Small Producers

Small Producers

This article is a follow up to last week’s “Business or Hobby” article. It was first shared in January of 2022 in response to a question I had been asked by a relatively new subscriber in Arkansas. He asked, “What would be your recommendations for a small...
Small Producers

Business or Hobby

When most people think of cattle ranches, they think of wide-open spaces in the arid west where several hundred cows have thousands of acres to roam about. Those ranches exist – but they are not the norm. They probably never were the norm. The size of the average...
Small Producers

Is Average Good Enough?

In commodity agriculture, average is breakeven at best. Below average producers are losing money. The only way they can stay in business is to subsidize the farm or ranch with outside income. At that point, the business becomes a hobby. Above average producers, on the...
Small Producers

Wasted Time

According to my cowboy calculations, I waste 30 to 40 hours every year waiting on hot water. In ten years, I can spend as much as 400 hours waiting on hot water. In addition to wasting time, I am wasting water. I guess I could use cold water – but I much prefer to...
Small Producers

Competitive Advantage

No matter what business you’re in, having a competitive advantage is a good thing. It is often the difference between mere survival and amazing success. There’s no reason you cannot have a competitive advantage – if you want one. Who wouldn’t want one? There are three...