Running a farm both on the field and in the office are two separate businesses

Running a successful farm takes a lot of hard work both in the fields and in the office.

Leaders at Hebert Grain Ventures tell aginfo.net that farmers should view their operations as separate businesses.

“You run two [businesses],” said Kristjan Hebert. “You run a farm operation, and you run a real estate business. Understand the numbers on both of those. It’s no different than, you know, Walmart sells stuff and they have a building. If you have a hotel, you need it to be full. So, is your farm profitable? Is your real estate operation profitable? Yes, they’re at different rates. Then, how much cash flow does your farm operation have, and how much equity does your real estate operation have? You need to know both of those numbers because your real estate equity allows you to buy land, and your cash flow from your farm allows you to pay for it.”

Hebert says knowing that information will make lending requests a lot smoother.

Related Stories
This year at CattleCon 2026, RFD Network’s Kirbe Schnoor caught up with Donna Emick from Pneu-Dart to get her perspective on why education, safety, and accountability matter in the field.
Nebraska’s largest wildfire on-record has burned 650,000 acres, with three other major fires also burning across the state, destroying pastureland and threatening cattle.
Producer input costs are rising faster than expected — and this latest PPI report does not reflect the last two weeks of geopolitical tension.
Acreage shifts could influence spring marketing decisions.
Corn and sorghum exports continue outperforming soybeans.
Expanding supplies are weighing on global coffee and cocoa prices.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Farm Bureau Economist Faith Parum discusses the latest Farm Bill proposal and the path ahead for Congress and U.S. agriculture.
The Ranger Road Fire spreads from the Oklahoma Panhandle into Kansas as high winds and red flag conditions persist
University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold discusses the ongoing measles outbreak in the United States and the importance of vaccination awareness on this week’s Rural Health Matters.
Federal aid helps, but producers will bear most of the losses. Balance sheets may look stable, but margins remain fragile without policy support.