Water Street Solutions will award five college scholarships to ag students for the 2013-14 academic year. The award includes a $1,600 scholarship and tuition to attend the 2013 Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference ($1,000 value). Students from Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota and Kentucky are eligible to apply for these scholarships, and must be enrolled in an ag-related four year degree program.

Click here for more information on how to apply.  The deadline to apply is March 15, 2013.

How can you make sure everyone on your farm is on the same page about what needs to get done - and all the details?  One strategy is to create a "farm playbook" that gives employees the details.  This month, Dean Heffta, Senior Director of Development at Water Street Solutions talks about how you can create a playbook in his Profits column in Corn and Soybean Digest.  Read it HERE.

With the recent fiscal cliff package, the estate tax laws changed a bit - and what happened was favorable for most farmers.  With more certainty around estate taxes, now is the best time to begin your legacy plan for the future of your farm.  Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about the changes and how they affect your farm in his weekly Finance First post on www.farmfutures.com.  Read it HERE.

Did you just say what I thought you said?  What do you mean by that?  Sometimes it takes more than one try to communicate something, even when we think we know people pretty well.  Dean Heffta, Senior Director of Development with Water Street Solutions talks about communicating on the farm with Dewey Nelson from KRVN.  Clarifying Communications on the Farm Heffta AUDIO

For the text of the interview, click here: Clarifying Communications on the Farm

If you're a college student, come visit Water Street Solutions at these upcoming college career fairs:

• Kansas State University Ag Career Fair - January 30
• Iowa State University Ag Career Fair - February 6
• Purdue University Ag Career Fair - February 20
• Student Marketing Competition, National NAMA - April 16-18, Kansas City, MO

For more information, contact Jim Emanuel at (402) 981-8845 or jemanuel@waterstreet.org.

Land prices are a hot topic right now. But how much can you make off of that land and how does it fit into the big financial picture of your farm? Land values can also affect how you pass the farm to the next generation. Ths month in Money Matters in Illinois AgriNews, Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about the effects of high land prices.

ILAgrinews_2013_Jan_Current land prices can impact farm's legacy

Joe and Nathalie Schmidt from Ottawa, Illinois work with Water Street Solutions.  They talked about how working with the company is helping them build their farm's legacy:

"Prior to working with Water Street, we had an insurance agent, no financial analysis other than tax preparation, and no marketing.  Things weren't working to their fullest potential.  We started to realize that we really needed to do this a different way.

We believe Water Street is the right fit for us. It's one of the best things that we've done for our business. This has been a family farm for over a century. Employing the tools that Water Street has is important for us to know that we're doing something proactive for the future of this land that's been entrusted to us."

Does conflict ever happen on your farm?  It probably always will, but better communication skills can help us navigate it more easily.  Dean Heffta, Senior Director of Development with Water Street Solutions talks about this touchy subject with Dewey Nelson from KRVN.  And they didn't even fight about it either.   Conflict Management on the Farm Heffta AUDIO

For the text of the interview, click here: Conflict Management on the Farm

With the start of a new year, we often begin to think about our health a bit differently, but what about the financial health of your farm?  A financial analysis of the farm helps you target key numbers for financial health and strength.  Darren Frye, President and CEO of Water Street Solutions talks about how a financial personal trainer for your farm can help you reach your goals in his weekly Finance First post on www.farmfutures.com.  Read it HERE.

If you heard Darren Frye speak at the Farm Futures Business Summit this past week and remember he mentioned a few helpful books to read, here's the list:

• The Leadership Challenge - by Kouzes & Posner
• Crucial Conversations & Crucial Confrontations - by Kerry Patterson (and others)
• QBQ (The Question Behind the Question) - by John G. Miller
• First, Break All the Rules - by Marcus Buckingham