ag land management – Views from VanDeWalle

Ag Land Leasing Workshop in Wilber
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability and Nebraska Extension will present a landlord/tenant cash rent workshop in Wilber for landowners and operators from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 6, at the office of Nebraska Extension in Saline County, 306 W. 3rd St.

The meeting, titled “Financial Strategies for Effective Agricultural Land Leasing and Management” will cover current Nebraska cash rental rates and land values, best practices for agricultural leases, and other contract considerations. The meeting will also include financial considerations for farm succession and transition and offer an opportunity for those in attendance to have their leasing questions answered.

Agricultural economists Anastasia Meyer and Jim Jansen will lead the presentation. Both are with the Center for Agricultural Profitability. Refreshments will be provided, sponsored by Farmers National Company.

The meeting is free to attend, but registration is required by Jan. 5 by calling Nebraska Extension in Saline County at 402-821-2151.

More information about cash rental rates, leasing and farm and ranch transition can be found on the Center for Agricultural Profitability’s website, https://cap.unl.edu.

Online Course Offers Tax Strategies for Farmers & Ranchers
A new educational opportunity is now available for agricultural producers looking to strengthen their financial management skills. The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program has launched a free online course, Tax Strategies for Farms and Ranches, open to participants beginning Dec. 1.

Designed as a self-paced learning experience, the course helps farmers and ranchers take a more proactive, informed approach to tax planning. It is geared toward both beginners and those wanting to sharpen their current tax management practices.

Participants will learn how to improve communication with their tax professionals, develop a dependable record-keeping system, and make better-informed decisions that focus not just on lowering tax bills but on maximizing after-tax income. Course materials draw from trusted agricultural tax resources, including USDA, RuralTax.org, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability.

“Taxes shouldn’t be something producers only think about once a year,” said Jessica Groskopf, Director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Program. “By taking a more strategic approach, producers can work more effectively with their tax professionals and make decisions that support the long-term success of their farm or ranch.”

The course is available at no cost but will only be offered from Dec. 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026. Those interested can enroll online at go.unl.edu/ae.

Anyone who owns or leases farm ground or leases it to someone else will want to attend this day-long seminar providing information and education about that ownership. Learn management strategies for this asset by attending this seminar at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 947 S. Baltimore Ave, Hastings, NE. The event will be held Thursday, August 31^st with registration starting at 9:00 a.m., program starting at 9:30 and ending around 3:00 p.m.

Participants can use this seminar to learn about: Am I keeping the farm, or selling it? How do I manage a farm? If leasing, what are key lease provisions? What legal considerations do I have with this decision? And, how do we manage family communications and expectations when other family is involved? What does a soil test tell me? I hear about organic or natural production; how does that vary from what my farmer is currently doing? If corn and soybeans aren’t making money why don’t we raise other crops? What should I expect for communications between the landlord and tenant? What are key pasture leasing considerations? money bag.jpg

“I am contacted monthly from citizens who have had their parents pass away, and now they are managing a farm for the first time in their lives,” said Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator and event speaker. “They may have even grown up there, but haven’t been around for 30 or 40 years, and need to understand that farming practices and management concepts have changed,” Vyhnalek continued.

The workshop is designed to provide primer education for those that haven’t been on the farm much, or on the farm much recently. It is also designed to be a refresher course for those that would like to have the latest information on land management and rental.

Pre-registration is requested by Monday, August 28, 2017. Registration fee is $20 per person or $30 per couple. The fee covers handouts, refreshments and lunch. Contact Twila Bankson at the Adams County Extension Office, P.O. Box 30, Hastings, NE 68901, twila.bankson@unl.edu, or 402-461-7209 to register.

The program is being provided by Allan Vyhnalek, Aaron Nygren, and Jim Jansen, Extension Educators from Nebraska Extension. They provide the farm land management and agronomy education in eastern Nebraska.

Tag: ag land management

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