ASFMRA AAC case studies
ASFMRA AAC · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Accredited Agricultural Consultant (AAC) designation is awarded by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) to rural professionals who advise farm and agribusiness clients on finance, business structure, personnel management, succession planning, and operational issues. AACs serve investors, non-operating landowners, farmers, and professional agribusinesses, and the designation signals training in premium consulting services delivered with honesty, fairness, and high ethical standards. The ASFMRA AAC case studies are 5 cases and about 1,670 words.
1The Yield Plateau on the Irrigated Quarter
A 160-acre center-pivot quarter in the High Plains has averaged 218 bu/acre corn over the last five years, against a county average of 224. The owner believes the pivot is underperforming and wants a recommendation on whether to invest $95,000 in variable-rate fertigation and soil-moisture sensors.
381 words, about 2 min2The Partial-Budget Request from a Lender
A regional lender asks you to prepare a projection for a 2,400-acre dryland wheat-fallow operation seeking a 600,000 operating loan. The borrower supplies three years of Schedule F data showing net farm income of 140,000, 310,000, and 85,000, driven mainly by wheat price swings.
337 words, about 2 min3The Neighbor Who Wants Your Working File
You complete a grazing-lease valuation for a ranch owner who is negotiating renewal with a tenant. The tenant, who is also a longtime acquaintance and a member of the same cattlemen's association, calls you after the report is delivered and asks you to send him your field notes, the comparable sales spreadsheet, and 'your thinking on the range condition adjustment.' He says the owner has already shown him the summary and he just wants to understand the analysis.
329 words, about 2 min4Choosing the Right Elective for a Water-Rights Assignment
An agricultural consulting firm has assigned you to advise a grower cooperative on the economics of transferring a portion of its irrigation water rights to a municipal buyer. You have strong crop-budget and farm-management credentials but no formal training in water law or water-market transactions.
297 words, about 1 min5The Report That Buried the Bad News
You deliver a 60-page feasibility report on a proposed 500-head beef finishing facility to a producer group. The executive summary emphasizes favorable feed-cost projections and a 14% projected return, but the sensitivity analysis on page 47 shows the project falls below break-even if feeder cattle prices rise more than 8% or if the planned lagoon permit is delayed beyond nine months.
326 words, about 2 min