It’s that time of the year when we think that making resolutions will somehow make the next 365 days more palatable. I mean, come on, man! Do you really think setting a goal of losing weight or exercising more is going to change you, at this age?

We need to be realistic. Our farmers are realists. They know they can’t make resolutions they can’t control come true. The farming community would love to stand resolved “that the weather will be perfect for planting,” that “the cost of my inputs will go down,” that “the value of products produced and services performed will increase,” or that “the government will get off their backs.”

No, some resolutions are out of our control. But when the situation calls for being resolved, to perceiver, to stand guard, to be vigilant, to be prepared, to protect assets, no one is more resolved then the farmer.

2016 will move in with a page flip on the calendar. And yet we can’t keep thinking, “What am I going to do different to be more profitable this year?” “What can I do to protect my farm and my assets?”

So the best thing a farmer can do is stand resolved, “To take a more active role in managing my risk.”

Uncertainty about prices, yields, government policies, and foreign markets means that risk management plays an important role in many farm business decisions.

Government programs addressing farm-risk management have played a larger role in U.S. farm policy in recent years; in crop year 2013, producers enrolled more than 295 million acres in the federal crop insurance program, and government insurance subsidies exceeded $7 billion.

Farmers have many options for managing the risks they face, and most producers use a combination of strategies and tools. Some strategies deal with only one kind of risk, while others address multiple risks. Most producers use a variety of farm-management strategies and tools, and since risks and the willingness and ability to bear risks differ from farm to farm, so do the risk-management strategies used.

Alan Davis Insurance Agency has been providing free risk-management seminars annually for over 25 years. Topics include crop insurance changes for 2016; profitable marketing opportunities; added-price option; whole-farm revenue protection; market outlook for 2016; and how to benefit from todayʼs technology.

Seminar dates are Thursday, Jan. 14, 10 a.m., American Legion, with lunch, 46 S. Cleveland St., Minster; Wednesday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m., Wapakoneta High School, with snacks, 1 Redskin Trail,Wapakoneta; and Thursday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m., Palazzo Ballroom, with lunch, 309 S. Main St., Botkins.

So, if you have to make any kind of a resolution for 2016, make it to attend one of these free seminars and learn to handle and control your risks.

Here’s seeing you, in Ohio Country!