Farm Management Consulting

At Janus Ag Finance, our mission is to provide loans to farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness owners at reasonable rates. Yet sometimes we determine that an operation cannot qualify for a traditional agri business loan.

High debt load, management problems, disease, adverse weather, marketing problems, uncooperative bankers, illness of a family member, and a host of other adversities sometimes place what should be a viable business at risk of failure. When we have to decline a loan, this may not be the end, but rather the beginning of our service to our client.

Unlike most lenders who simply say "No, we cannot give you a loan", and shut the door, at Janus we know that good people may have bad luck, and with proper financial planning and management can get back on the road to success.

Our Background

Bob Larson and Norm Peterson bring over fifty years of experience in solving difficult financial situations to your assistance. We have negotiated settlements with lenders, arranged for "hard money" loans, advised in bankruptcy planning, even provided hands on management for a variety of operations, ranging from a 25,000 head feedlot to a farm operation of 30 quarters of irrigated corn and soybean land. Bob has operated farms, ranches, and feedlots during his thirty year career in agriculture and currently owns a Nebraska corn operation. Norm approaches problems from the perspective of a banker, but with the interests of the borrowers topmost in mind.

The Approach

Our approach to an operation that is in dire financial trouble includes the following specific services.

1. In depth financial analysis of the operation, including a physical inspection of the property, to determine exactly why it cannot qualify for long term financing. This will include analysis of credit scores, public filings, current ratio, total debt service coverage ratio, debt asset ratio, property debt coverage ratio, historical and pro forma balance sheets, and historical and pro forma operating income analysis, together with a detailed explanation of how lenders use these ratios to determine loan eligibility. We will define minimum requirements for loan approval by the following major lenders: USDA FSA guaranteed loans, Farm Credit Services, Farmer Mac, and insurance companies and hard money lenders.

2. Consideration of short term "hard money" financing if this will be in the long term interests of the operation. If so we will provide the financing. In other cases we will negotiate settlements with creditors, often without a bankruptcy filing.

3. Development of a detailed financial plan to solve the problem with specific actions to stop negative cash flow quickly and develop a long term plan to qualify the operation for a low interest rate loan.

4. Ongoing evaluation of the plan and adjustment to changing circumstances over a period of months or even years.

5. When the operation qualifies for A paper financing, we will provide the loan.

Financial difficulties can paralyze any business and leave the owners frustrated, hopeless, and unable to make informed decisions. Our assistance will provide a long term plan and restore your confidence to succeed.

Janus Ag Finance will provide these services at an affordable price. If we cannot solve your problem, we will not charge any fee. If we do solve your problem, often the savings realized by implementing our plan will recoup the cost in a matter of weeks if not days.

Please Click Here to see resumes for Bob Larson and Norm Peterson.