News

K-State agricultural economist Robin Reid discusses a new analysis which looked at the health care costs for farm and ranch families in Kansas...it identified trends in health insurance premiums paid over the past 10 years for various demographics, and the percentage of family living expenses devoted to health care.

Mykel Taylor shares her latest observations on farmland value and rental rate trends in Kansas, and where those might be headed in 2019...she also comments on making USDA commodity program decisions in anticipation of the new farm bill being finalized soon.

The director of the Farm Analyst program at K-State, Duane Hund, talks about the financial stress situations that he's encountering as he works with farm families on analyzing their economic status...he explains how farming operations can take advantage of the services this program provides, especially in planning for next year.

K-State agricultural economist Monte Vandeveer talks about how the Pasture, Rangeland and Forage Insurance Program works, with the enrollment deadline for the 2019 growing season coming up soon. He explains how pasture and forage losses are calculated, based on grid rainfall data, and points to an on-line Risk Management Agency tool that helps a producer calculate the potential coverage payout. Also, K-State Research and Extension risk management specialist Art Barnaby discusses the Whole Farm Revenue Protection program, which just might help row crop producers confronted with difficulties at harvest time.

The director of the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center at K-State, Brian Briggeman, talks about the current state of agricultural cooperatives in Kansas, as this is National Cooperative Month...joining us from South Africa, where he is currently studying agricultural cooperative operations there.

K-State agricultural economist Gabe Sampson reports on his new analysis of the peer effects on irrigation adoption...in other words, how a neighbor's commitment to crop irrigation would potentially influence a producer's decision to adopt irrigation practices as well:  this study was based on detailed irrigation data in Kansas dating all the way back to the mid-1940s.

K-State agricultural economist Jisang Yu talks about his new analysis of the Risk Management Agency (RMA)'s insurance program for pasture and forage managers, called Rainfall Index Insurance Program for Pasture, Forage and Rangeland (PRF-RI)...he and his colleagues examined how well the RMA’s rainfall indices explain the individual forage yield.

K-State agricultural economist Beth Yeager discusses her new study of the persistence of farm financial performance...using Kansas Farm Management Association data, she looked at the stability of individual farm income over a five-year span and the factors that allowed farms to consistently remain profitable over time.