Stalk Talk – January 7th

2025 Profitability – January 7th

Let’s start off the new year by talking about exactly what every farmer reading this is thinking about, 2025 Profitability – or the lack thereof. 

The truth is, it’s really a simple problem to solve, there is a path to profitability in 2025, it just takes you. You have to decide to create a plan that will solve the problems of each field on your farm. You have to decide to execute the plan, make adjustments along the way, and continue to drive on toward the goals you have set. Then, at the end of the season you have to gather the results, the consultants, and the suppliers you partnered with along the way and de-brief in order to implement and improve the plan for next year.

The problem is 90% of you won’t do it. 90% of growers won’t create a clear written field by field plan of what they plan to do, when they plan to do it, and what it is going to cost. 90% of growers won’t execute a plan because they don’t have one. 90% of growers won’t take the time to analyze the data, and debrief the results of the year in order to implement and improve their plan for next year. Because 90% of growers are struck with the age old “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality. 

And why are 90% stuck in that mentality, because 90% of growers still believe that the weather controls 100% of the outcome of the crop, and they are simply wrong.

Let’s face it though, weather has a significant impact on the outcome of a crop. As recently as 2022 a group of researchers released a study underpinning the effects of climate on corn yields to 48%: read more here:  https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2113629119. This study also concluded that 39% of yield potential was due to “agronomic improvements” and 13% of yield was from genetics, the infamous “G” in G * M * E = Yield equation. Right there you have it ladies and gentlemen, 52% of a crop’s yield is controlled by decisions that you and I make, not by the weather!

So it’s time to stop procrastinating, and start planning for your farms 2025 profitability, by capturing every bushel of yield you can through agronomic improvements on your farm.

So what can you do about it? Decide to create, execute, and debrief your plan for profitability in 2025. My commitment to you is if you decide to create a plan, I’ll help you do it, but don’t delay, my calendar is filling up, I only have enough time to work with a few more growers to create their Max Yield System plan for 2025 profitability.

-Matt Long