When Ken Wagner explains the genesis of moving 800 miles from his home in Michigan for a new business opportunity in Kansas, a lot had to do with the fact that his wife, Diane, hoped to one day return to the Kansas City area where she grew up. Wagner, who spent 13 years with John Deere as territory manager prior to joining wood-chipping manufacturer Morbark in Michigan, was ready to do something different when he heard from old friends at John Deere (including aftermarket manager and future partner Bill Kilgore) that a dealership in Ottawa, Kan., had been cancelled. Through Deere's market research, a pin (representing a new dealership) was about to be placed in the map in Baldwin City, Kan., 45 miles from his wife's hometown.

First popularized by John Deere, dealers of all colors can rev up their business by developing an on-the-property service program for consumers and rural lifestylers.

Lots going on these days. Weather challenges, rapidly advancing technologies, crazy markets, uncertainty on government programs and another year-end buying rush, to name a few. But just as critical as these things are to your operation, we, as a business magazine, also find an obligation to cover other management issues from time to time.

Rural Lifestyle Dealer was started in 2007 to help farm equipment dealers better understand consumers. New folks were moving from urban areas into the country, buying a dozen acres, and were finding their way onto the showroom of a farm equipment dealership.

Attractive to farm customers and consumers alike, ATV and UV sales are moving some ag dealerships to look like a cross between a motorcycle shop and a tractor store.

Small business owner Bob Garner found a piece of property that was literally worth moving over the mountain for. He had heard that a cattle ranching family's estate plan included the sale of 600 range acres.