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Farmers should review farm financials ahead of 2026 loan renewal season

An associate attorney at Ag and Business Legal Strategies says now is the time to start reviewing farm financials.

Austin Peiffer tells Brownfield loan renewal season is just around the corner. 

“Make sure your balance sheet and cash flow is in order and are accurate,” he says. “Have a decent sense of how things went this year and take that additional information to factor it into your plans for next year.”

He says loan defaults are expected to increase in 2026, making early planning with lenders essential.

“There are going to be a lot of farmers that are going to come up short,” he says. “Maybe you can’t farm all of those acres next year, so what are you going to do differently? You want to not only be in the black but you also pay off the left-over debt from this year.”

Peiffer says considering all available management strategies can help farmers reduce risk for next year.

AUDIO: Austin Peiffer, Ag and Business Legal Strategies