The Nebraska Land Link program works to connect new and beginning farmers seeking land with retiring landowners. The Nebraska Land Link Podcast series provides listeners with more knowledge about the program and how to successfully navigate the process. Produced by Lexi Bodlak, Nebraska Land Link intern.

Episode #1: Values and Mission Statements

With: Jay Parsons, Professor and Director, Center for Agricultural Profitability. 

Strong land partnerships are built on more than logistics. They are built on shared values and a clear sense of purpose. This episode dives into how to define your values and create a mission statement that reflects what matters most to you. This clarity can help guide decisions, strengthen communication, and set the foundation for long-term success for both the landowner and land seeker.  

Find more information by visiting the Center for Agricultural Profitability website linked below.  

https://cap.unl.edu/landlink/ 

Follow this series at https://cap.unl.edu/landlink/podcasts/

In this episode, Glennis McClure, extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses the 2026 Nebraska Agricultural Custom Rates Report and how producers and custom operators can use it as a guide for pricing custom work.

The report includes survey data from 108 Nebraska respondents covering 123 custom operations and services, with statewide averages and regional rates by Nebraska Agricultural Statistics District. McClure explains why rates can vary across the state, how fuel prices and local market conditions affect custom charges, and why operators should consider their own ownership, operating and overhead costs before setting a rate.

The conversation also highlights how the Agricultural Budget Calculator can help producers estimate machinery costs, labor, repairs, depreciation and profit margins when evaluating what to charge or pay for custom agricultural services.

Article and Custom Rates: https://cap.unl.edu/news/2026-nebraska-custom-rates-report-published/

Glennis McClure, extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst at Nebraska, joins the podcast to discuss stress in Nebraska agriculture, how it can build over time or hit all at once, and why it is important to recognize signs early in ourselves and others. The conversation covers practical coping strategies, the eight dimensions of wellness, and resources available to farmers, ranchers and rural families during difficult times.

More: https://cap.unl.edu/news/keeping-stress-check-strategies-and-tools-can-help/https://cap.unl.edu/news/keeping-stress-check-strategies-and-tools-can-help/

The Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, has been a key part of U.S. farm policy for decades, but enrollment in the program has shifted quite a bit over time. Today, CRP looks different than it did when it first started, and its future may depend largely on what happens with the next farm bill.

In this episode, Extension agricultural policy specialist Brad Lubben breaks down how CRP enrollment has changed, what’s driving participation today, and how policy decisions in Washington could shape the program going forward.

The conversation covers the different types of CRP enrollment, how producers weigh CRP against cropping decisions, and what to watch as Congress continues work on the next farm bill.

More: https://cap.unl.edu/news/future-crp-enrollments-dependent-farm-bill-reauthorization/

As the March 15 crop insurance deadline approaches, many Nebraska producers are deciding whether county-level coverage options like the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) or Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) fit into their risk management plans.

In this episode of Nebraska FARMcast, University of Nebraska–Lincoln agricultural economists Cory Walters and Jessica Groskopf discuss how these area-based policies work and how they differ from traditional farm-level crop insurance. Their conversation explores how county yields are determined, how the insured area can vary depending on crop and location, and why understanding the relationship between farm yields and county averages is important when evaluating these options.

For an extended webinar recording on this topic and more information, visit https://cap.unl.edu/news/podcast-understanding-sco-and-eco-crop-insurance-options-march-15-deadline/

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/