The Missing Link in Farm Profitability – with Brenda Heymer

Season 5: Episode 208

In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Brenda Heymer, owner of Heymer Management Accounting in Amarillo, Texas. With a deep-rooted background in agriculture and over three decades of accounting experience, Brenda shares her passion for helping producers move beyond traditional, tax-based accounting to embrace management accounting rooted in accrual principles. Through a thoughtful and in-depth conversation, Brenda explains how aligning production data with financials gives producers a more accurate view of their cost of production and overall business performance.

Chrissy and Brenda discuss the critical need for better financial visibility, especially in a time of rising input costs and uncertain market conditions. Brenda breaks down how management accounting differs from typical bookkeeping—focusing on internal decision-making tools rather than tax returns—and why accrual accounting is essential to track commodity-level performance across production years. She also highlights CenterPoint Accounting for Agriculture, a robust Red Wing Software tool built specifically for ag producers that allows for detailed inventory, allocations, and side-by-side cash and accrual reporting—something QuickBooks simply can't offer.

Brenda walks listeners through the conversion process from QuickBooks to CenterPoint, noting how her team goes deep into their clients’ data to lay the foundation for better decision-making. She shares real-world examples of how clients have uncovered inefficiencies at specific ranches or crop fields, and how this information helps them project cash flow, streamline operations, and manage risk more effectively. Chrissy and Brenda also talk about the challenges of data overload in modern ag and how Brenda’s team helps transform that raw data into usable, actionable insights through personalized meetings and scenario planning.

Throughout the episode, Brenda shares not only her technical knowledge but also her heart for agriculture. She challenges producers to step out of their comfort zones and embrace their roles as business owners, encouraging them to build teams and delegate tasks outside their core strengths. Brenda emphasizes that having better information leads to better decisions and that it’s okay not to know everything—but vital to get the right help.

Whether you’re just starting to explore accrual-based accounting or are ready to overhaul your financial systems, Brenda offers sound advice for producers through 2025 and beyond. Her mission is clear: to change agriculture for the better, one accurate report at a time. 

To learn more about Brenda and her services, visit www.heymermanagement.com.

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