By Zachary Fore, Northwest MN Extension Cropping Systems Specialist

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Prairie Grains is the official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat, Inc., and the Minnesota Barley Growers Association.

First, look at the entire farming operation. Use all the information available. To the best of your ability, identify the number one factor most limiting to profitability in 1998. You will likely come up with major categories here, such as low prices or poor production, for example.

Next, ask "What can I do about it? Is it manageable?" You can’t change commodity prices, but did you market your commodities as effectively as you would like? Could you change what you grow to take advantage of better prices for other products? If production was poor, ask why, and what can you do about it. Production may be poor because it was too wet. You can’t change the weather, but maybe you can make changes to reduce the effects of bad weather; drainage, for example.

Look at each field. Prioritize the improvements you could make to have the best overall impact on the farming operation.

The results of this exercise should be a Prioritized Management Plan with this general outline:

I. Top most limiting manageable factor to profitability
A. What am I going to do about it?
B. When am I going to do it?
C. How am I going to get it done – what is the plan?
D. Who do I need help from?

II. Second most limiting manageable factor to profitability
A. What am I going to do about it?
B. When am I going to do it?
C. How am I going to get it done – what is the plan?
D. Who do I need help from?

List as many factors as you may be able to deal with before the next cropping season. It may be one or it may be several. What is important is that the list is prioritized – work on the biggest manageable problems first. Think, analyze, and write it down. It’s no secret that when you write something down, you are much more likely to do it.

Fore works with the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council and other crop commodity groups to help develop alternative cropping systems, under the "Sustaining Minnesota’s natural resource-based industries" Initiative. Funded by the Minnesota Legislature, the Initiative is a joint effort of the University of Minnesota’s College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, the College of Natural Resources, and the Extension Service.

He will discuss "Building More Profitable Cropping Systems," at 10 a.m. on February 9, at the 1999 Potato and Small Grain Expo at the Fargodome.