There has been much discussion about the government checks to agriculture and possible future proposals for more funding. The first package was coined the “financial bridge program” targeted specifically toward commodities: row crop, grain, and some specialty crops. The question becomes: is this a temporary bridge so producers can revamp and critically think about their operations, or will it become the bridge to nowhere? That is, where passive management and expecting a magic wand from the government to solve all their problems leads to an unsustainable and unsuccessful business.

Moving to the other side of the economic ledger, diversified value-added agriculture and specifically most livestock segments are observing an opportune time. The question becomes: how long and how much?

Given this backdrop of agriculture in 2026, what are some of the critical elements that contribute to building a bridge with a solid foundation, regardless of the global geopolitical, military, and economic curveballs and competitive positions?

Ownership and Accountability of the Numbers

One of the top priorities observed, whether it was the challenging decade of the 1980s in agriculture or the great commodity super cycle earlier in this century during which we had record crop prices, is that ownership and accountability of the numbers is critical. Remember, the financial statements are not just for the bank. If utilized on a regular basis, the financial statements can elevate the level of management and place the odds of profitability in your favor regardless of the economic cycle.

A top priority in building the foundation of a viable bridge is a projected cash flow on a monthly or quarterly basis. This tool, if monitored, can guide you in making objective versus emotional decisions, whether you are using it to help with day-to-day decisions, major capital expenditures, or major management decisions.

Another key driver of success is an operational plan to support the cash flow. What are the production expenses, marketing plan, and the timing of income and expenses, along with debt servicing and family living cost needs that are required to calculate the cost of production, breakeven, and financial profit metrics?

The Guardrails

Every good bridge needs a set of guardrails for guidance, but also to avert possible disaster from going over the edge of the bridge. This is why financial sensitivity testing can be an invaluable step in establishing guardrails in the journey to the end goal. Critically thinking about the possibilities of production levels, price, and cost scenarios on spreadsheets is a tool for these times with extremes in volatility. The foundation in this process is to have tracking and written records of your specific business so that some assumptions can be made based on historical or projected results. Financial and business organization has never been more important to the success of the operation of a modern day business.

Financial Liquidity

The naysayer to the process we have just outlined will respond that some unexpected event or Murphy’s Law unravels the best of plans. Again, this can happen. However, if you are prepared and understand your financial liquidity, measured by working capital and cash, you are in a better position to block adversity and take advantage of opportunities.

When profitable, a deliberate plan to build working capital while growing the business in efficiency and size, along with an income tax management plan, is a delicate balance. In difficult economic times, the refinance of operating debt by the lender can provide a temporary liquidity backup guardrail. Then, a written plan to preserve working capital and move toward profitability is a high priority on the journey across the bridge.

Marketing and Risk Assessment

An emerging trend amongst progressive management mindset producers is a marketing and risk management program. A recent assessment of participants at The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP) at Texas A&M University representing 24 states, six Canadian provinces, and Australia found that 94 percent had a risk management plan. Crop and livestock insurance and other programs to mitigate risk and loss of profits, financial liquidity, and equity were also mentioned in the assessment.

Surprisingly, two-thirds had in place some kind of marketing program that was monitored and executed. Nearly half engaged an outside advisory service to provide guidance on the journey across the bridge.

Communications

Any journey across the business and life bridge requires open communication. This is where sound financial and business records that are regularly used in decision-making can establish a business culture of success. Lenders,  suppliers, stakeholders, family members, and partners must work collaboratively. The supporting documents and management practices that bend but do not break can be critical for the bridge of business and life success.