USDA-FSA’s Livestock Indemnity Program

By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 9, 2022

USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and is intended to help compensate producers for greater than normal levels of livestock deaths from adverse weather, disease outbreaks, and predator attacks. The program can also partially compensate producers for lost value resulting from injury.

Mid-Year Cattle Report Continues to Show Decreasing Cattle Inventory

By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 3, 2022

In late July, USDA-NASS released their mid-year estimates of U.S. cattle inventory. As expected, the report showed lower inventory across most all cattle types. All cattle and calves were estimated to be down by just under 2%, while beef cow inventory was estimated down by 2.4%.

Historical Farm Income and Expenses

By Lauren Omer Turley | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Jul. 29, 2022

Agriculture seems to be on a roller coaster recently with the volatile commodity markets, energy costs, and the tough summer weather.  Looking back over the last ten years, grain farmers have seen a wide range of commodity prices and yields.  There has been much more variance on the income side than the costs per acre.  It is interesting to look

I Have This Farm, Now What?

By Michael Forsythe | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Jul. 29, 2022

What do I do with the farm I just bought?  Although this sounds like a question that should be asked before you buy the farm, there may be circumstances that cause you to acquire a farm before deciding what to do with it.  You may decide you want to move your family out of the city to a rural area so you buy a house and a small farm.  You might

Consumer Covid Crisis Edges Back – A Little

By Azita Varziri | Postdoctoral Scholar and Tim Woods | Extension Professor
Published on Jul. 29, 2022

Covid represented a significant shock in 2020 to the U.S.

Hay Production Cost Increases in 2022 and Management Implications

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Jul. 29, 2022

Costs for hay production have skyrocketed in 2022.  Fertilizer is driving the bulk of the overall increase, followed by fuel, and then general cost increases for other categories (what could be considered “general inflation”).  While we can debate the exact causes of all these increases (i.e.

U.S. Ag Exports/Trade Policy Update as of June 2022

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Jun. 30, 2022

USDA recently updated their trade forecast for FY 2022  projecting a record-high U.S. ag export level totaling $191 billion, 11% higher than last year’s record high and 35% above the 2016-2020 average.  Gains in U.S.

High Path Avian Influenza Update and the On-Farm Financial Impacts from an Outbreak

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Jun. 30, 2022

In 2014/15, the U.S. poultry industry experienced one of the most significant animal health emergencies due to high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as “bird flu.”  There were 232 confirmed cases in poultry flocks that impacted over 50 million birds during this time.

Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence

By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on Jun. 30, 2022

IFMA 23, the biannual congress of the International Farm Management Association was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in late June.

The Cost of a Bad Hire

By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on May. 31, 2022

Desperate times often require desperate actions, and no time seems more desperate than when the needs are great, time is limited, and labor is short. You need help and you need it now! Add the competition from $15-18/hr service sector wages to the mix and the situation seems almost hopeless.