The costs associated with owning and operating machinery represent a large proportion of the total production costs for many farm operations. In this post, we will look at the costs associated with machinery ownership as well as the options available to farm managers for obtaining access to machinery services.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 5/3/23 – Machinery Management
(Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
Are you looking to market your calves in a “program cattle” but unsure if the added costs outweigh the benefits? Today, we will discuss the potential benefits of implementing these programs in your operation and how you can evaluate whether it fits you well. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 4/26/23 – Program Cattle
In this post, we look at commodity basis and discuss how understanding a commodity’s basis can help you as you develop a marketing plan.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 4/19/2023 – Basis and How to Manage It
Dryland wheat grain and forage conditions in our area are different from what we were expecting in many cases. The Wheat and Small Grain Decision Aids will help you analyze the best alternative for your wheat fields according to your expected yields, production costs, equipment, and other variables.  [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 4/12/2023 – Wheat Grain Alternatives
Carbon markets have been a trendy topic lately and present producers with a potential new revenue source for their operation. This post briefly describes the basics of what carbon credits are and how carbon markets/contracts are structured. At the end of the post, I provide a set of links to additional articles that provide a more in-depth discussion of some of the legal and economic considerations related to carbon contracts.
(Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)
The 2023 crop and livestock budgets for District 3 are posted, and the budgets are available for all districts on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Economics website. Today, we look at the expected costs and returns from the Cow-Calf budgets in the Rolling Plains.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/29/2023 – A Look at the 2023 Cow-Calf Budget
Changes in both the U.S. and global macroeconomic environments can have a significant impact on the bottom line of farms and ranches. For this reason, it is important to be aware of changes in the macroeconomy and to consider how these changes might affect your operation.
Building a Profitable Ranch Business – Beef Cattle Standard Performance Analysis
One of the most essential responsibilities in our businesses is to ensure the economic sustainability of our companies for the future of our business or future generations. Most ranchers have suffered multiple years of low margins due to market prices below the average total economic cost of production. Even today, with a much better prices outlook than a year ago, breakeven prices are still high for most cow-calf operations.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/15/2023 – Building a Profitable Ranch Business
Inputs costs are expected to stay high in 2023, and the Federal Reserve has indicated that it intends to continue raising interest rates as it attempts to bring inflation under control. So how can you maintain the financial health of your operation in the current economic climate? One tool to consider is financial ratio analysis.
[Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/8/2023 – Key Financial Ratios to Watch in 2023
Dryland wheat grain and forage conditions in our area are better than last year but still not the best. The Wheat and Small Grain Decision Aids will help you analyze the best alternative for your wheat fields according to your expected yields, production costs, equipment, and other variables. [Read more…] about High Plains Ag Week – 3/1/2023 – Wheat Grain vs. Gain