Items: Management & Finance
More Base Acres, More Protection
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2025
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, makes a landmark change to federal farm programs.
2025 Fall KFBM Observations
Published on Oct. 31, 2025
The Kentucky Farm Business Management Program is a program of the Department of Agricultural Economi
Prospects for Winter Backgrounding 2025-2026
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2025
Tight supplies and strong demand pushed cattle prices to unprecedented levels in 2025. As we write this in early October, calf prices are running over $1 per lb higher than fall of 2025 and heavy feeders are substantially higher as well.
Strategic Farm Finance and Tax Management in Profitable Times
By Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 28, 2025
Authors: Jonathan D. Shepherd, David Bilderback, and Kenny Burdine
Think Before You TikTok
By Meghan Planck | CCD Fellow
Published on Sep. 28, 2025
TikTok has exploded in popularity, and agriculture hasn’t been left behind. In 2023, agriculture-related content on TikTok racked up over 23 billion views, and the platform contributed $24.2 billion to the U.S. GDP. With its short, fast-paced videos and massive reach, it’s easy to wonder: Should your farm be on TikTok?
2024 Family Living and Net Farm Income
By Tarrah Hardin | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Aug. 31, 2025
Over the last few years, farmers across the state had to sharpen their pencil when it comes to the farm budget. One part of the budget should be a family living cost. The average family living cost was $100,358 or $8,363 per month in 2024 for the 90 farms in the Kentucky Farm Business (KFBM) family living data set.
2025 Farmland Values
By Steve Isaacs | Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 31, 2025
USDA releases the results of their annual survey of farmland values each August. The 2025 report indicates that national farm real estate values increased by 4.3% to an average of $4,350/ac. Kentucky farm real estate values increased 3.4% to an average of $5,480/ac.
Average KFBM Net Farm Income Dips Negative for the First Time in Decades
By Kayla Brashears | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on Jul. 30, 2025
For the first time since the 1980s, the average Net Farm Income (NFI) among Kentucky Farm Business Management (KFBM) cooperators has fallen below zero, closing the production year at an average of ($20,522). This dramatic shift is a sharp reversal from the record high NFI in 2021 of $871,325.
Know Your Ratios
By Kara Schlinke | KFBM Extension Associate Senior
Published on Jun. 30, 2025
Farming is more than planting, growing, and harvesting—it’s running a business. And like any business, understanding your financial health is crucial for long-term success. That’s where financial ratios come in. Think of them as vital signs for your farm’s finances.
Taxation of Timber Sales After a Casualty Event: A High-Level (Canopy) Discussion
By Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist
Published on Jun. 30, 2025
Kentucky has faced several natural disasters already in 2025, and for many timberland owners, it is a question of where to start regarding salvaging and selling timber. Trying to understand the tax implications of timber damaged or lost due to storms can feel as overwhelming as the tangled mess left behind by a tornado.