Succession planning often begins with a legal document, but that document is only one piece of a much larger process. In the first episode of this five-part Nebraska FARMcast series on building a farm succession plan, Anastasia Meyer, Extension agricultural economist with the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explains why a good plan is really a transition plan, one that unfolds over three to five years or more. She covers the conversations families need to have, the fears both generations bring to the table, and the team of professionals, from an ag-focused attorney to a tax adviser and lender, that a farm or ranch family should assemble before making decisions.

Produced and hosted by Lexi Bodlak, Nebraska Land Link Program Intern.

Find resources for farm and ranch transition and estate planning on the Center for Agricultural Profitability's website, https://cap.unl.edu/succession.

Feeder cattle prices can drop faster than any producer expects, and Livestock Risk Protection insurance is one tool for managing that risk. Jay Parsons, professor of agricultural economics and director of the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins the show to explain how LRP works for feeder cattle, why participation in Nebraska has climbed sharply in recent years, and how the program has changed for new and beginning producers under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Parsons draws on 21 years of tracking a single policy to show when the coverage pays off and when it doesn't.

https://cap.unl.edu/news/lrp-feeder-cattle-insurance-recent-enhancement-and-performance-history/

Anastasia Meyer, extension educator in agricultural economics with the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, breaks down what belongs in a written farm or ranch lease and why it matters, especially for landowners who recently inherited ground. She covers the difference between cash rent and crop share arrangements, what Nebraska's verbal lease law requires if there is no written agreement, and clauses that often get overlooked, including soil fertility, irrigation equipment, corn stalk grazing and baling limits, water rights, and hunting or recreational access. She also walks through pasture lease provisions and what happens when a lease dispute or default occurs.

This episode's audio comes from a CAP webinar recording, Ag Leases and Clauses.

Produced and hosted by Morgan Bonifas, CAP intern.

With: Allan Vyhnalek, Nebraska Extension Educator Emeritus. Are you a landowner thinking about the future of your operation, but don’t have a clear successor? This episode will walk you through how to apply for the Nebraska Land Link program as a landowner. It covers what information you need, how the matching process works, and how to position yourself to find the right fit for your land and legacy.

Find more information by visiting the Center for Agricultural Profitability website linked below. https://cap.unl.edu/landlink/

Produced and hosted by Lexi Bodlak, Nebraska Land Link intern.

When wildfires hit central and western Nebraska this spring, producers were left with urgent questions about recovery, and USDA stepped in with several programs to help. In this episode, host Morgan Bonifas, CAP intern, shares a recording from a CAP webinar featuring USDA Farm Service Agency staff Hilary Miracle, Megan Sunderland and Dana Ingerson, along with Conor Ward from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. They walk through assistance available for livestock losses, grazing and forage losses, fencing and water infrastructure repair, debris removal and conservation programs tied to wildfire recovery.

The conversation covers eligibility requirements, documentation producers need to keep, application deadlines and flexibilities USDA has put in place to help producers move faster, practical information for anyone working through recovery decisions after a wildfire.

Find more wildfire recovery resources at https://cap.unl.edu/recovery.

Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska is hosting Local Food Showcases in communities across the state this summer, free events where people can sample dishes made from locally grown ingredients and meet the farmers who grew them. Program Coordinator Michelle Garwood and Program Specialist Skylar Falter join Nebraska FARMcast to talk about what these showcases look like in practice, from taste tests built around unfamiliar crops like kohlrabi and turnip greens to the relationships they're building between producers and local chefs.

Garwood and Falter discuss what participation means for a producer, how a single showcase can double attendance at a small farmers market, and where the persistent gaps remain between what Nebraska growers can supply and what local buyers are ready to purchase.

The remaining showcases run through the summer in O'Neill on July 18, Grand Island on July 25 and North Platte on August 1.

Find out more at https://buylocalnebraska.org.

When drought or other weather conditions force producers to sell livestock earlier than planned or reduce herd numbers, the tax consequences can be significant. In this episode, Tina Barrett, executive director of Nebraska Farm Business, Inc., walks through the two main deferral options available to producers under federal tax law, explains how to determine whether deferring income actually makes financial sense, and covers the recordkeeping that makes any of it possible.

Barrett also addresses crop insurance deferral rules and casualty loss provisions that may apply to damaged buildings, fences or equipment. With drought conditions affecting much of Nebraska, this episode is a practical guide for producers and their tax preparers as they plan for the rest of the year.

Produced and hosted by Morgan Bonifas, Center for Agricultural Profitability Intern.

This episode is edited from a full webinar that Barrett delivered in response to wildfires in Nebraska, on April 29, 2026. Find the recording here.

Barrett also wrote an article on the topic, available here.

Federal commodity program payments on many farms are still tied to base acres established in the 1985 farm bill — numbers that haven't changed in decades. New federal legislation gives landowners the opportunity to add base acres for the first time in years, and the review window is open now.

Anastasia Meyer, extension agricultural economist with the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins Nebraska FARMcast to explain how base acres are established, who is eligible for an increase, and what landowners and producers need to do before the window closes. She also covers how the 30-million-acre national cap works, what happens when a farm has no established program yield, and why landowners and operators should be talking to each other about this decision before opting out.

More: https://cap.unl.edu/news/new-base-acres-available-qualifying-farms/

Organic land represents years of investment in soil health, certification records, and the markets that reward that work. When that land changes hands, protecting that investment requires the right lease language, the right records and conversations that start well before anyone signs.

This episode features Glennis McClure, farm and ranch management analyst at the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Carla McCullough Dittman, a Lancaster County landowner and advisor to the Nebraska Organic Program and the Transition to Organic Partnership Program.

They walk through what it takes to keep certified organic acres organic through a land transition, from working with certifiers and documenting production history to writing lease terms that spell out compliance responsibilities and protect both parties. They also discuss what retiring organic farmers should be doing now to find the right successor and keep their land in organic production for the long term.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/news/lease-considerations-and-communications-when-transitioning-organic-production/

Net farm income in Nebraska is projected to reach a record high in 2026, near $10 billion, but that number tells two very different stories depending on what you raise. Brad Lubben, extension associate professor and agricultural policy specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins Nebraska FARMcast to discuss his latest Policy Report column for Nebraska Farmer, which breaks down what's driving the headline figure, why crop and livestock sectors are performing so differently right now, and how a surge in government payments is shaping the bottom line.

Lubben also walks through what the statewide aggregate misses for individual operations, what the cash flow calendar looks like for producers waiting on ARC and PLC payments this fall, and how wildfire and drought losses since the analysis was completed could shift the picture before year's end.

Read more in Brad Lubben's Policy Report Column: Cattle, Government Payments Drive Nebraska's Record Farm Income Forecast, But Crop Margins Remain Tight

Additional resources:

Nebraska Farm Income Outlook: Spring 2026 Report

Center for Agricultural Profitability free financial analysis consulting

Rurual Response Hotline: https://farmhotline.com/ and 800-464-0258