FARM Champion

Ahlishia sits down with Sarah Sellars, assistant professor and Extension specialist at South Dakota State University, to talk about weighing new practices against the financial realities of the farm. Dr. Sellars shares how crop budgets help producers understand their costs and returns, what eight years of Illinois farm data reveal about cover crop profitability, and how on-farm experimentation helped one producer fine-tune his soybean seeding rate. 

Ahlishia sits down with Kristine Tidgren, Director of Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, about smart tax planning for farmers and ranchers. They discuss farm-specific tax provisions, government payments, equipment purchases, self-employment taxes, and Marketplace health-insurance credits. Kristine also explains why working with a qualified agricultural tax professional can help producers avoid costly mistakes.

Ahlishia sits down with Dr. Hunter Biram of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture to explore how federal crop insurance supports farm risk management. 

Drawing on his family’s diversified farm experience, Hunter explains how producers can explore coverage options, prepare to meet with an insurance agent, and strengthen their record keeping. He shares how decision tools have helped farmers evaluate supplemental coverage and make more confident choices. 

Listeners will also discover practical resources, including his Fundamentals of Federal Crop Insurance workbook and the Morning Coffee & Ag Markets podcast, to support informed farm business decisions.

Agritourism can bring new income to working farms while connecting visitors with the people, land, and stories behind agriculture. Ahlishia sits down with Dr. Dee Singh-Knights of West Virginia University to explore what makes these ventures successful. 

From pumpkin patches to farm-to-table experiences, Dee shares practical considerations for matching opportunities to a farm’s resources, managing safety and business risks, and creating meaningful visitor experiences. She also highlights how West Virginia’s collaborative farm crawls and agritourism training support producers and communities. 

Tune in for insights on building an agritourism enterprise that strengthens both the farm’s bottom line and its connection to the public.

Cattle prices are strong, but strong prices don’t eliminate risk.  Ahlishia sits down with James Mitchell, agricultural economist and Extension specialist with the University of Arkansas, to unpack what’s driving today’s cattle market and what it means for producers. 

Dr. Mitchell discusses historically low cattle inventories, drought, rising input costs, and other forces creating both opportunity and uncertainty. He shares practical strategies for understanding cow costs, developing a thoughtful marketing plan, and focusing on the risks producers can control. The conversation also explores the economic implications of New World screwworm and highlights trusted resources and decision tools for cattle producers and the professionals who serve them.

Ahlishia wraps up the Risk Management Across America series with Pauline Van Nurden and Curtis Mahnken of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Farm Financial Management. Together, they take listeners behind the scenes of the Digital Extension Risk Management Education Center and its role in connecting resources, knowledge, and educators across the national ERME network.

Pauline and Curtis highlight the Ag Risk & Farm Management Library, where producers and agricultural professionals can find trusted resources, tools, budgets, and educational materials covering the five areas of agricultural risk. The conversation offers a practical look at how the Digital Center helps make credible, research-based risk management information easier to find and use.

In this episode, Ahlishia continues the Risk Management Across America series with Dr. Shannon Neibergs, Director of the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Dr. Neibergs explores the extraordinary diversity of Western agriculture and the risks producers face and shares how risk management education is helping producers address financial challenges and strengthen their operations. 

Throughout the conversation, one theme emerges clearly: in Western agriculture, adaptability and an entrepreneurial mindset are essential for navigating change and building resilience.

In this episode, Ahlishia continues the Risk Management Across America series with Dr. Brad Lubben, Director of the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center. Dr. Lubben explores the diverse agricultural landscape of the North Central region and explains why managing risk requires producers to think beyond production to the entire farm business. 

He discusses today’s market and policy uncertainty, the importance of integrating marketing, crop insurance, and financial decisions, and how the Center supports practical risk management education. Listeners will also hear about signature efforts such as and how Center-supported programs are helping producers strengthen their operations for the long term.

In this episode, Ahlishia visits the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center with its director, Laurie Wolinski, as part of a special series highlighting the nation's four regional Risk Management Education Centers. Laurie shares what makes agriculture in the Northeast so distinctive and explains how those realities shape the Center's educational priorities. 

Listeners will also learn how stakeholder input drives the Northeast Center's work and hear examples of how practical risk management education is helping producers strengthen their operations across the region.

In this episode, Ahlishia launches a special series exploring the nation's four regional Extension Risk Management Education Centers with Dr. Ron Rainey, Director of the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center. Together, they discuss what makes Southern agriculture unique, how the Center is helping producers manage today's evolving risks, and why collaboration is central to delivering practical, producer-focused education. Listeners will also hear how the Center's work is strengthening farm resilience and supporting agricultural communities across the region.