Items by Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Fall 2023 Wheat Planting Decision
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 29, 2023
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 are significant decreases in wheat and soybean prices, but also significant decreases in fertilizer and fuel prices. The following analysis quantifies these relative changes to estimate the profi
Stocker Outlook for 2023
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 30, 2023
Spring has officially arrived in the Commonwealth, which always brings questions about stocker profitability. Calf prices typically increase seasonally as we move into spring, but have increased at a larger-than-normal rate since the end of 2022.
Bale Grazing Grant Comes to Kentucky and Beyond
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 30, 2023
“Bale Grazing: A Practical, Low-Cost, and Environmentally-Sound Management Strategy to Winter Beef Cattle”, is a NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant that has been funded for six states – Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Missouri, Virginia, and New York (see figure 1). The grant started in 2022 and will end February 2028.
Cow-Calf Profitability Estimates for 2022 and 2023 (Spring Calving Herd)
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor,
Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist,
and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2023
The purpose of this article is to examine cow-calf profitability for a spring calving herd that sold weaned calves in the fall of 2022 and provide an estimate of profitability for the upcoming year, 2023. Table 1 summarizes estimated costs for a well-managed spring-calving cowherd for 2022. Every operation is different, so producers should eva
Grain Profitability Outlook 2023
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2023
The grain markets surged to a new level after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 24, 2022. Prices have come down since their peak last spring, but they are still extremely high. Current prices for 2023 new-crop delivery are around $5.60/bu for corn, $14/bu for soybeans (2/22/23). This is an increase of around $.30/bu for corn and $
Custom Machinery Rates Applicable to Kentucky (2022)
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 31, 2022
These custom rates are based on reported surveys in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Kansas. The rates calculated here are averages for these states and are adjusted to account for changes in fuel price, machinery costs1, and wages2 from the time of the reported surveys.
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.
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
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.