Extension Agribusiness Blog

Tough Topic Tuesday: Burnout

Posted on by Ben Boyles

Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent

We are less than 50 days into 2026, and you may feel like it’s been at least twice that long. The weather has been wild, market news has not been particularly favorable, and data centers are trying to pop up like Dollar Generals. Right now, you may be feeling a mix of anxiety and motivation for this new growing season. We have entered the months when winter plans start to be put into action. Soon enough, we will be in full swing, when there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day, and something is always breaking down. So, how do we enter this growing season with positive motivation and the intention of avoiding burnout?

Step one is understanding what burnout is and is not. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. It is not stress or feeling overwhelmed.

You may be asking yourself, “How is burnout not stress if it is brought on by prolonged or repeated stress?” Stress can be labeled as good or bad- it is simply your body’s response to everyday pressures. Repeated and prolonged stress that is not good, exciting, or motivating leads to burnout.

This graph shows the correlation between performance and stress levels. Some stress can grab our attention and motivate us to our peak performance levels; additional stress added on can lead to anxiety, anger, and/or panic, which leads to burnout if not addressed.
This graph shows the correlation between performance and stress levels. Some stress can grab our attention and motivate us to our peak performance levels; additional stress added on can lead to anxiety, anger, and/or panic, which leads to burnout if not addressed.

Step two is recognizing when you have reached the point of burnout. Someone who is burned out can be characterized by physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.

If you are wondering how close you are to burnout, you can take a quick assessment at https://kandiwiens.com/burnout-quiz/

Step three is making adjustments to avoid or resolve burnout. Managing stress is the key. Setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, practicing mindfulness and relaxation, and seeking support are four key individual strategies to managing stress. Adaptations of these strategies will vary from individual to individual. SC AgriWellness is a free service for South Carolina Farm Families. If you are feeling burned out or consistently dealing with overwhelm and stress, SC AgriWellness is a resource available to you. Visit Farm Stress Management to learn more.

To start this season on the best foot forward and with a plan to reduce stress, consider these questions.

  1. What caused the most stress last season?
    1. If it were something you could control, like time management or record-keeping, what can you put in place now to relieve that stress?
    2. If it were beyond your control, such as drought or hurricanes, have you considered insurance options and production practices to mitigate the impacts?
  2. Are you organized for this season?
    1. Record-keeping system in place.
    2. Seed and inputs already in hand or ordered.
    3. Inventory is up to date.
    4. Planting dates are roughly scheduled.
    5.  A marketing plan is in place, and any contracts have been signed.
    6. Labor is lined up.
    7. Equipment has been serviced.
  3. What are your work-life balance non-negotiables?
    1. Make sure any important dates (weddings, sporting events, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) are clearly on every calendar.
    2. Maintain social interactions off the farm. They give you a break and some distance that can provide perspective.
    3. Prioritize any religious services you attend.
    4. Enjoy your morning coffee or tea, take small breaks and moments throughout the week.

Following the mission, vision, values and goals of your operation will help keep you grounded throughout the season. Give yourself grace for the things you cannot control that may shift scheduling or outcomes. When overwhelm or stress becomes consistent, take a break. Not only does efficiency go out the window when you reach burnout, but the risk of farm accidents increases. Take care of yourself this season so you can best care for your crops, land, and livestock.

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2025 SC Livestock Market Summary – 4th Quarter

Posted on by Ben Boyles
SC Livestock Market Summary Graphic

The fourth quarter of 2025 brought changes to both the national beef cattle markets and the South Carolina auction market. In mid-October, the feeder cattle futures price fell sharply, disrupting the steady increase in prices seen since summer 2024. This reflects changes to beef cattle markets more broadly.

For South Carolina auctions, feeder steer and heifer prices experienced moderate declines in Q4. Comparing average prices in October compared to December, steer prices fell $17 for 4-weights, $12 for 5-weights, and $34 for 6-weights. Average prices for heifers over the period fell $10 for 4-weights, $11 for 5-weights, and $5 for 6-weights. Read the full market summary report.

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Jeff Wilson Named 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year

Posted on by Ben Boyles
Jeff Wilson Photo
Jeff Wilson

The Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team congratulates Jeff Wilson of Cotton Hills Farm on being named the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year. Jeff was nominated by Clemson Extension Agribusiness Program Team Director Dr. Adam Kantrovich and Ben Boyles, Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent, in recognition of his outstanding leadership, innovation, and long-standing commitment to South Carolina agriculture.

This honor recognizes farmers who exemplify excellence in production agriculture, conservation, business management, and community leadership. Jeff’s selection places him among an elite group of producers who shape the future of agriculture in the Palmetto State and beyond.

Cotton Hills Farm, a fifth-generation family operation in Lowrys, South Carolina, encompasses approximately 1,000 acres of diversified production including row crops, produce, and cut flowers. The Wilson family has built a farm business rooted in diversification, sustainability, and direct-to-consumer engagement, creating a model that is both economically resilient and deeply connected to the community. Their on-farm market, u-pick operations, and agritourism enterprises have become a cornerstone of local food access in their region.

“Jeff has a remarkable ability to innovate while staying deeply rooted in the traditions that make family farms successful,” said Ben Boyles, Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent. “His sons work directly alongside him on the farm, and seeing his grandchildren already eager to be involved speaks volumes about the culture they’ve built. Cotton Hills Farm is truly a multi-generational operation in every sense of the word.”

In addition to on-farm innovation, Jeff is widely respected for his willingness to mentor other producers, share knowledge, and serve as a leader within South Carolina’s agricultural community. His dedication to conservation reflects a deep respect for natural resources, while his business diversification demonstrates the entrepreneurial mindset needed for long-term farm success.

For Clemson Extension, recognizing producers like Jeff Wilson reflects the heart of our mission, supporting farmers who are adaptable, forward-thinking, and deeply invested in their communities. His operation serves as a powerful example for new and beginning farmers across the state who are seeking to build profitable, sustainable, and values-driven farm businesses.

Jeff’s selection as the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year is a well-earned honor and a proud moment for the Lowrys community and South Carolina agriculture as a whole.

You can learn more about the Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year Program here.

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2025 SC Livestock Market Summary – 3rd Quarter

Posted on by Ben Boyles

Strong prices for steers and heifers continued into Q3 for 2025. Average prices for both steers and heifers across 4-, 5-, and 6-weights gained $29/cwt over the quarter. Across all steer weights and for 4-weight and 5-weight heifers, prices over the last three months averaged over $300/cwt. Prices observed this quarter continue to mark a substantial increase over 2024 prices in Q3 with on average prices $86/cwt higher across both steers and heifers for all weight classes. More substantial increases were seen for lighter-weight animals and steers. Read the full report below:

2025 Q3 LMSDownload
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Benefits of Using Social Media Marketing for Your Agribusiness

Posted on by Ben Boyles

Written by Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness Agent
Edited by Ben Boyles, Area Agribusiness Agent

To say there are forever-growing ways to get your agribusiness in front of more and more people would be an understatement. From word of mouth to a website, and now, social media. When we say social media, we aren’t only talking about viral videos of people dancing. We are also talking about the countless agribusinesses that have used various social media platforms to grow awareness of their agribusinesses and promote sales and their products and services, all through social media marketing!

So, what exactly is social media marketing? Social media marketing is a digital form of marketing that allows you to use social media platforms to enhance your branding and marketing strategies.

Social media marketing can be beneficial in numerous ways:

Creating Your Voice

With social media marketing, you can share your story more widely. You can share exactly why you do what you do with your customers and potential customers. All while standing behind your core values and creating a unique factor. You can share your goals with your community and let them help you achieve them!

Think of creating your own voice through posts. However, you can also create your voice by sharing your mission, vision, and core values in different ways. One example would be to share the beginning stages of a product and incorporate why that drives your purpose or mission. This could be a post that showcases your mission while still showing your product.

Making Connections

While you are creating your own voice with social media marketing, you can also make connections. There are endless possibilities, whether you are connecting with new customers or strengthening connections with existing customers.

But customers aren’t the only connections up for grabs with social media marketing. It can also be beneficial to make connections and network with other agribusinesses. When considering your connections with other agribusinesses, ask yourself, “How can we help each other?” Not every agribusiness out there is your competition. In fact, many agribusinesses surrounding you could work alongside you, and you could promote each other and gain a whole new set of potential customers.

One example might be to partner with another agribusiness. Maybe they have a product/ service that complements yours. By working together, you can make that connection and connect with more customers by collaborating.

Promoting Your Agribusiness

This strategy may be obvious, but the most direct benefit of social media marketing is promoting your agribusiness. Every agribusiness will have many different goals with social media, but they should all lead back to sales. Think of social media as a direct marketing channel to promote and sell your products at any time of the day. Nobody should be able to go on your social media platforms without seeing how to buy your products, whether leading people to your website to showcase your products or having a pinned post where people can purchase your products each week.

Another way to promote your products might be by showcasing them in cooking videos or recipes. Not every promotion has to be a direct link to your product/ service.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of using social media as a marketing tool. Understanding your audience, knowing when and what to post, and analyzing your post performance are all part of the next steps as you begin marketing your agribusiness on social media.

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Having Difficult Conversations on the Farm

Posted on by Ben Boyles

Written by Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness Agent
Edited by Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent

There are countless times on and off the farm that we have avoided having a conversation. Maybe you thought the repercussions of the conversation weren’t worth it, or you didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. No matter the reason, everyone is still in the same boat of putting off a crucial conversation. Many farms are family ran or made up of employees who are like family, and it can be difficult to have hard conversations with these individuals. It’s not impossible, and we are going to discuss some ways to ease the anticipation of these conversations and how to make these difficult conversations something that doesn’t seem so scary. It’s important to remember that in a business setting, your business should be set as the priority. When we mix family and business, determining which has priority can make a difficult conversation even harder. One of the first difficult conversations you may have is deciding to run your family farm business as a business first, and not a family farm.

First, you want to understand the why behind the conversation. Sometimes we don’t take the time to think about what to say, turning the conversation hostile quickly. Understand why you are bringing up this conversation. Do you have an employee who is always late? Ask yourself why this is an issue, if you have addressed the issue in the past, and what your farm’s policy is for being late. All these are valid questions to ask yourself. You may not have a written late policy, but you have expressed your concerns multiple times. Be prepared to explain this.

Or maybe you aren’t the farm owner, but you’re one of the children who has responsibility and is ready to take on more in preparation for transitioning the farm. If this conversation hasn’t started yet, it can be challenging to bring up, but understand your why and be prepared to explain.

The biggest thing to remember when explaining why is not to place blame or anger on the individual. Try avoiding using “I” statements as they can become defensive and unintentionally place blame. For example, you sit down with your employee who is always late and say,” You are always late, and I feel like you aren’t taking your job seriously.” The first thing your employee is likely to do is lash out or go into a shell because you just told them they don’t take their job seriously. If we have not addressed the issue yet, it can be easy to make these assumptions and cause conflict. Instead, consider approaching the conversation by checking on them: ” I’ve noticed you have been late a lot recently, and I wanted to check and make sure everything is okay.” Or maybe this is not the first time having the conversation, so consider making clear expectations. If you need to have the conversation again, you have a clear why.

The next thing to consider is where you are having the difficult conversation. A popular farm-related saying you may have heard is to take the conversation away from the dining room table. This goes back to running your farm as a business first operation. Having difficult conversations at the dining room table or sitting in the living room can easily take away the business-first approach, making difficult conversations sticky. Go back to the why of your conversation to figure out where to have your conversation. Maybe it is a finance-related issue. If so, consider setting up a time to meet with your financial advisor/ consultant. Let them be the middleman who has the facts and can help walk you through the conversation. If this isn’t a family conversation, remember to have the conversation with your employee in an appropriate setting. Walking down a hallway or having a conversation in front of five other people is not where you should be doing it. Instead, set up a meeting in your office so your employees understand the importance of the conversation and that everyone’s expectations are understood from the beginning.

The next thing you want to do to ease difficult conversations is to ensure everyone’s roles are clearly defined. We touched on this briefly in our examples, but making sure everyone understands their responsibilities and expectations can change the outcome or even the need for certain conversations. This includes everything from extremely detailed role descriptions to a policy manual for everyone working on the farm. The easiest thing you can do is to expect no one to know what you expect without it being in writing. What is considered late? To some people, it may not be late until five minutes after you clock in. Others may expect you to be settled and do a task by clock-in time. You can’t expect someone to know this without telling them. If your operation is family only, it is still crucial to have clearly defined roles and have in writing what is expected from each family member.

Lastly, it is crucial to understand the personalities of the individuals involved in your operation. It’s easy to say we know our families’ personalities, but do you understand how they react in different situations? Knowing this information can easily change the direction of a difficult conversation. By knowing this, you can prepare the conversation for them specifically. There are many different personality tests available. Many are free of charge, and there are some with more details for which you can pay a fee. If you have employees, consider making the assessment a part of the onboarding process. For employees/ family who have been a part of the operation for a while, make some time for everyone to take the assessment so they can better understand themselves, and you can better understand them as well. And don’t forget to take the assessment yourself. You can learn a lot about yourself and your leadership style.

Now, considering all of this, the last thing to do is have the conversation. No matter if you have the conversation two days or two weeks from now, it is still going to be difficult. Crucial conversations are going to be hard, but that doesn’t mean there will be conflict or that they are negative. Being prepared for the conversation by considering the ideas above (and more) could help ease the difficult conversation and lessen the possibility of unnecessary conflict.

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Preparing For the Unexpected

Posted on by Ben Boyles

Written by Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness Agent
Edited by Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent

Storm

Every day in life, something happens that we didn’t expect. Sometimes these are small, minuscule things that we might not even recognize, and at other times, those unexpected events turn our world upside down and change the course of our lives. We never know when these events will happen, and we can never be fully prepared to handle these situations. But we can take extra measures to help prepare for the unexpected. As an agribusiness owner, you must account for all your business details on top of your personal information. While nobody wants to think of events happening that anyone would need to know all this information, I urge you to focus on your family instead. If you are in a situation where you can’t tend to your business, focus on your family instead of the idea of the events that could take place. Think of how your family will pick up the pieces. Consider valuable information that can ease the burden for your family.

We are going to break this information into two categories. We have personal information and farm information. Let’s start by looking at what personal information you should have documented and stored in a safe place if someone needs to access it in an emergency.

Basic Personal Information:

First, think of the basics. Your birthday, social security number, personal phone numbers, address(es), driver’s license information, church affiliation, etc. It would be beneficial to include the same information for your spouse. Also include basic information for your children, such as names, numbers, and addresses. We also want to include usernames and passwords to social media accounts, which include emails and Dropbox.

Personal Bills/ Contacts:

Next, we want to think about bills and contacts. Include a list of all your bills in your name and any login information to access more details. An example would be insurance. If necessary, include the name, contact, policy number, and login information. Also, list finances such as bank account(s) information, credit cards, and investments.

Personal Documents:

We want to compile personal documents such as your birth certificate, marriage certificate, social security card, power of attorney documentation, and wills/ trusts—financial statements, vehicle titles, etc. There is a very good chance that you already have these documents in a safe and secure place. There is no need to move them or make additional copies, but you can list the location where they are stored and any passwords needed to access them.

Personal Assets:

We should also include assets and anything of extreme value to you/ and or your family. This can include things like homes, land, vehicles, jewelry, antiques, and more. You should include where the asset is located, the title, value, and any other pieces of information that might be useful.

Medical Information:

Lastly, we will include medical information such as your current medication, allergies, pharmacy, and any doctors you visit.

This might seem like a lot of personal information to gather, but remember, you already have most of this information somewhere, and including your personal information in your files might help in a situation you can’t.

Now, we are going to prepare information for the farm. First, you should have your business structure information, such as your agribusiness name, what structure you operate under, tax ID information, and any other owner(s) information. Make sure you include all businesses you have ownership of.

Farm Finances:

Next, we want to include our farm finances. This would consist of any lines of credit you have, insurance policies, loans/ mortgages, and bills paid through the farm.

Farm Documents:

This is where a lot of information will be stored. First, we can look at financial documents such as accounts receivable and payable, tax returns, balance sheets, income statements, etc. If this information is overbearing for this section, you can always add it under farm finances. Next, we should include documents such as contracts and leases, including conservation contracts, grain contracts, machinery lease agreements, and even your pesticide license or any other certifications you keep for your farm. Lastly, we want to consider property documents, including a map of the farm with everything labeled, repair manuals, and keys (properly labeled). Consider including other documentation crucial to running and/ or managing your farm.

Farm Contacts:

Now, we can move on to farm contracts. This section should include anyone who helps keep your farm running daily, monthly, or yearly. Everyone from your loan officers, financial advisor, government agencies you work with, and specific vendor contacts. Having these contacts on hand can make a significant difference for someone who has never worked directly with them.

Farm Inventory:

Next, we need a list of all the inventory on the farm, including equipment, machinery, buildings, animal/ grain inventory and all other assets. Include item description, model number, purchase price, year purchased, ownership value, and where it is located. Like much other information we are compiling in this file, it is probably already stored elsewhere. If it is more convenient, you can find the information instead of relisting it.

Tasks and Duties:

Lastly, list tasks that must be done for your farm to continue running. When adding these tasks, list what they are, when they are done, who usually does them, and where (if more information is needed).

There is always more to consider, such as employees and unique things that keep your farm running. Ideally, we want to update this information when anything changes. At the least, the information should be checked thoroughly and updated every six months to a year if there are no major changes.

It is best to keep all this information in a space that is easiest and most accessible to keep updated. One beneficial resource is Purdue University’s Code Red Excel file: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/extension/wia/codered.html. The Excel file contains tabs to include everything listed above and then more. With this Excel, you can also make it password protected. Always give a copy to your spouse, lawyer, or someone you trust, and leave a copy in a lock box.

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2025 SC Livestock Market Summary – 1st Quarter

Posted on by Ben Boyles

Steer and heifer prices continue to climb higher in 2025 with all steer weight classes breaking$300/cwt in at least one week over the last quarter. Average prices for the quarter were$324.95 for 4-weights, $283.04/cwt for 5-weights, and 262.00/cwt for 6-weights. Heifer prices also climbed higher with all weight classes reporting over $215/cwt every week. Prices for 4-weight steers saw the greatest change in prices over the period with one week closing at$257.26/cwt and finishing at the end of March at $351.19/cwt, a difference of $93.93. Prices for 4-weight heifers and 6-weight steers also saw large swings in prices with differences between highest and lowest priced weeks of $62.21 and $59.74, respectively.

Thankfully, and as expected, steer and heifer basis stayed relatively steady through Q1. Lighter steers showed more positive basis this year compared to last with an average basis for the quarter of $51.46/cwt for the 4-weight steers. Heavier weight steers showed a less favorable basis compared to last year with the 5-weights showing $9.55/cwt compared to $38.23/cwt in2024. Compared to last year, heifer basis showed signs of strengthening in early March where as this year, only in the last couple weeks of the quarter was any notable increases in basis observed.

Read full report below:

2025 Q1 LMSDownload
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2024 Q4 SC Livestock Market Summary

Posted on by Ben Boyles

As 2024 comes to a close, feeder prices remain high, with steer prices across all weight classes above $200/cwt. Feeder heifer prices also remain strong with 4-weight heifers maintaining prices above $200/cwt. Both feeder steers and heifers saw price increases in the last 6 weeks of 2024 to end the year on a high note. All feeder price series ended 2024 at a higher price than observed at the start of January 2024.

As steer prices rose over the month of December, the basis also strengthened with a positive basis for 4-weight steers recorded starting in mid-November. Basis for 4-weight steers averaged$4.17/cwt in Q4, an increase of $13.58/cwt from Q4 basis in 2023. Basis for other steer weight classes did not fare as well with an average basis of -$12.94 for 5-weights and -$29.22 for 6-weights, a decline of -$1.04/cwt and -$3.43/cwt from the 2023 Q4 average respectively.

Lighter weight heifer basis was stronger in Q4 in 2024 compared to Q4 in 2023. Average basis for 4 and 5-weight heifers in Q4 of 2024 were -$28.66 and -$38.44. While negative, these average basis values were an increase of $6.71/cwt and $1.85/cwt over the 2023 Q4 averages.Heavy 6-weight heifer average basis over this quarter was -$52.96, a weaker basis compared toQ4 2023 of -$5.19.

Read full report below:

2024 Q4 LMSDownload
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Human Resource Risk Management for Small-Scale Poultry

Posted on by Ben Boyles

By: Maxwell, Charlotte Reviewed by: Correa, Nicole and Funkhouser, Bethany

If you are reading this, that means you have processed the information from the legal risk management post for small-scale poultry, and you are ready to either purchase chicks or scale up your production! Human resource risk management involves the people responsible for raising and caring for the birds, managing the products and byproducts from the flock, and selling the products.

Once you have your flock, create a document of the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks involved in their care. If someone comes to take care of your flock for you, they need easy access to these tasks and how they should be done correctly. Make sure you are not the only person who knows where this document is and how it can be accessed. If your backyard poultry has scaled up to a farm and you are considering volunteers or employees, these tasks can become job duties. You may need special annotations or separate sheets for birds at different stages of development i.e chick care versus hen care. Create a dedicated space for storing feed, supplies, medications, and tools used specifically with your flock. Maintain an inventory of the items stored in this space and keep records of your expenses associated with stocking and restocking all of your supplies. If you are just starting out and unsure if you will end up selling eggs or meat, having these records can help show that you are operating as a business.

Poultry are susceptible to several diseases that can be carried in on shoes. Dedicated shoes for working with your flock and shoe coverings for employees, visitors, and volunteers can reduce the risk of exposure. Create standards for personal hygiene, coop and equipment cleaning, and regular flock health checks. Wild birds are the other main culprit for spreading diseases, but it is much harder to control their actions!

Key human resource questions to ask yourself before buying chicks:

  1. How much time in my day can I dedicate to my flock?
  2. Do I have the academic and financial resources to support a flock?
  3. Who will take care of the flock when I am on vacation?
  4. Do I have space for a coop, the flock, and egg storage?
  5. Do I know a vet who will take my flock on as a client?
  6. Is my family supportive of raising poultry?
  7. Will my close neighbors be disgruntled?
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