The latest findings from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service indicate that the average value of farm real estate in Nebraska increased by 11% over the prior year, to an average of $3100 per acre. For more on what the NASS report tells us about land values and cash rental rate trends in Nebraska, Jim Jansen, an agricultural economist and extension educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins the podcast.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/land/usda-reports-rising-land-values-and-county-level-cash-rent-estimates-nebraska-2021.

Several atypical cases of BSE, or Mad Cow Disease, have recently been announced by the government in Brazil.. Elliott Dennis, assistant professor and extension livestock economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at UNL, discusses what this could mean for the global and U.S. beef markets and cattle producers.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/livestock/potential-impacts-brazilian-bse-us-meat-complex.

Wouldn’t it be handy to know how your neighbor seems to keep growing their farm or ranch every year? Or to know exactly how your cost of production compares to others around you? While we may not usually have access to those details, there are resources available to help benchmark your own operation against similar ones, which can help you make better decisions and keep a better hold on your business trajectory. 

Glennis McClure, an extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst based in the Department of Agricultural Economics at UNL, explains.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/finance/benchmarking-%E2%80%93-what-can-we-learn-others.

A fire at the JBS meat processing plant in Grand Island on September 13th brought to mind a similar fire that occurred at a Tyson facility in Holcomb, Kansas, in 2019. To discuss possible economic impacts of fires like those at the plants in Grand Island and Holcomb is Elliott Dennis, extension livestock economist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Read more at https://cap.unl.edu/livestock/comparing-grand-island-ne-and-holcomb-ks-meat-processing-plant-fires.

This year’s dry conditions in the western U.S. have resulted in many livestock producers looking for fall and winter forage. To help them find it, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has developed the Crop Residue Exchange -- an online tool that connects cattle producers to other producers with available grazing resources. Jay Parsons, a professor and extension farm and ranch management specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at UNL, tells us more.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/livestock/crop-residue-exchange-links-cattle-producers-available-feed-resources

Explore the Crop Residue Exchange: https://cropresidueexchange.unl.edu

When it comes to planning community activities and events, engaging more than just a handful of people – and involving a wide-ranging cross section of individuals -- can seem daunting. But the important step of getting more people involved can ultimately generate more ideas to make the process and the outcome more successful. That’s according to Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, an extension specialist with Rural Prosperity Nebraska, who says that “going slow to go fast” in the community planning process can pay big dividends.

After the decision to form a cooperative organization has been made, it’s time to look at how it should be legally structured and ensure that legal procedures are followed as the co-op begins operating and making policy decisions. The Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln works with startup and established cooperatives across the state and recommends engaging legal counsel to help guide this process. For more on what this entails, Cindy Houlden, a Cooperative Development Specialist with the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, joins the podcast.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/rural/legal-questions-ask-when-forming-cooperatives

The Clean Water Act requires a federal permit before landowners can engage in construction activities in lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands so long as the water bodies constitute waters of the U.S. or WOTUS. A recent federal court opinion has invalidated the Trump WOTUS rules. 

As ag producers head into fall, big purchase decisions may be ahead, which makes it a great time to assess financial record-keeping on farms and ranches. Keeping digital records with accounting software can make the process smoother but, without proper attention to detail, it is not a foolproof method of record-keeping. To talk about the advantages and important things to keep in mind when it comes to digital record-keeping, Jessica Groskopf, an extension educator and Agricultural Economist with Nebraska Extension, joins the podcast.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/finance/keeping-accurate-digital-records

In Nebraska, the number of farmers markets across the state has increased by 35% in the last 10 years to approximately 99 operating statewide, with 77 of those in rural areas. That’s according to Margaret Milligan, with Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska, a member-based marketing, promotion and education program that works to connect Nebraskans with local farms and foods. Margaret joins the podcast to discuss how farmers markets can work to contribute to the vitality of rural communities and to tell us about a new project that provides training and support to market organizers while working to raise interest and improve accessibility to markets in rural areas.

Read more: https://cap.unl.edu/rural/rural-farmers-markets-vital-part-rural-identity.