Recap of Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 Food and Beverage Trend Predictions for 2025

By Savannah Columbia | Extension Associate
Published on Nov. 25, 2024

Last month, the Whole Foods Market’s Trends Council released their top 10 food and beverage trend predictions for 2025. Each year the Council develops trend predictions through industry experience, observing consumer behavior, and collaborating with new and established brands.

The Economic Value of Applying Broiler Litter in the Fall 2024

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Nov. 25, 2024

Spring application of broiler litter is ideal for maximizing the economic value but faces challenges that include wet soil conditions, lack of time to spread litter near planting, and availability of litter in the spring.

Prospects for Winter Backgrounding 2024-2025

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2024

Tight cattle supply has largely driven cattle markets in 2024. Markets did see a small pullback in late summer but have actually improved counter-seasonally over the last few weeks. Calf prices are higher than they were this time last year and about $100 per cwt higher than they were in fall of 2022.

Decision-Making in a Declining Economy

By Michael Forsythe | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Oct. 31, 2024

As the farming economy enters a period of decline, farmers are facing issues many of them have not had to deal with in recent years. Net Farm Incomes are low or even negative in many cases. Cash flows are becoming extremely tight. Some farmers are having difficulty renewing operating loans.

Fall 2024 Farm Observations Across Kentucky

Published on Oct. 31, 2024

The observations below are from Area Extension Specialists from the Kentucky Farm Business Management (KFBM) program. Lincoln Trail Association

Where Is the Base? Farm Bill Enhancements Could Be Negligible Without a Base Acre Update

By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2024

The current farm safety net can be found in Title 1 of the farm bill, a piece of omnibus legislation

Fall 2024 Wheat Planting Decision

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 27, 2024

Corn harvest is now underway and Kentucky grain farmers will soon decide if and how much wheat they will plant this fall.  Compared to last year there is a drop in both soybean and wheat prices, a drop in fuel price, and mostly stable fertilizer prices.

Family Living and Net Farm Income

By Suzy Martin | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Sep. 27, 2024

The average family living costs for the 119 Kentucky Farm Business Management (KFBM) farm families whose 2023 living expenses were included in the family living study was $88,522 or $7,375 per month. Their average Net Farm Income (NFI) was $123,618.

Understanding ESG and Its Impact on Agriculture

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 27, 2024

As companies continue their quest to mitigate their carbon footprint, achieving a “net-zero” goal is one slice of their sustainability pursuit. There are three main factors that are used to assess the sustainability and ethical impact of a company’s operation.

To Store or Not to Store? Old Crop Exit Strategies

By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 29, 2024

The June Grain Stocks report indicated 37% more corn and 44% more soybeans stored on-farm than last year, indicating that many producers still have grain in storage (Maples, 2024). Some of this stock has likely been sold, but many producers are still sitting on old crops, trying to determine whether to hold through harvest or sell.