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An important date for farmers has passed. The Farm Bill officially expired on September 30, 2024. What happens next? Various farm bill commodity support programs will be extended until the end of the year, but then they need to be replaced. Congress has a guarantee, built into the law, based on parity, but almost all experts expect that Congress will need to prevent return of these old programs, so expect some type of action soon on a farm bill.  The current farm bill has been in place since 2018 and extended. The last several years, climate-focused conservation programs have been a major focus. Programs on storing carbon long-term and reducing greenhouse gases have been a priority, but the base money for that program has run out. The new Inflation Reduction Act added $18 billion dollars for climate-smart or climate-related conservation programs, and that does not run out until 2031. Examples include the Conservation Stewardship Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQI...

Agriculture, in general, has entered a period of financial crisis. With lower crop prices and below average yields, farm income is much lower. The lack of rain in August and early September resulted in average soybeans yields around 40-50 bushel plus/minus. I am hearing yields ranging from 130 to 220 bushel on corn, but most farmers tell me they are averaging 180 bushel or less, but takes almost 200 bushel to break even. So, farmers are hurting financially. Soybeans were so dry (as low as 4-8% moisture) that many beans shattered and many early harvested soybeans fields had a perfect new crop of soybeans growing after a rain in late September, but most are gone now with frost.  Some small farmers may be looking at alternative farm enterprises to supplement their farm income. Regular commodities row crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat have a lower profit margin and farmers make money when they produce high volume or yield. Alternative farm enterprises may improve farm profitability ...

Many farmers spend a lifetime accumulating land and investing in their farms. Most farmers have a desire to transition their assets and operations to the next generation. It’s complicated and time-consuming, so it takes a team of professionals to help and give advice on farm transition planning. A professional team can help farm families figure out all the issues involved in farm estate planning. Here are some tips taken directly from The Ohio State University Extension on how to get started. For more information, go to: https ://farmoffice.osu.edu /blog -tags /estate -planning . Don’t jump right to the plan—talk first. An important first step to building a plan is getting the family talking and thinking. Ohio State University Extension has a farm management team that can assist with the initial steps. David Marrison, OSU Extension, recommends strategies for working with farm families, including understanding the legacy, encouraging the family to assess its strengths, weaknesses, oppor...

  Farmers and researchers often say it takes 3-5-7 years or longer to convert to no-till before the yields and profits are the same or return back to normal. When crop prices are low, that makes it harder to switch from conventional tillage to no-till crops. Soybeans and wheat are the easiest to convert, but for corn, the yield lag may be 10-20%, which makes the conversion unprofitable. However, some farmers and researchers are making the conversion without a yield lag. With less fuel, equipment, and labor needed; no-till farming practices become much more profitable than conventional crops. Also, the environmental benefits to building soil organic matter and keeping soil in place are added incentives. Since it is a risky to change and with decreased profit expected, any yield lag prevents most farmers from considering a transition. Even short-term yield losses and lower profit are hard to justify even if someone says your future rewards will be higher. That is why the conversion t...