Rural grocery stores are more than places to buy food — they’re anchors for small-town economies and community life. In this episode, Deborah Solie of the Center for Rural Affairs and Charlotte Narjes of the University of Nebraska Cooperative Development Center discuss a new Rural Grocery Store Learning Cohort designed to help store owners strengthen operations, build community connections and plan for long-term sustainability.

They explain the challenges rural grocers are facing, what participants can expect from the cohort and why peer learning and collaboration are key to keeping local stores viable. Whether you own a store, work in rural development or care about the future of small-town Nebraska, this conversation offers insight into what it takes to keep rural grocery stores thriving.

Find out more and apply by March 6 here: https://www.cfra.org/rural-grocery-store-learning-cohort-online

In this episode, Brad Lubben, extension ag policy specialist with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, walks through the key legislative turning points that shaped today’s farm bill. Drawing from his latest Policy Report column in Nebraska Farmer, Lubben explains how farm policy evolved from New Deal–era supply controls, to income support in the 1970s, to the risk-management framework producers know today.

The conversation looks closely at why the 2018 farm bill was largely a status quo bill and the last one to make it across the finish line, and how the difficulty of passing recent farm bills set the stage for short-term extensions and partial fixes like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Lubben also highlights lesser-known programs that depend on full farm bill reauthorization and discusses what signals producers should watch as lawmakers look toward 2026.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/news/intricate-evolution-farm-bill/

Livestock sale barns are often thought of as places where cattle are bought and sold. But for many producers, they also serve as important gathering spaces — places to exchange information, build relationships, and stay connected in an industry that can be isolating at times.

In this episode of Nebraska FARMcast, Ryan Evans talks with Marilyn Schlake and Dr. Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Nebraska Extension about their new research on the social value of livestock sale barns in Nebraska. The conversation explores what they observed on sale days, what producers told them about connection and mental well-being, and why these spaces matter to both individuals and rural communities.

The research is summarized in the report Beyond the Auction: The Social Impacts of Nebraska’s Livestock Sale Barns, available from the Center for Agricultural Profitability.

🔗 Read the full report:
https://cap.unl.edu/salebarns

USDA has announced a new round of farm assistance called the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, a one-time payment intended to help producers manage financial pressure while longer-term farm safety-net changes are still months away from paying out. In this episode, Dr. Brad Lubben, extension ag policy specialist with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, breaks down how the program works, how payments are determined, and how it fits alongside other federal assistance hitting farm cash flow in 2026 — with a particular focus on what it means for Nebraska producers.

Brad's latest Policy Report column in Nebraska Farmer dives into the topic: https://cap.unl.edu/news/what-does-new-farmer-bridge-assistance-mean/

Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska is approaching its 20th year of connecting consumers with Nebraska-grown food and supporting farmers, ranchers, and food businesses across the state. In this episode, Michelle Garwood, the program’s new coordinator, shares her background in farming, education, and Extension and what drew her to the role. She’s joined by Skylar Falter, who reflects on how interest in local food has evolved in Nebraska and how people are accessing local products today — from farmers markets and farm stands to food subscriptions and aggregated local sourcing. The conversation covers Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska’s mission, the continued role of the annual Food Guide and online directory, and what producers, markets, restaurants, and retailers should know about the upcoming membership drive. It also highlights how the program supports its members through visibility, promotion, and connections that help strengthen Nebraska’s local food system.

https://cap.unl.edu/news/whats-ahead-buy-fresh-buy-local-nebraska-2026-podcast/

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/

As farmers and ranchers plan for 2026, federal ag policy offers a mix of stronger support and lingering uncertainty. Brad Lubben, extension ag policy specialist with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, breaks down recent policy changes, trade assistance, regulatory issues, and what producers should be watching as they make production, marketing, and financial decisions for the year ahead.

More: https://cap.unl.edu/news/policy-gains-uncertainty-looms-2026/

Nebraska’s net farm income is projected to climb more than 40% in 2025, driven by strong cattle prices and a surge in government payments. But those headline numbers don’t tell the whole story. Crop receipts have fallen for four straight years, margins remain tight, and producers across the state are facing very different economic realities depending on what they raise.

In this episode, Dr. Brad Lubben, extension policy specialist with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability, breaks down the latest Fall 2025 Nebraska Farm Income Outlook and his recent Policy Reportcolumn for Nebraska Farmer. He explains what’s behind the projected income increase, why the crop sector continues to struggle, how government payments factor in, and what the outlook could mean heading into 2026.

We discuss the long-term trends shaping the state’s ag economy, the policy developments to watch, and the key risks and decisions producers should be thinking about as they plan for the year ahead.

Fall 2025 Farm Income Outlook for Nebraska: https://cap.unl.edu/farm-income

Nebraska Farmer Policy Report: https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-policy/forecast-mixed-for-farm-income-going-into-2026

For generations, Nebraska Farmer magazine and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Extension programs have helped farmers and ranchers stay informed, adapt to change, and make better business decisions.

This episode brings together two milestones in that shared mission. Nebraska Farmer is celebrating 166 years of publication, and Brad Lubben, Extension policy specialist with the Center for Agricultural Profitability, has reached 20 years of writing his monthly Policy Report column for the magazine.

Lubben and Curt Arens, senior editor of Nebraska Farmer, join Ryan Evans to reflect on how these two platforms have covered key developments in farm policy, markets, risk management, and rural life—helping producers make sense of complex issues that shape their livelihoods. They also discuss how the relationship between Nebraska Farmer and UNL Extension continues to evolve, ensuring that trusted, research-based information reaches producers when and where they need it.

The conversation looks back on the past two decades of agricultural change and looks ahead to the next, exploring what issues and opportunities will matter most for Nebraska’s farms and ranches in the years to come.

Read Brad Lubben's Policy Report Column, published in October 2025 by Nebraska Farmer, at https://cap.unl.edu/news/what-are-biggest-issues-facing-farmers-today/

Expanding acres, adding livestock, or investing in bigger equipment can spread out costs and boost efficiency — but growth also brings new challenges. In this episode, Tim Meyer, associate professor of practice in agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, joins Nebraska FARMcast to discuss why bigger isn’t always better for family farms. He explains how expansion can stretch labor, complicate management, and add hidden costs that cut into profitability. Meyer also shares what signs producers can watch for that growth may be working against them, and how to strike the right balance between efficiency and sustainability.

More: https://cap.unl.edu/news/diseconomies-scale-family-farm/