from Farm Credit East but once we receive that we will be nearly up-to-date on membership. The board approved the banking resolution to have the ASAC President and Executive Vice President added to the Wells Fargo account.

Meetings Committee - Pete Weisenberger, Chair

Pete Weisenberger is working with the OK Farm Network to promote our conference on the radio. All of our speakers and the tours are confirmed. Traci Schermerhorn and Pete will send the banquet menu to Russell Morgan and the hotel for final pricing. A save the date post will go out on social media. Registration will open as soon as the final cost is calculated.

Accreditation Committee - Bill Zweigbaum, Chair

Ethan Robertson and Dick Wittman volunteered to join this committee. Traci Schermerhorn will meet with them this month to work on the process of calculating and reporting continuing education credit for the CAC.

Continuing Education Committee - Russell Morgan, Chair

Dick Wittman has offered to teach his class prior to the ASAC Annual Conference. It would be held on Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23. He needs to have at least 10 attendees to hold the class. Farm Credit East members are checking to see if we can reach that number.

Marketing & Promotion Committee - Paige Gilligan, Chair

We currently have 66 active members, 19 are CACs. The marketing committee is continuing to have trouble finding a display. They are considering purchasing 3-5 pop-up banners, which would be easier to ship, instead of one large display. The logo and theme for the annual meeting have been approved. Paige Gilligan is looking into the cost of being an exhibitor at the Crop Consultant Conference in California on September 28-29.

Strategic Alliance Committee – Norm Brown, Committee Chair

The lender flyer was emailed by Traci. The committee is asking regional directors to follow up with the banks in their territory. The committee is working on a cover letter to send to Farm Credit.

Old Business

Traci Schermerhorn announced at the last board meeting that she does not plan to renew her contract with ASAC in 2023. Russell Morgan, Kyle Walker and Traci met earlier this month and she has agreed to continue in the role until the end of the year.

New Business

Traci Schermerhorn worked on a "job description" for committee leaders and the board of directors. She will send it out to the board for comments, and once approved, send it to the individuals in that role so everyone knows what is expected of them as a volunteer with ASAC.

ASAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE - OKLAHOMA CITY

The American Society of Agricultural Consultants will hold our 2022 Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, OK on Sunday, October 23 - Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at the Skirvin Hilton. This conference offers great networking and educational opportunities to agricultural professionals. Registration will open in July.

Sunday, October 23

Welcome to Oklahoma! Join ASAC members for an opening reception at the hotel from 5:30-7:30 PM. Small group dinner options will be available for those who want more time to network. (Dinner is not included.)

Monday, October 24

• Communication Skills, Ron Rabou
• Best Practices for Today's Ag Consultants: Staying Relevant while Practicing Good Ethics, Keith Dickinson
• Diversity and Inclusion, Rodney Patterson
• Technology in Ag Consulting, Hylon Kaufmann
• Accounting, Taxes and Business Planning, Paul Neiffer
• Macroeconomics Discussion - Finance and the Federal Reserve System, Harold Black
• ASAC Annual Banquet with keynote speaker Brittany Krehbiel-Hukill

Tuesday, October 25

• Overview of NALC - Hot Button Focus on Regulatory Issues, Harrison Pittman
• Regenerative Agriculture, Hugh Aljoe
• ASAC Business Meeting
• OKC West Stockyards and USDA Grazing Lands Research Station Tours
• Small group dinner options will be available for those who want more time to network. (Dinner is not included.)

Wednesday, October 26

ASAC 410 - Separate registration required. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

FAMILY FARM BUSINESS CONSULTANT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER

WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY

ASAC and Wittman Consulting are looking into the opportunity to partner together and offer, "Family Farm Business Consultant Train-the-Trainer Workshop" before the ASAC Annual Meeting. This class would be held from Saturday, October 22 - Sunday, October 23, 2022.

So that we can determine if we have enough interest to make this offering feasible, please email Traci Schermerhorn at evp@agconsultants.org if you are possibly interested in attending. (By emailing us, you are not committing to taking the class, we just want to get a potential headcount.)

Family Farm Business Consultant Train-the-Trainer Workshop

Are you advising clients on transition planning?  Assisting them in professionalizing business management or governance practices? Looking for strategies to reduce conflict in the family business? Interested in refining your client consulting delivery process?  This workshop walks through consulting processes we’ve used for over 40 years to guide clients in their efforts to implement best management practices in professionalizing governance systems and transitioning farm businesses.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

05/31/2022 : Leonard Steiner, Jr.

05/31/2022 : Mark Larsen

KEEP UP WITH THE ASAC BLOG

• June 02, 2022 - Is A Recession Coming? Share Your Thoughts
• June 16, 2022 - The Value of Professional Certifications
• June 23, 2022 - Stepping Up Our Game

ASAC CALENDAR

IB'S INSIGHTFUL INTROSPECTIONS

Ib Hagsten was a longtime member of ASAC who left a lasting legacy with our organization. It is impossible to replicate Ib's wit and down-to-earth observations. In his honor, we offer these words of wisdom...

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

Edit Wharton

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Mark Twain

The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.

Ronald Reagan

ASAC LEADERSHIP TEAM

Executive Board

President

Kyle Walker, CAC

President-Elect

Pete Weisenberger

Vice President & Secretary

Keith Dickinson, CAC

Chief Financial Officer

Russell Morgan, CAC

Immediate President

Ethan Robertson, CAC

Executive Vice President

Traci Schermerhorn

Regional Directors

Eastern Director

Joanna Lidback, CAC

Western Director

Ron Rabou

Northern Director

Steve McWilliams

Southern Director

Keith Raynor, CAC