Economic Value of Poultry Litter Tool: Grain Crops

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 25, 2021

This decision tool has been created to help producers determine the economic value of poultry litter. The tool is customizable to reflect each individuals situation when selling, purchasing, and/or applying poultry litter.

“There’s an App for That”

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Jul. 27, 2021

Have you ever pulled your smartphone out and thought, “I sure wish there was an app for that”?  Well, you are not alone.  The development of new mobile apps for just about anything is fast-paced.  Why?  According to comScore, 89% of all mobile minutes are mobile app minutes.  The top two categories for mobile app users are social media and news/

Carbon Markets 101

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Apr. 29, 2021

The development of agricultural ecosystem credit markets, specifically carbon markets, is a hot topic in the popular press and Washington, DC.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 10% of carbon dioxide, a primary greenhouse gas, is emitted by the agricultural sector.  While this is relatively a small portion of

Mobile Apps in Agricultural Economics

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Apr. 1, 2021

We have smartphone apps for everything these days, including apps for farmers and producers in areas such as marketing, management, policy, agribusiness, and economic development. This publication provides an overview of apps designed to aid in these areas, which topics they cover, and their availability via Apple or Google smartphones.

Maximizing Value: 2021 Spring Application of Broiler Litter for Grain Crop Production

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 30, 2021

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,

Estimating the Economic Depreciation of Farm Assets

By Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist, Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor, and Robert Ellis | Graduate Student
Published on Jan. 7, 2021

Depreciation can often become an overlooked area for a farming operation. Yet, it plays a major role in both taxes and profitability.  A possible reason could be that when most people hear depreciation, they jump directly to tax depreciation.

The Economic Value of Applying Broiler Litter in the Fall

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Nov. 25, 2020

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.

Economics of Various Winter Wheat Management Strategies

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 28, 2020

Planting season is right around the corner for those in Kentucky growing winter wheat this year.  Are you thinking about adjusting management practices by increasing seeding rates or adding phosphorus in anticipation of increased yields?

The Chicken or the Egg? The Untold Story during a Pandemic

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 25, 2020

Most people are familiar with the age-old question, which came first, the chicken or the egg?  During a nationwide pandemic, which left the grocery shelf first, the chicken or the egg?  While consumers across the country began "panic buying" during the onset of COVID-19, all protein sources were limited.  The food industry's just-in-time supply

Economic Costs for Establishing and Terminating Cover Crops

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor and Robert Ellis | Graduate Student
Published on Jun. 1, 2019

This decision tool has been created to assist producers in calculating the direct cost of implementing cover crops into their current rotation. This tool uses input and machinery costs to generate an estimated cost associated with growing cover crops. No revenue streams or beneficial factors were taken into account in this tool.