Nebraska FARMcast - Farm and Ranch Management

During the summer months that tend to be a busy time for cows, nutrient demand are high, which can create a bad situation for the cows when pasture conditions are poor due to drought. For more on maintaining condition on cows while stretching pasture resources, we hear from Dr. Karla Wilke, professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Read more at https://cap.unl.edu/livestoc...

Trust is an important part of any business relationship and that’s perhaps even more true – and maybe more essential – in farm businesses, where families often work together. Many farmers know and ranchers know well that family relationships can impact the family business, and vice-versa. On this episode, with some tips on how to build and keep trust to maintain a functioning business and, more im...

When fences become damaged following a disaster, it’s important for landowners and livestock owners to be aware of Nebraska fence law and considerations – including for possible replacement assistance -- as the damage is assessed. Jessica Groskopf, an agricultural economist with Nebraska Extension and the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses Read m...

Boards of directors play important roles in the cooperative structure. But some directors, especially if they have limited business experience, may find themselves struggling to identify basic questions that need to be answered to ensure the cooperative is successful. According to Cindy Houlden, a cooperative development specialist with the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, the evaluation o...

With recent drought conditions across Nebraska, concerns about the availability of forage for cattle this grazing season are top of mind for many producers. While planting forage can have numerous benefits, there is also a certain amount of risk that comes with uncertainty about precipitation and soil moisture. The Annual Forage Insurance Plan from the USDA Risk Management Agency is a program that...

The most recent interest rate hike made by the Federal Reserve to combat to rising inflation marked the largest one-time increase since 2000 and was already the second increase of 2022 – and more may be on the way. With grazing land values also reaching near-record highs this year, feeder and fed cattle producers are encountering more hurdles to profitability. Feeder cattle producers are encounter...

With school letting out for the year, summer vacation season is upon us and, even with high fuel prices, travel is likely to pick up. And that may mean opportunities for Nebraska residents to show off the best of their communities to visitors or travelers passing through. According to Dr. Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, an extension specialist with Rural Prosperity Nebraska, it can be the little things t...

Are U.S. farmers being paid fairly for the quality of the hard red winter wheat they produce? New research at here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln looks at the role of quality characterizing in pricing hard red winter wheat. The findings are summarized in a new Cornhusker Economics article from UNL’s Agricultural Economics department, which we have posted on our site, cap.unl.edu. For more,...

In national polls, confidence in various government institutions had declined last year after increasing slightly in 2020. However, people are more likely to have confidence in local institutions compared to national ones. In fact, Gallup has found that confidence in local government remains higher than state government, which is higher than the federal government. Given this, how much confidence...

As input prices for materials like fuel and fertilizer continue to climb, it’s important for farm managers to keep track of cost of production. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s crop budgets can be used as a guide for producers to prepare their own enterprise budgets, and be easily customized – especially in the new online Ag Budget Calculator tool. For more on the importance of tracking cost o...

When children earn wages on the family farm, they are often placed in a savings or 529 account. But Jessica Groskopf, an agricultural economist with Nebraska Extension and the Center for Ag Profitability, also encourages families to consider opening a custodial Roth IRA account, which can have greater earning potential than savings accounts and more flexibility that 529 accounts, among other consi...

USDA’s March 30th Prospective Plantings report revealed expected decreases in the amount of corn acreage being planted this year, which could have implications for cattle feeders across the country. Dr. Elliott Dennis, assistant professor and livestock marketing economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics here at UNL, has a new analysis reacting to the report, which focuses on feed avail...

Even as pork prices have risen over the last couple of years, U.S. consumer demand has kept up, at least so far. But a few months into 2022, where do prices stand for producers across the hog complex and what might that mean for demand going forward? Dr. Elliott Dennis is an assistant professor and livestock economist in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics. He...

Ask any farm transition professional about how many farmers and ranchers have an estate plan or an up-to-date succession plan in place, the answer will often be half, or less than half. While there may be a number of reasons for these numbers, those same farm transition professionals will all agree on the same point: that estate and succession planning is a necessity. Allan Vyhnalek, an extension...

Recent USDA Cattle on Feed Reports have continued to reveal the largest number of cattle on feed since the department began collecting data in 1996. However, while the number of cattle on feed has been steadily increasing, placement weights have changed, compared to the previous five years, with increases seen in the number of feeder cattle weighing less than 700 pounds. Joining the podcast to dis...

There are a number of price risk management tools available to livestock producers but learning about all of the options and knowing when to actually apply them – or not -- can be challenging. Dr. Elliott Dennis, with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics, offers advice on how to navigate the available options and discuss the importance of matching the right pri...

The average value of agricultural land in Nebraska is up 16% this year, according to the newly released preliminary report of the annual Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The all-land average of three-thousand-three-hundred-sixty dollars per acre is the highest land value reported in the four-decade history of the survey. Nebraska Extension Agricultural...

When Nebraskans inherit land or other property, they must pay inheritance taxes to the county where the property is located. LB310, just recently signed into law, reduces most inheritance taxes beginning in 2023. Dave Aiken, UNL Extension Water Law & Agricultural Law Specialist, discusses the changes that will be brought by the law. Read more at https://cap.unl.edu/policy-legal/nebraska-inheri...

Since April 2021, more than 19 million workers have quit their jobs, leaving many businesses – especially those with frontline positions that interact directly with customers – scrambling to hire people. For more on what this so-called “Great Resignation” has looked liked, and what has contributed to it, Dr. Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, an extension specialist with Rural Prosperity Nebraska at the Uni...

With Cory Walters, associate professor and grain marketing specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Crop insurance represents a critically important producer risk management program. Projected prices, a primary factor influencing premium and liability, for both 2022 corn and soybeans have been determined. Projected prices for both commodities reflect the average price of their respective harves...

The economic impact of COVID-19 has largely been felt in the livestock and poultry sectors through reduced labor supplies in processing plants, as well as some short-term market disruptions as institutional and retail demand have shifted. To understand more about how processing capacity has been affected and what that has meant for producer cash receipts in Nebraska, we speak with Dr. Elliott Denn...

You’ve heard the saying – “no risk, no reward.” When it comes to risk tolerance in a farm or ranch business, some people who haven’t reflected on it in a while may be surprised to learn their own risk tolerance or, sometimes more importantly, the risk tolerance of other decision makers on their operation. Dr. Jay Parsons is an extension farm and ranch management specialist and professor in Agricul...

Legislative Bill 806 would significantly change Nebraska drainage law, and bring a long overdue reform to Nebraska water law. Joining to discuss this is Dave Aiken, Nebraska Extension Water Law and Agricultural Law Specialist. Read more at https://cap.unl.edu/rural/new-bill-would-change-nebraska-drainage-law .

Higher costs and low inventory of fertilizer over the past year are continuing for farmers and ranchers in Nebraska. According to Dr. John Westra, professor and program leader with Nebraska Extension in the Ag Econ department at UNL, fertilizer costs account for about 15-to-20 percent of total cash costs for corn production in the state – making this a major concern for producers as the new growin...

With the number of Americans over the age of 65 expected to grow significantly in the next ten years, demand for personal care workers is expected to rise quickly. To help address this expected boom in an industry with high turnover and a shortage of workers, the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center here at UNL, in partnership with the Northwest Cooperative Development Center in Washington stat...