The farmer has the right to make his own management decisions. The Banker has the right to determine if he will continue to be your lender. So if he makes " suggestions" it may not be in be in your best interests.
That is why it is so important to keep your business financially sound or better yet become self financing. It is not a good idea to speculate with someone elses money. And that is exactly what you are doing when you hold physical grain with the banks money involved. Having said that, it is different if your loans are adequately secured but then you and I don't get to decide that. It's lenders money that is at risk and they decide. If you think banker is wrong, you best replace him with someone that respects your judgement.
I know one time I wanted to buy my first 80. My banker told me that I wasn't ready for that ($700 per acre). I took his advice and didn't buy. The truth of the matter was that he wasn't ready for that. So rather than seeking a different lender, I yielded to his opinion. That was my error not his.
But then hindsight is always better.
