In this episode of Ranchonomics, host John Haskell sits down with expert Bob Metzger to delve into the critical concept of opportunity cost in relation to both short-term and long-term investments. They explore the importance of factoring in interest payments when making financial decisions, as well as the power of compounding interest in maximizing returns. Metzger emphasizes that adopting a long-term mindset is essential for sustained success in ranching, cautioning against the allure of short-term gains that may lead to significant losses. The discussion also touches on the current “all-time-high” market, prompting insightful reflections on whether or not now is an opportune time to invest. This episode is packed with actionable insights that empower ranchers to align daily operations with strategic financial thinking, steering the business from chaos to clarity.

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In this episode, we cover:

• Opportunity cost as it relates to short term and long term investments
• Accounting for paying interest when evaluating the cost of a decision
• Considering compounding interest when evaluating return on investment
• Thoughts on the “all-time-high” cattle market and whether or not it's a good time to buy
• Examples of how short term mindsets may have big wins short term but will also have big losses
• How having a long-term mindset will win in the long term

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Know your numbers and win. Ranch Right is here to help with all of your financial needs. Click below to book a discovery call today.

Book a free discovery call

Dr. David Kohl again joins host John Haskell to discuss the importance of a management mindset in farming and ranching operations. They discuss why, as a non-financial factor, having a strong management mindset matters and some tools you can apply to improve the various aspects of your business. Dr. Kohl highlights the significance of having a written business plan, setting specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timely (SMART) goals, and regularly monitoring and adjusting plans based on changing conditions.

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In this episode, we cover:

• Why the cranium is the "sixth C" in addition to the traditional five (cash flow, character, collateral, conditions, and capacity)
• Effectiveness over efficiency and the concept of being a "five percenter"
• Practical steps to start creating a business plan
• The importance of transition planning and giving up control
• Monitoring business plans and adjusting them based on changing conditions
• Sensitivity analysis and risk management

Connect with Dr. David Kohl:

• Follow on LinkedIn

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Episode 57. Financial Metrics To Focus On with Dr. David Kohl
• Episode 56. Commonalities of Successful Farmers & Ranchers with Dr. David Kohl
• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Meet Right is here to help take your ranch meetings to the next level. From husband and wife teams to full time employees, everyone can benefit from getting your meetings right. Click below to buy the course now.

Meet Right

Dr. David Kohl is back on the podcast today to discuss key financial metrics for ranch operations. With his background in agriculture, finance, and entrepreneurship, Dr. Kohl shares why you should be paying attention to your net profit margin, debt coverage ratio, net operating income, working capital, operating expense revenue, and debt-to-asset ratio. Dr. Kohl and host John Haskell break down what these KPIs mean and what ratios and percentages to aim for. Dr. Kohl also emphasizes how, especially in agriculture, there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to these financial factors and the importance of understanding how they all work together to create balance.

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In this episode, we cover:

• Examples of non-financial factors that can impact credit
• What net profit margin is and what percentage to aspire to
• Breaking down debt coverage ratio, risk management, and net operating income
• The importance of knowing your working capital and aiming for at least 25%
• Operating expense revenue and debt-to-asset ratios
• Understanding how all of these KPIs work together to create balance and ensure overall financial health

Connect with Dr. David Kohl:

• Follow on LinkedIn

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Episode 56. Commonalities of Successful Farmers & Ranchers with Dr. David Kohl
• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

His Cavvy Foundation was established as a way to help families and individuals in the ranching community with serious medical issues. Click below to learn more, apply for assistance, or nominate a family in need.

His Cavvy Foundation

Virginia Tech academic Dr. David Kohl joins host John Haskell on the podcast today to discuss key factors and commonalities for successful farmers and ranchers. He emphasizes the importance of developing a monthly or quarterly cash flow plan, which he refers to as the REM factor (respond, execute, monitor), as well as regenerative practices for both resources and personal well-being. He highlights the significance of setting goals, introduces the 60-30-10 principle in finance, and the necessity of a risk management plan and community investment.

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In this episode, we cover:

• Dr. Kohl's extensive experience both in academia and running a 25-year-old cow-calf hay operation and dairy creamery
• Taking ownership of numbers, developing a cash flow plan, and understanding the operational plan
• The dangers of lifestyle creep and the importance of allocating time and resources effectively
• The need for age-friendly livestock systems and prioritizing mental, physical, and spiritual health
• The importance of having a risk management plan, including crop and livestock insurance, and investing back into the community

Connect with Dr. David Kohl:

• Follow on LinkedIn

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Knowledge shared is knowledge gained. Join our friends at Ranching.FYI on their new ranching forums. Click below.

RFYI Forums

Dallas Mount returns to the podcast to discuss the trend of over-specialization in ranching, highlighting the challenges and pitfalls of diversifying too much, too quickly. Dallas and host John Haskell emphasize the importance of focusing on a few core businesses that operate at scale and are profitable when talking about management experience and competence. Dallas notes that businesses with one, two, or three profitable enterprises are more likely to be successful.

They also discuss the tendency to overestimate revenue and underestimate the costs of new enterprises, as well as the value of community cooperation and interdependence over self-reliance, advocating for strategic partnerships over independent expansion.

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In this episode, we cover:

• The current trend of diversification vs. specialization
• How many enterprises are too many, and the challenges of managing a diverse business
• The concept of "profit envy"
• Considerations for starting a new enterprise, including the scale and experience of the business

Connect with Dallas:

• Follow on Instagram @ranching4profit
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Check out his website
• Send him an email at dallas@ranchmanagement.com

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Helping ranchers to make better decisions faster. Check out our friends at Ranching.FYI by clicking the link below.

Ranching.FYI

John Haskell welcomes Dallas Mount back to the podcast to discuss how to think about the future while ignoring the past. Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation we don't want to be in, and we want to reset and start over. Dallas walks us through an exercise he covered in a recent presentation to help us reconsider all of our assets on paper.

He shares how to reevaluate and optimize assets on family ranches, emphasizing the importance of listing and valuing significant assets, such as livestock and machinery, and then considering their market value. The exercise involves imagining the business with this capital as cash and deciding how to reinvest it for better business outcomes. They also highlight the importance of striking a balance between profitability and employee satisfaction, as well as the potential pitfalls of holding onto unnecessary assets.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• A walkthrough of Dallas's exercise to reevaluate assets and deploy capital
• Breaking out of the legacy trap and starting from scratch on paper
• Economic considerations of equipment ownership
• Potential pitfalls of this exercise and applying it in different situations

Connect with Dallas:

• Follow on Instagram @ranching4profit
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Check out his website
• Send him an email at dallas@ranchmanagement.com

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Know your numbers and win. Ranch Right is here to help with all of your financial needs. Click below to book a discovery call today.

Book a free discovery call

Host John Haskell welcomes back Stan and Eileen from Ramstead Ranch in part 2 of their conversation, discussing business processes and the operational improvements that have doubled their team's efficiency. They share the simple yet effective changes they implemented that led to a significant increase in package volume while maintaining error-free operations. The Ramsteads also emphasize the importance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), continuous improvement, and the positive impact the increased efficiency has had on their personal lives.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• Examples of specific changes their team implemented to double the work in half the time
• The impact getting their fulfillment team back on a reasonable schedule had on Stan and Eileen as business owners
• SOPs and continuously looking at the system for areas of improvement
• The importance of letting go of control and returning to basics when you get off track

Connect with Ramstead Ranch:

• Follow on Instagram @ramsteadranch
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Check out the website

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Episode 52. Business Processes with the Ramsteads, Part 1
• The Toyota Way
• Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
• NUMMI - This American Life
• Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit

Stan and Eileen from Ramstead Ranch in Washington State sit down with host John Haskell to discuss the challenges of scaling a direct-to-consumer business, particularly in fulfillment.

In part 1 of this conversation, they share how, after doubling their budget for paid advertising, they increased sales from $600,000 to $1.2 million within a year, leading to a fulfillment bottleneck. Faced with team members struggling to keep up with orders, they implemented Scrum, an agile operating system, to streamline their processes. This led to a significant reduction in work hours while maintaining an increased order volume, demonstrating the effectiveness of Scrum in improving efficiency and team collaboration.

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, we cover:

• The impact of paid advertising and the significant fulfillment challenge it created
• Shifting and improving their fulfillment process to keep up with increased sales
• Introducing the Scrum system to their C-Suite and fulfillment center
• How Scrum has affected their efficiency and ensures continuous improvement

Connect with Ramstead Ranch:

• Follow on Instagram @ramsteadranch
• Follow on Facebook
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Check out the website

Connect with Ranch Right:

• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow on Instagram @ranchrightllc
• Follow on Facebook
• Check out the website

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Scrum
• Book a Free Discovery Call to Learn More
• Ranching for Profit
• Ranching.FYI
• Wally Olson, Olson Ranch LLC

Mentioned in this episode:

His Cavvy Foundation was established as a way to help families and individuals in the ranching community with serious medical issues. Click below to learn more, apply for assistance, or nominate a family in need.

His Cavvy Foundation