Published on 2026-03-06 by gthillen
We are proud to see the Southwest Minnesota Farm Business Management Association and the U of M’s Garen Paulson recently featured in the Marshall Independent!
In a deep dive into the latest FINBIN data, Paulson challenged a long-standing industry theory: Does increasing your acreage automatically lead to better profit margins? According to the data from the southern third of Minnesota, the answer isn't as simple as "get bigger."
Key Takeaways from the Feature:
Efficiency vs. Scale: Data shows that production costs for a bushel of corn remain remarkably steady across all farm sizes, especially during tight-margin years.
The "Better is Better" Rule: The highest-profit farms aren't necessarily the largest; they are the ones that master cost control, marketing, and consistent yields.
- Input Trends: While larger operations may see advantages in machinery costs, those are often offset by higher per-bushel costs for rent, labor, and operating interest.
As Garen puts it, "I think we need to look at improving our efficiency before we can get bigger."
Want to know how your operation stacks up? The Southwest MN Farm Business Management Association has been helping producers find these exact answers since the 1930s through confidential benchmarking and expert analysis.
[Read the full story here] Marshall Independent