Webinar Will Explain Farm Bill Options to Producers

April 26, 2013

LINCOLN, Neb. — A University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension webinar will help producers sort out their options under the farm bill.

The sessions will be offered 10:30 a.m. to noon Central Time on April 29 and May 3. The first hour will feature discussion of farm bill implications and performance for last year and beyond; the rest of the time will be used for discussion of online Excel-based Nebraska ACRE tool for producers.

Both sessions will cover the same material.

Congress this year extended the 2008 farm bill to cover production in 2013.

The extension of this legislation requires producers to again make an election regarding which FSA farm program they will enroll under: the traditional DCP program or the newer ACRE program.

Timothy Lemmons, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator, said it's critical that producers understand how each program has performed in the past and how it's anticipated to perform this year.

The April 29 and May 3 webinars provide an opportunity for producers to re-educate themselves on the workings of the ACRE and DCP programs, as well as  expert analysis of how these programs might extend risk management protection in the near future, Lemmons said.

"We will also demonstrate the updated Nebraska ACRE Model Excel program available for download at http://agecon.unl.edu/farmbill," he added.

Scheduled speakers include Brad Lubben, UNL Extension public policy specialist, and Lemmons.

Producers can participate in the webinar at http://connect.unl.edu/farmbillmeeting.  The webinar also will be aired at the following sites: Chase County, 135 West Fifth, Imperial, April 29 and May 3; Valley County Extension Office, April 29 and May 3; Jefferson County Extension Office, April 29 and May 3; Haskell Ag Lab in Concord, May 3 only; Washington County Extension Office, 597 Grant St., Blair, May 3 only; and Cuming County Extension Office, courthouse, West Point, April 29 only.

In addition, the sessions will be recorded and available later at cropwatch.unl.edu.