Farm Business Resolutions for 2025

We asked past Top Producer award winners to share what’s new for them in the coming year. Here are some of the responses they shared with us:

“2025 is the year of artificial intelligence (AI) for Carroll Farms. It’s a top-down push for training and implementation. The ability of AI to automate processes, write contracts, prepare reports, perform HR functions, and analyze data is stunning. I think the world could look dramatically different in five years as AI moves into all areas of our lives and businesses. “
~John Carroll

“This year is about going back to the basics like when I first started farming in 2015 in the last margin squeeze. I’m giving my personal family living budget a solid look, diving headfirst into the farm cash flow, developing a marketing strategy, and sticking to it. We’re replacing the tropical vacation with a staycation to do projects around the homeplace to eliminate some repair and maintenance bills. And for the fitness center I own and operate after all the updates and changes made this summer, I am going to let it operate for a year before any other drastic things are done. The only thing new thing I am trying is adding my significant other to my health insurance policy.”

~Maggie Holub

“I have sat down with my last two years of profit/loss (P/L) statement and “scrubbed” every line item. I asked where/what are the reductions or cuts that could be made. Then, I made a list of any/all line items that need to be looked at more in depth. I then am looking into these expenses one by one to understand if it is a merited expense or an “extra” that can be reduced. If it doesn’t provide a defined ROI, it is definitely out!
Cash rents that do not have a flex bonus have been negotiated and (thankfully) reduced appropriately. This is a reflection of a continual dialog year around about their farm and all-encompassing topics like profitability.

We have a continuous dialogue throughout the year with our lender(s) as to how we are doing business. Sharing these things listed above really helps the relationship and their confidence in our operation.”

~Dave Nelson

“I’m trying four new and/or different things for 2025.

Beef: We are moving to a fall calving schedule for our beef cattle. We have typically had spring and early summer calves. We are shifting to this schedule so that we can AI more efficiently and have better management of the schedule.

Labor: We are shifting our mindset on labor. We are re-evaluating how to structure part-time and seasonal workers to be most beneficial to both parties. We want the employee to receive maximum benefit for their time and talents as well as running our operation as efficiently as possible.

Advocacy: I am putting more focus on our media and promotion of agriculture and our farm operation. It has been somewhat of a passive project. I am working on making it deliberate and intentional this year. Promoting agriculture and educating the public is a great passion of mine.

Marketing Diversity: We are exploring new ways to connect with customers locally with the ear corn and freezer beef businesses. We continue to load containers for export and are looking at future marketing diversity in that entity as well.”

~Marcia Ruff

“At Splitter Farms, we are looking at 2025 as a reset year and getting back to firm foundations. We’re planning to focus on employee retention and development as well as improved landlord relationships, including consistent communication with them throughout the entire year. We are also scheduling in time for data analysis; we do a great job of data collection and we’d like to make analysis a priority again.”
~Matt and Janna Splitter

Read even more farmer New Years’ resolutions here.