MANAGEMENT

Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) insurance was created by the Agricultural Act of 2014. It has been available for purchase since the 2015 crop year. Since then, each year has brought updates to the program.

The phone dings. It’s a text message from a strange number inquiring about your hay for sale. Hesitant and a bit perplexed, you respond. After a few messages back and forth, your gut tells you something’s not quite right – it’s a scam.

Landowners may choose to replant a pasture for many reasons, including invasive plants, drought impacts, wildlife concerns or changes in the ranch operation. What to plant should always be based on established goals for the property. Do you want to solely manage for livestock forage or does wildlife hunting or viewing add to the value or recreational opportunities on your land?

Essentially everything we do as forage growers is to maximize the conversion of solar energy into digestible energy. We do not use photovoltaic cells. We use photosynthetic cells.

I’m an agricultural economist at a land-grant university. One advantage I have in my work is I also farm; I grass-finish cattle and have partnerships on cow-calf and sheep operations in other locations.

Leasing land is sometimes a pain. Hence, producers may be inclined to take the path of least resistance. Sometimes that path is just fine, but other times it can lead to more headaches than anticipated.