The past several years have been a challenge to be in agriculture to say the very least. Farmers and ranchers currently are experiencing one of the biggest downturns in history with many drawing parallels to the 1980s. Planning for the future is critical for both the short-term viability of the farm business as well as for the long-term growth and sustainability of the farming legacy. 

The Cottonwood District along with the South Central Kansas Farm Management Association will host a program that will offer a variety of outlook talks to assist in planning for the upcoming years. Having a grasp of input costs and projected prices can assist in making equipment purchasing decisions, land rental arrangements, cattle and grain marketing plans, and more. Managing a farm’s financials will also be discussed, as it pertains to the current economic times.

The scheduled sessions for the day are:

“Understanding Your Financial Position”- Bryan Manny

“Determining Your Cost of Production and how it relates to marketing” – Clay Simons and Aaron Meisenheimer

“Recognizing Signs of Extreme Stress and Who’s There to Help.”- Alicia Boor

“Making Communication a Part of Your Business”- Joni James and Camille Claassen.

The seminar is sponsored by Barton County Kansas Farm Management, Barton County Farm Bureau, and First Kansas Bank. It will be held on Jan. 29 at Hoisington at the Knights of Columbus, 114 N. Main Street. The program begins with registration at 9 a.m. and will end at 4 p.m. You must RSVP at 620-793-1910 or by email at aboor@ksu.edu by Jan. 22 to ensure that enough materials will be available. 

Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her by email at aboor@ksu.edu or call 620-793-1910.