Dave Aiken is a professor and agricultural law and water specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

President Biden has proposed that 30% of U.S. land should be conserved by 2030 — the so-called "30x30 plan." The "Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful" report, issued in May, identified early actions that could be taken to approach this goal and noted that only 12% of U.S. land is currently permanently protected for conservation purposes. Aiken discusses the plan, the pushback it has received from some agricultural groups and what could happen next. 

Read his article on the topic here on farm.unl.edu. 

Elliott Dennis is an assistant professor and livestock economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

The monthly Cattle on Feed Report, produced by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, provides data on the number of cattle and calves on feed, placements, marketing, and other disappearance. Dr. Dennis explains some common critical and supportive opinions of the Cattle on Feed Report’s usefulness and its implications for risk management strategies, as well as what the industry can gain from the report. 

Cindy Houlden is a cooperative development specialist with the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

On the surface, a cooperative grocery store may look no different from any local market, with aisles of food, perishable departments and checkout registers. But, behind the scenes, cooperatives are not run like a typical grocery store. They are owned and controlled by their users, who, in turn, benefit from keeping the business running. Houlden explains how co-ops function as well as their benefits to members and the community. 

Her article on the subject is available here.

Cory Walters is a grain marketing specialist and Jessica Groskopf is an agricultural economist. Both are with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Given the high levels of commodity prices write now, what should a good marketing plan look like to ensure farm survival? F

Farmers have seen volatile markets and upward moving prices in the past. However, the 2021 commodity marketing environment is not one we have experienced recently. As the U.S. farm economy comes out of an extended period of low prices, farmers are feeling the pressure to lock in higher prices but are hesitant as they do not want to miss the market high by pricing too early.

So, how can you make decisions about pricing new crop grain that you can feel comfortable with? There are two elements we want to highlight that we believe can assist in the pricing decision. First, you need to have a reasonable understanding of forces driving the market and potential impacts. Second, you need to have well defined farm goals and objectives.

Read the article at farm.unl.edu.

Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel is an extension specialist with Rural Prosperity Nebraska. 

When it comes to the important work of recruiting new residents to move to rural communities, the people who currently live there have an essential role to play in telling the local story, even though they may not realize how important their personal networks are.

Find out more in her article on the subject at farm.unl.edu.

Cheryl Burkhart Kriesel is an extension specialist with Rural Prosperity Nebraska.

When it comes to the important work of recruiting new residents to move to rural communities, the people who currently live there have an essential role to play in telling the local story, even though they may not realize how important their personal networks are.

Jessica Groskopf is an agricultural economist with Nebraska Extension, based in the state's Panhandle region.

An important step in the record-keeping process and one that shouldn’t be skipped is reconciling. The process is worth the time to ensure that all records associated with a financial account are consistent with each other. Groskopf explains reconciliation and its importance in farm and ranch record-keeping.

For more, check out her article on the topic on farm.unl.edu.

Tina Barrett is a farm financial consultant and director of Nebraska Farm Business, Inc.

With so many things constantly changing for farm producers, it is important to be prepared to make decisions. Barrett offers tips for farmers and ranchers and discusses what they should be paying attention to right now to best prepare to make quality decisions quickly.

With Brad Lubben, associate professor and extension policy specialist, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

As commodity prices have risen in recent months, so have farm income expectations, driven by these rebounds in market prices as well as recent government assistance paid to cover losses associated with weather disasters, trade conflicts and COVID-19 disruptions. A new article on our website, farm.unl.edu, offers analysis of farm income and safety net programs to provide insight on the current ag economy and potential directions for ag policy and farm economics.

Elliott Dennis is an assistant professor of livestock marketing in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Approximately 35 percent of the total land area in the continental U.S. is used for livestock grazing. Fluctuations in grazed land areas and cow herd density can be seen across the diverse regions of the country’s geography, with beef cow herds tended to follow cheap and nutrient-rich forage. So what are the implications of forage production, beef cow herds and stocking density when it comes to the possibility of partially liquidating herds due to drought?