IF agriculture is to attract people, it has to put on a positive face.
It's not so much the smile, which is a fixture in the rural industry in good times and in bad.
It's the business face.
The roller coaster ride of farming has you up one year and down the next but for many farmers, they are their own worst enemies always arguing for a better deal, no matter what the season dishes up.
It's a careful line agriculture should be treading because while there is a fairness that is needed in agribusiness, it should not dominate the fact that overall, agribusiness is a profitable and exciting industry.
In recent years, some farms have recorded in excess of 30 per cent return on capital - a figure city companies would die for.
These included 2007, 2008 and 2011, but not every farm in every region.
And according to Planfarm director, Greg Kirk, over each of the last 20 years, the average dividend return of the company's clients has varied between zero and seven per cent per annum plus capital growth.
"While returns have been acceptable on average and in some years very impressive, the concern is the lower rainfall trend over the last 12 years," he said.
"This has caused substantial losses in some years such as 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2010, again variable across the various regions.
"This year many crops emerged three weeks later than usual because of a late break and will depend on good spring rains if they are to make budget yields. "
Hopefully that will happen because despite the rosy grain price outlook, it is tough going in many districts throughout the Wheatbelt.
Mr Kirk is congnisant of this.
"The last few years have been a real roller coaster with many clients experiencing record profits and losses within a two or three year period." he said.
"Average farm debt levels have been rising steadily since 2003 due to a number of factors including easier credit, the global trend by businesses and consumers to take on more debt and of course in some cases, accumulated seasonal losses.
"The Global Financial Crisis saw the brakes put on financial lending and for some, who have endured poor rainfall years, it is now a case of handling peak debt levels with declining equity.
"Other farmers have won through on the back of good seasons and for many of our clients, the last five years have been among the best they have had."
So if you're in the boat with peak debt levels, how is farming supposed to work?
With a long history in agribusiness, Mr Kirk says its essential to be realistic and put all options on the table.
"We see a lot of businesses and we're in a position to have a historical perspective on what works and doesn't work," he said.
"Just having an independent third party work through your plans with you can be invaluable.
"Farming is getting more complicated and many decisions are being made on 60/40 probabilities.
"Many farmers have great skill at making those 60/40 calls, but it's important to realise that you are not going to get these right all the time.
"So don't be too hard on yourself because many things are obvious only in hindsight."
According to Mr Kirk, an honest appraisal of the farm business is a good place to start the planning process:
p How did you go meeting last year's budget?
p What about over the last three years?
p Are you consistently beating expectations or falling short too often?
p Does your budget make allowance for long term goals such as retirement, farm development, education and so on or is it heavily focused on just getting through the next year?
p Is just getting by budgeting, becoming all too common in your business?
p If so, what are the other options available to you and how do they stack up ?
"The budget for this year should be a reflection of next year," Mr Kirk said.
"So it comes down to planning, looking at the longer term and assessing goals.
"The hard questions need to be asked and answered such as personal income, family members' income and employees' income.
"Is the capital being well employed?
"Are cost structures right, including the debt level?
"The answers will depend on that honest appraisal and it can't be a blame game such as no rain or too much expansion.
"Learn from the past, move on and tackle today's challenges.
"We encourage our clients to hold a mid-year budget review where cash flow projections can be made to assist in management planning.
"In family business, you may have five or six people in the room and the problem can be communicating the strategy.
"So all members need to be on the same page, even though they will each have their own goals and objectives."
Sometimes, however, this might not be enough, particularly for a family business in a low rainfall zone with low equity.
So what is the business model for such a case?
"Low debt, good scale, excellent management and patient capital is a good start," Mr Kirk said.
"There are larger family businesses who fit this description and are cropping large areas successfully.
"It may also be fertile ground for the corporates, provided they get the management right and are prepared to be there for the long term."
Despite the volatility of farming and current low equity levels, Mr Kirk believes there is plenty of upside in farming.
"We should not lose sight of the fact that WA has some very attractive attributes in the ag industry, including proximity to growth markets in Asia, great infrastructure, the rule of law, skilled managers and support industry," he said.
"Foreign investors recognise and appreciate these attributes perhaps more then we do.
"Yes we certainly have some challenges, but probably no greater than those we've overcome in the past and out of these will come opportunities.
"Our view is there will still be crop going in the ground at Mukinbudin and Lake Grace and Latham in 2030.
"There might well be a different mix of land owners and alongside the traditional family farm there may be a block under management farmed by a well paid professional farm manager with maybe even a couple of apprentice farmers on board."
Now that would certainly provide a foundation for an industry on the move.