For the past 25 years, a significant portion of Texas has faced drought conditions nearly every year. According to the latest Drought Monitor report of October 30, around 77% of Texas is currently experiencing some level of drought. The USDA provides a tool to assist ranchers during these challenging times. [Read more…] about Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Deadline is Coming Soon

Let Your Numbers Do the Talking

With cattle markets constantly shifting and production costs on the rise, making sound financial decisions in your cow-calf or stocker operation is more important than ever. Whether you’re thinking about purchasing replacement females, retaining ownership past weaning, or evaluating a preconditioning program, there’s a tool available to help guide those decisions. The Beef Cattle Decision Aids walk you through all of these topics and much more! [Read more…] about Beef Cattle Decision Aids: Let Your Numbers Do the Talking

As harvest time approaches, the outlook for the 2025/26 cotton crop is starting to become clearer. In this post, we examine what the latest reports from the USDA reveal about cotton production this year. [Read more…] about Fall 2025 Cotton Production and Market Outlook

The key risk management strategies for successfully running a profitable business include setting and measuring production, economic, and financial performance objectives, identifying the unit cost of production, and benchmarking against alternative production systems. As Peter Drucker said, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Therefore, a profitable business needs to establish clear financial and production performance objectives.

 

[Read more…] about Beef-Cattle Standard Performance Analysis

Over the last few years, the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program has really taken off, especially for cattle producers in the South. What used to be a small, barely used safety net that covered just 71,000 head back in 2017 has exploded. By mid 2025, participation reached 7.5 million head. The last couple of years alone have been big, with nearly 5 million head in 2023 and over 6 million in 2024. Much of that growth comes from USDA changes that made the program cheaper and easier to use, along with the strong rebound in feeder and live cattle prices. [Read more…] about LRP Use Surges as Cattle Prices Climb

Farmers and ranchers in South Florida—mark your calendars! On Thursday, August 7, 2025, producers are invited to attend our Business Planning & Tax Management for Farmers and Ranchers workshop. This is a hands-on, half-day workshop focused on strengthening the business portion of your agricultural operation. [Read more…] about Upcoming Workshop in Homestead, FL

Today Is the Deadline to Enroll in the Dual-Purpose Annual Forage Insurance Program

If you’re a dual-purpose wheat producer in Texas, today—July 15—is your last chance to enroll in the Dual-Purpose Annual Forage Insurance Program for next season. With summer in full swing, now is the time to make risk management decisions that could make a big difference come drought season.

This USDA-backed insurance program is designed to protect operations growing annual forage crops, like wheat, for both grazing and grain. It’s been a game-changer for many producers across Texas, helping to buffer the financial blow of unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather. [Read more…] about Last Day to Sign Up for Dual-Purpose Forage Insurance

On Monday, June 30, the USDA released its June Acreage Report. In today’s post, we examine the report’s implications for crop production nationwide and in Texas. [Read more…] about Analyzing the June Acreage Report

Check how the USDA Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program can help you lock in profits and manage price risk; whether you are running a large ranch operation or just a few head.

 

 

 

 

 

[Read more…] about How Can We Use Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) in Today’s Market?