Base acres are the foundation of Farm Bill commodity payments, but in Nebraska they don’t always line up with what farmers are planting today. In this episode, economists with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability break down how base acres were created, why gaps have emerged between base acres and planting decisions, and what that means for producers and landowners across the state.

Jessica Groskopf, Cory Walters, and Anastasia Meyer discuss how incentives shaped past base acre decisions, how risk and payments vary across Nebraska, and what producers should be thinking about as new base acres may become available beginning with the 2026 crop year. The conversation also looks at how base acres fit within a broader risk management strategy that includes crop insurance, farm programs, and marketing decisions.

Read more at https://cap.unl.edu/news/base-acres-explained-how-they-compare-planting-nebraska-farms/