John Westra is a professor and program leader in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Reducing carbon emissions has become a central focus in addressing environmental and sustainability goals for governments and many private sector industries. That means agriculture producers and landowners may have decisions to make if they are approached about carbon payment plans or carbon markets. This raises many new questions for farmers and ranchers who should consider how practices associated with generating carbon credits will impact their operation.

With Katie Samples Dean, attorney, and Paul Neiffer, CPA Proposed changes to capital gains have farmers and ranchers wondering what it means for passing their operations to the next generation. 

Katie Samples Dean, an attorney specializing in agricultural law, and Paul Neiffer, a Certified Public Accountant, will discuss the proposals and potential impacts as it relates to farm estate and transition planning.

Developing operating policies for a farm business can be time consuming and inconvenient. The easy thing to do may be to leave policies to chance. But this can run the risk of creating confusion and dissatisfaction for farm employees. And it can be costly for operators. 

To discuss more about farm business policies, how they can be beneficial and how to go about creating them, is Larry Van Tassel, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at UNL.

Dave Aiken is a professor and water and agricultural law specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics here at UNL. 

He looks at an issue that is really making its way on the radar of many producers across Nebraska – that’s Carbon Markets and Carbon banks. He discusses the ag practices that hold the greatest potential, who is buying carbon offsets, voluntary vs. regular carbon markets and more.

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

He discusses what the USDA-NASS Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report can tell us about production, as well as some new tools coming to assist producers in utilizing that data in their operations.

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.