About NEXT STEP AG CONSULTING, LLC
Your Trusted Partner in Agricultural and Business Success
About Me
At Next Step Ag Consulting LLC, I bring over 40 years of hands-on experience in agricultural and business management to help farm families and rural enterprises achieve their goals. I understand the complexities and challenges of running a business in today’s competitive agricultural landscape because I’ve lived it. My passion lies in guiding clients through financial clarity, strategic planning, and operational improvements to ensure lasting success.
FARM CREDIT BACKGROUND
After graduating from college, I worked for Farm Credit in the Northeast for over 20 years. I held positions of loan officer, senior loan officer, tax preparation, and farm business consultant. I worked in Connecticut and most of New York State with numerous farm business’s and families.
I conducted training seminars for Farm Credit employees and for farms. I facilitated the Northeast Dairy Benchmark Program for several years plus was part of the team coordinating the Large Dairy Farm Benchmark Program.
My Farm Credit consulting work covered a broad range including business financial management, business profitability analysis, expansion planning, income and estate tax planning, farm transfers, and labor management.
RL JEFFRES BACKGROUND
I functioned as the chief financial officer (CFO) for a diversified family business with several business entities for over 15 years. The primary business is a large diversified farm raising dairy forages, grains, vegetables, and organic crops. Other business operations include:
- Custom field work
- Harvest green peas
- Trucking
- Food waste handling
- Custom manure spreading
- Lime sales
- Irrigation equipment sales
- Heifer boarding
- Seed, fertilizer, and chemical sales
- Restaurant & bar
- Wedding venue
While at RL Jeffres I had the unique opportunity to assist with negotiations to both buy and sell several businesses. I can now say it is much easier to start up a business than it is to sell or discontinue a business! Having clean records and knowing your true earnings makes determining business value so much easier.
Working at RL Jeffres provided me with hands on experience with:
- Managing multiple entities and the related office functions
- All aspects of HR functions with a large number of full time, part time, and H2A workers.
- Grain and organic crop marketing
- Crop insurance
- Custom manure spreading, cafo rules, food waste management
- Strategic planning and all sorts of analysis skills
- Risk management experience in several different areas
- Ongoing, detailed estate planning and business transfer succession planning
- Working with multiple generations and helping mentor the next generation
I know what it is like to balance keeping the business moving in the right direction while trying to keep the wheels all turning in the right direction. I have lived it and know how challenging this can be.
FARM BUSINESS CONSULTING
While working at Jeffres, I have maintained a close working relationship with a couple of farms. One is a dairy where I assist with financial budgeting and monitoring, strategic planning, and participate in team meetings with the vet and nutritionist. Another is a cash crop and vegetable farm doing value added processing. Here I function as a part time CFO, help assist the office and maintain several costing models I built over the years. Lastly, I maintain an ongoing relationship with RL Jeffres helping mentor Kristi Jeffres as she takes over my former business role.
WHY CHOOSE ME
I know firsthand what it takes to manage a successful operation, balancing compliance, profitability, and day-to-day challenges. My approach is collaborative, focusing on teamwork with your family, accountant, attorney, and other advisors to create well-rounded strategies tailored to your business.
If you’re ready to take the next step in growing your business, I’m here to guide you with the knowledge, experience, and dedication you need.