Farmers & Ranchers College programming begins Dec. 8

A signature agricultural economics program in Bruning, a hands-on farm budgeting workshop in Geneva, and a daylong beef seminar at Clay Center will form the 2022-23 Farmers & Ranchers College series in Tribland.

On Dec. 8, David Kohl will provide his traditional program to open the series. This year’s presentation is titled “Agriculture Today: New Era of Prosperity or Temporary Opportunity,” and will begin 1 p.m. at the Bruning Opera House. Registration starts at 12:45 p.m. The program applies to big-picture variables in producers’ business, family and personal lives.

Kohl is professor emeritus of agricultural finance and small business management and entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. He has become a staple presenter in the Farmers and Ranchers College series.

According to his biography published on the Agricultural Speakers Network website, he was on special leave with the Royal Bank of Canada working on advanced initiatives for two years, and also helped launch the entrepreneurship program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Kohl has traveled more than 10 million miles throughout his professional career. He has conducted more than 7,000 seminars and 500 webinars for ag groups such as bankers, Farm Credit Services, the federal Farm Service Agency and regulators, as well as producer and agribusiness groups. He has published five books and more than 2,500 articles and video blogs on financial and business-related topics online and/or in print.

On Dec. 15, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability will collaborate with Farmers & Ranchers College to present a workshop for producers, farm managers, bankers and anyone else interested in learning more about using the free online Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) for enterprise budgeting. The workshop runs 1-3 p.m. on the Fillmore County Fairgrounds in Geneva.

This year’s series rounds out with the Partners in Progress Beef Seminar (Cow/Calf College) on Jan. 19, 2023. The event will be at Clay Center, with the specific location to be announced.

The program will address Eastern red cedar control, pasture leases, stocking rates/AUM, and other topics. More details will follow.

The Farmers & Ranchers College was formed in January 2000 with the purpose of providing high-quality, dynamic, up-to-date educational workshops for ag producers in south central Nebraska through the collaboration of business, industry and higher education leaders. Farmers and Ranchers College also aims to provide the tools producers need to respond positively to changes in their industry using a profitable decision-making process.

Nebraska Extension personnel are among the key organizers of the programming, which is delivered in the winter months.

Because of support from sponsors, the programs are provided free of charge to participants. For the Dec. 8 program, registration at the door will be sufficient. For the Dec. 15 workshop, registration by Dec. 13 is required. For the Jan. 19 event, organizers request RSVPs at least one week in advance for meal count purposes.

Members of the Farmers & Ranchers College Committee are Fred Bruning of Bruning, Bryan Dohrman of Grafton, Sarah Miller of Carleton, Jennifer Engle of Fairmont, Jim Donovan of Geneva, Bryce Kassik of Geneva, Whitney Lovegrove of Geneva, Lindsey Waechter-Mead of Blue Hill, and Brandy VanDeWalle of Ohiowa.

For more information on this season’s programs and/or to register, call University of Nebraska Extension in Fillmore County, 402-759-3712, or visit go.unl.edu/farmersrancherscollege.