With Margaret Milligan, program associate, Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska

Think of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a farm subscription program. Traditionally, consumers purchase “shares” of the farm in the late winter and early spring, then their investment is returned to them throughout the season in the form of a weekly “share” of farm products – usually a box or bag packed with seasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs and value-added products.

This arrangement allows farms to secure cash in the traditionally lean times of late winter and early spring and means more overall stability in their business plan. CSA retention rates are generally quite high, meaning people tend to support the farm year after year. As restaurant sales vanished during the pandemic, and farmers’ market sales decreased following the overall trend of lower attendance, CSAs attracted more interest from consumers interested in safely sourced reliable food. In 2020 many CSAs adapted by offering contact-free pickup, or home delivery, as well as online ordering.

Nick Streff, USDA NASS, and Elliott Dennis, UNL Agricultural Economics, recap their March 25 webinar on the use of NASS hog reports. 

Nick Streff is the Director of the USDA NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office in Lincoln NE. Nick oversees data collection, analysis and publication of NASS estimates for the state’s of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Prior to moving to Nebraska, Nick was the hogs and pigs statistician for USDA NASS. Nick will be taking us through an in depth look of the NASS hogs and pigs program. See the full webinar at https://farm.unl.edu/webinars.

For farmers and ranchers, both cash flow and profitability are important. But, equally important, is an understanding of the distinctions between the two. Tina Barrett is a financial consultant and director of Nebraska Farm Business, Incorporated., which started in 1976 as part of Nebraska Extension, and works with producers from across the state to provide financial and management assistance. 

Refinancing can get a bad rap, but it may be beneficial for farmers and ranchers. Jessica Groskopf, Nebraska Extension Educator and Panhandle Regional Economist, discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of refinancing, how it impacts your balance sheet and what a banker is looking at when discussing refinancing. 

Marilyn Schlake is an extension educator with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Prosperity Nebraska at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

She discusses how Gallup's Builder Profile 10 (BP10) training can be applied to helping individuals in rural communities realize their talents and come together to pursue common goals. 

With: Jim Jansen, Agricultural Systems Economist, Nebraska Extension

The Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Highlights 2020-21 report represents the 43rd edition to the annual series. These reports provide an important insight on agricultural land market dynamics for stakeholders across Nebraska. In today’s market, where market transactions exceeding $1 million dollars are the norm, objective market information and analysis is more critical than ever. The focus of the report continues to be on providing unbiased information for agricultural land values and rental rates so industry participants can make educated and informed decisions.

This webinar will present the preliminary results from this year’s real estate survey of expert panel members from across the state. The full report will be released in June 2021.

Dr. Cory Walters is an associate professor and grain economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He discusses recently released price projections for crop insurance and how producers can prepare for possibly unfavorable fall commodity prices. 

Dr. Cory Walters, associate professor and grain economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics, discusses why participation in the new ECO depends upon producer goals and objectives.

Cindy Houlden, cooperative development specialist with the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses this year's round of mini grants awarded to cooperative enterprises in five rural communities across the state, and how and why the Center works to help rural communities prospers.

With: Austin Duerfeldt, southeast regional agricultural economist, Nebraska Extension. 

The webinar is a refresher for those new to or wising to brush up on ag exemptions from state sales tax. It will cover the regulations set forth in 2014 legislation, many providing perspective from the side of the consumer farmer/rancher. Agricultural exemptions, auctions and occasional sales will be covered. This is the third in a monthly series of webinars geared toward helping agricultural producers better understand their finances.