Southern Ag Today: A Resource for Farmers and Policymakers in The Southern Region

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 29, 2023

The Department of Agricultural Economics here at UK is proud to be a part of Southern Ag Today.

2023 Farmland Values

By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 8, 2023

Each August the USDA releases the results of their survey of farmland values. The survey includes data from approximately 9,000 tracts of land of about one square mile each across the continental United States.

What Do Higher Profit Farms in Kentucky Have in Common?

By Lauren Omer Turley | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Aug. 29, 2023

In today’s farming culture, the farm is run just as a business.  It is important for producers to make progress and always look for ways to improve the operation.  The goal of most producers is to be at the top of the profitability curve in order to stay competitive.  In Kentucky, we have had a record three-year period from 2020 to 2022.  There

Can I Afford to Buy A Farm?

By Kayla Brashears | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Aug. 29, 2023

A goal of many pursuing the American dream is home ownership. Similarly, the goal of a farmer is often to become a landowner. Like single-family residences, the financial decision to purchase farmland is clouded by emotional, social, and familial influences.

An INFORMATION System

By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on Jul. 28, 2023

Recordkeeping. Root canals. Airline seats. Kidney stones. Boring relatives. Wet dogs None of them are pleasant. Some should be avoided. Some of them are pretty important though. Keeping records for the farm business, for instance. Not pleasant (usually) but certainly important.

2022 Financial Overview of Kentucky Farms

By Tarrah Hardin | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Jun. 29, 2023

After coming off a record high Net farm income (NFI) in 2021, grain farms in Kentucky Farm Business Management (KFBM) program saw their net farm income decrease to levels below pre-pandemic.  Net farm income is the value of farm production less total operating expense and deprecation.

The PRIMER Method

By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on May. 30, 2023

The calls or emails start with, “I’m thinking about trying….” and end sometime later with, “What do you think?” For three decades I’ve fielded many of these inquiries. Extension agents get them with incredible frequency.

H-2A Guest Worker Program for Agricultural Employers

By Laura Powers | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Apr. 28, 2023

The H-2A Visa program is a popular program for farmers seeking to hire temporary, seasonal workers. The original H-2 visa program was established with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 for general nonimmigrant, temporary foreign workers. The 1952 act was later amended by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

USDA Revising Tax Documents for Assistance Under the Inflation Reduction Act

By Jerry Pierce | KFBM Program Coordinator
Published on Apr. 21, 2023

USDA is mailing revised tax documents and a cover letter to about 12,500 direct loan borrowers who received financial assistance last year under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Maximizing Value: 2023 Spring Application of Broiler Litter for Grain Crop Production

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 30, 2023

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,