3 Tips for Farm Management During Rising Inflation

By Jennifer Rogers | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Apr. 28, 2022

With input prices on the increase and so many things changing with our economy, it is important that producers think about how to manage during rising inflation.  There is nothing that we can do to control the prices that we have to pay for products, we can only make sound management decisions about what we purchase and how we manage cash, and t

What is the Driving Force behind Carbon Programs in the U.S. and Why Agriculture?

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Apr. 28, 2022

As new carbon programs continue to become available to row crop farmers across the country, understanding the driving force behind why these programs exist in the first place is key to determining their longevity.  Last year, we provided an overview of carbon markets in the article "

Grain Profitability Outlook 2022

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 31, 2022

The grain markets had already been climbing before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th.  Since then, prices have been on a tear, particularly for wheat and corn.  Current prices for 2022 new-crop delivery are around $6.50/bu for corn, $15/bu for soybeans, and $10/bu for wheat in Kentucky (3/25/22).  This is an increase of around $2.25/bu for

Summer Stocker Outlook for 2022

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 31, 2022

Driving through the Commonwealth it is clear that spring has arrived and we are seeing signs of pastures growing.  Stocker operators are starting to place calves on pasture, which typically pushes calf prices to their seasonal highs.  As of late March, calf prices have increased by more than $20 per cwt from their lows last fall.

Maximizing Value: 2022 Spring Application of Broiler Litter for Grain Crop Production

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 31, 2022

Spring is here and grain producers across the state are gearing up for planting.  One of the many decisions producers have to make before planting is in regard to their nutrient management plan.  Broiler litter provides a great opportunity as a complete fertilizer and is being produced and used throughout the state in grain production.  However,

Pre and Post-COVID Analysis of Select Spring Crops at the Auction

By Savannah Columbia | Extension Associate
Published on Mar. 31, 2022

Spring is on the horizon in Kentucky. Many specialty crop growers have already begun thinking about which fruits and vegetables to cultivate and the ideal market channels in which to sell. There are many market channels available to producers – an important market channel for both Kentucky and many of our growers is the produce auction.

Impact of Government Payments

By Jerry Pierce | KFBM Program Coordinator
Published on Feb. 28, 2022

How important is a new farm bill? That depends on a number of factors like what you grow, where you farm, and what happens during a year to trigger payment to you. What impact have farm bills and other government programs had on Kentucky farms in terms of profitability over the last decade? They appear to have had a considerable effect.

Cow-Calf Profitability Estimates for 2021 and 2022 (Spring Calving Herd)

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor, Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist, and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2022

The purpose of this article is to examine cow-calf profitability for a spring calving herd that sold weaned calves in the fall of 2021 and provide an estimate of profitability for the upcoming year.  Table 1 summarizes estimated costs for a well-managed spring-calving cowherd for 2021.  Every operation is different, so producers should evaluate

Reducing Your Dependency on Commercial Fertilizers Strategies for Cattle Farms in 2022 and Beyond

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2022

Fertilizer prices have risen to all-time high levels in the last few months.  Table 1 shows these increases over the last year for the most common commercial fertilizer sources used by cattle farmers.  Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers have both more than doubled over the last year.   

2022 Tobacco Budgets

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2022

The 2022 Kentucky-Tennessee tobacco budgets for burley, dark air-cured, dark fire-cured, cigar wrapper tobaccos are now available for download on our