AgSouth Farm Credit and AgGeorgia Farm Credit announces upcoming 2026 AGAware® Farm Finance Training workshops in Georgia designed to equip farmers with essential business and financial management skills needed to succeed in today’s agricultural economy.

The training is open to anyone who wishes to develop a better understanding of how to run a successful farming operation of any type or size.

The AGAware® Workshops introduce farmers to a variety of financial related topics critical to running an operation. These topics include: balance sheets, income statements, family finance & family budgeting, risk management, accrual income, applying for financing, preparing a business plan, technology & record keeping, FSA/SBA and other Programs. AGAware® is also certified for FSA Direct Borrower Training Credits in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Workshops will be held at the following Georgia locations:

Friday, June 12 ǀ Swainsboro, GA

Southeastern Technical College

REGISTER: AgSouthFC.com/AGAware

Thursday, June 25 ǀ Athens, GA

Athens Clarke County Extension Office

REGISTER: AgGeorgia.com/AGAware

All classes are held from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and a free lunch will be provided.

AgSouth Farm Credit created the national award-winning AGAware® program in 2011 to help ensure that future farmers will be prepared and strong financially so they may continue doing what it is they love. It’s been Farm Credit’s mission for more than one hundred years to serve farmers and rural America. Since the AGAware® program was established in 2011, more than 1,000 farmers in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina have taken the classes and graduated from the program.

To see other 2026 AGAware workshop opportunities in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina go to AgGeorgia.com and AgSouthFC.com.

For more information about AGAware, contact Heather Brannen at [email protected] or Jessica Bassett at [email protected]

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It is not uncommon to see a 10 to 20 per cent difference in values based on timing alone. Buyers who entered during the period of uncertainty often find themselves well ahead within a relatively short period. Those who wait for clarity frequently end up paying a premium for the privilege.

Acting during uncertain conditions is not the same as buying without discipline. Uncertainty is largely sentiment-driven, based on how people feel about the market at a given moment. Risk relates to fundamentals like location quality, supply and demand, infrastructure investment and long-term population and employment drivers.

RELATED: Buyers snap up homes for $200,000 under asking price as ‘fear and mystery’ hang over property market

Experienced buyers focus on fundamentals and use uncertainty as a tool rather than a deterrent. They do not attempt to call the exact bottom of the market. Instead, they recognise when conditions have shifted in their favour and move decisively when the numbers support the decision.

Market psychology plays a significant role in how the V effect unfolds. When uncertainty is at its peak, fear tends to dominate. Buyers hesitate, delay decisions and second-guess their position. Once confidence returns, that hesitation quickly converts into urgency, and in some cases, FOMO.

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It is this emotional shift that drives the speed of the recovery phase. By the time the average buyer feels comfortable re-entering the market, the opportunity has often already passed. Timing based on sentiment is consistently unreliable. The moments that feel the most uncomfortable are frequently the ones that offer the best value.

For first-home buyers in particular, this dynamic is even more important. Rather than waiting for ideal conditions, the more effective approach is preparation. Understanding your borrowing capacity, having finance in order and being clear on your criteria allows you to act when conditions move in your favour. In uncertain markets, vendors are more open to price adjustments. Contracts become more negotiable. Days on market extend. These are conditions that simply do not exist when competition is intense and confidence is high. Those windows do not stay open indefinitely.

Property is a long-term asset class. Short-term uncertainty is a feature of the cycle, not a reason to stay away from it. The V effect is a reminder that markets move quickly in both directions.

Buyers who wait for certainty tend to buy on the way up. Those who act during uncertainty give themselves the chance to enter at a better price, and in property, getting ahead early is what allows you to grow equity and expand your portfolio a lot faster.

Abdullah Nouh is the founder of Mecca Property Group and a Melbourne-based buyers’ advocate specialising in long-term, fundamentals-driven property strategy. He works with families and investors to build sustainable wealth through strategic residential and commercial acquisitions. He holds a Master’s in Property from the University of Technology Sydney.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — As the school district works to rectify potentially decades of inaccurate accounting, two finance employees with Fayette County Public Schools are on paid leave. At the same time, two external reviews continue for Kentucky’s second-largest school district.

FCPS Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said he’s been made aware of troubling and deeply concerning information.

“I’ve spoken with several of our district’s financial advisor and our external audit firm and have conducted our that’s conducted our routine audit. and those conversations have also revealed issues that I was unaware of,” Liggins said.

One review is from accounting firm Weaver and Tidwell, hired by the district, and another, which Liggins said he requested, is being conducted by the auditor of public accounts.

While those reviews are ongoing, and based on preliminary reporting, Liggins said he’s been informed of both inaccuracies and improper accounting practices that date back to 2008.

Last month, the district hired Kyna Koch, a former associate commissioner of finance for the Kentucky Department of Education, as the interim chief financial officer.

Since taking on the task, she said she doesn’t have confidence in the numbers she’s been asked to review.

“Federal and state requirements may not have been followed, and our accounting procedures may not have been aligned with acceptable practices,” Koch said.

Koch said inaccuracies were found in revenue collection, record-keeping, invoicing, and that spending guidelines may not have been followed.

Now she’s helping set new measures, like additional reviews, to dig deeper and provide a clearer financial picture.

“It’s clear that these practices are sometimes nuanced and not easily identified through routine financial reports that are provided to the superintendent and the board. Some of these things would not have been readily apparent based on the information typically generated,” Koch said.

Koch is also recommending that the district get a short-term loan to cover expenditures until next fall’s property taxes are collected.

Though the district is not releasing names at this time, Liggins did comment on the status of some finance administrators.

“We currently have three administrators in our financial and accounting office. Two are on paid administrative leave, and one is on medical leave,” Koch said.

Those on paid administrative leave are pending an investigation.

Liggins said while they are still awaiting finalized reports from those outside audits, they’re aiming for accuracy and transparency in their next moves.

“As we continue this work, I’m committed to following the facts wherever they may lead, and whatever they may uncover, we’re only after the truth,” Liggins said.

Liggins was asked on Thursday whether property taxes would increase for the 2026-27 school year. He said they are not currently planning to ask the board to raise property taxes any more than they typically have in years past.

On Monday, Koch will present her latest findings to the board at its regularly scheduled finance meeting.

Koch also said the district plans to have a loan proposal ready as soon as next month.