In this Issue:

Greetings!      

Harvest has arrived to our corner of the world.  It could be better, but it also could be much worse. 

"Woulda, coulda, shoulda"--that's the perpetual second-guessing game with ag production and marketing especially with the "unfairly distributed" yields and extreme price variations this season. 

However, if you've based your risk management plan on accurate, internal historical and projected costs and margins then you'll be well on the way to running your farm as a sustainable business, rather than gambling that you'll "hit the jackpot" with extraordinary yields and/or prices.

• Risk management was just one of the topics at the 2012 FBS User Conference last month.  See and read some of the highlights in the article below as well as view presentations on our website.
   
• Hear how Dykhuis Farms manages risks by managing margins through Commodity and Ingredient Hedging (CIH).
   
• Our free weekly webinar covers a number of practical tips and processes in October.
   
• The Q&A of the Month answers questions regarding check and check stub formatting.  
   
• Is your farm management system stuck in a rut?  Take theManagement Proficiency Test at the Farm Management Software Blog. 

                                                                                      SDG

Launching the networking/dinner cruise.

"Awesome.  Great growth.  Very interactive." 

"This was a very informative seminar.  Being my first time attending I was pleased that the content offered was more detailed and covered a larger range of topics than I expected, which was great!" 

"The User Conference is a great place to exchange ideas and receive new ideas and information that can be implemented on the farm."   

User Conference participants.

 Our thanks to all the presenters and participants that made the 2012 FBS User Conference a memorable event with a record attendance.  

Here are some photos from the conference along with comments by participants. 

New User/Experienced User Forum.

 "I enjoyed knowing where everyone was coming from (new user/old user, operation type, etc.)"

David Ward, CIH , and Moe Russell, Russell Consulting Group.

 "Mr. Russell's presentation was an eye opener!  I really enjoyed his insight into upcoming challenges we may be facing.  His comments generated thought on future strategies that need to take place to prepare and succeed in upcoming years' market environment.  I really enjoyed this session." 

"Moe Russell is very interesting to listen to--he has a lot of very good knowledge." 

Jack Makowski, Conservis, demos field data collection.

"What a great idea!  I really enjoyed learning about this innovative product and how it will be used to create greater accuracy and generate a clean chain of information!  I would bet that in coming years we'll hear much more from this company!" 

"Seems to be a great product--great to see them so willing to be flexible and willing to integrate." 

Andrea Butterbaugh, Bryant Ag, "complex operation case study."

"What a great presentation.  It really generated thought on how our operation could benefit from some of the strategies used." 

"Great to hear what others are doing--I recommend always sharing a case study." 

"Very good illustration of how/why operations get complex and what challenges are created." 

Click here to view a short video of Andrea describing her background and FBS experiences. 

Relaxing on board the Mississippi dinner cruise.

The 2012 FBS User Conference is history, but you can view these presentations and more on the FBS Website and follow these recommendations to prepare for UC 2013: 

"If you want to learn more about using information as insight to run your business...you should go!" 

"It's a very informative seminar and a great way to familiarize yourself with some of the ways FBS will aid your ability to make an informed production decision."

"You'll be able to find something to take away and apply immediately."

October "One O'clock Webinars"

 We've moved our free Monday webinars to 1:00 pm Central Time.