Prospects for Winter Backgrounding 2022-2023

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

Feeder calf prices in Kentucky showed a great deal of strength for much of 2022. In August, a 550 lb steer was selling in the low-mid $180’s per cwt on a state average basis. However, worsening drought conditions have combined with seasonal tendencies and that same weight steer calf is now selling for $15 to $20 less per cwt.

U.S. Ag Exports Remain Strong Amidst a Lot of Headwinds

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2022

Despite tight supply inventories, shipping and other transportation challenges, a higher valued U.S. dollar, and an overall slowing global economy, U.S. agricultural export sales are set to establish record levels in 2022.   The value of U.S.

Retirement 2022

By Tarrah Hardin | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Oct. 31, 2022

Currently, it is a very stressful time to be farming because of conditions that cannot be controlled. With high input and equipment prices, some producers are thinking of exiting in the next few years.

Farm Employee Retention

By Suzy Martin | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Sep. 29, 2022

Hiring and managing employees is one of the least liked tasks a farm operator faces. Questions about the cost of hiring employees are an often-asked question of Kentucky Farm Business Management Program (KFBM) specialists.

Fall 2022 Wheat Planting Decision

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

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 increases in wheat and soybean prices, major increases in all fertilizer prices, and fuel prices that have almost doubled.  The following analysis quantifies these relative changes

2022 Farmland Values

By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 29, 2022

Kentucky’s farm real estate values increased 8.8% according to the annual Land Values Summary released by USDA in August. Average real estate value in the Commonwealth increased to $4,350 per acre, up from the $4,000 per acre reported in 2021.

Carbon Programs for Woodland Owners in Kentucky

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 29, 2022

As carbon programs continue to evolve and expand throughout the country, many programs focus on agriculture, specifically sequestering carbon in row crop production. Why agriculture?

Optimism for Burley???

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

For those of you who have gotten past the title, it is not a typo. Yes, the Kentucky burley sector has lost over 70% of its market over the past couple of decades, while the number of farms growing burley in the Commonwealth has dwindled by more than 90%.

Relating Farm Financial Terms to Real Life

By Kayla Brashears | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Aug. 30, 2022

A producer that works with any type of lending institution may hear their lender use words like liquidity, solvency, and profitability. Their banker may tell them their Term Debt Coverage Ratio is less than 1:1, so the new farm purchase is off the table. A producer may know that their Debt-to-Worth is good or their Current Ratio is bad.

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.