Farm Office

2024 ARC-CO Corn & Soybean Payment Estimates, Ohio Counties, November 2025

Authors: Carl Zulauf, Seungki Lee, and David Marrison, Ohio State University

Click here for a PDF version of this article

2024 crop year payments for corn and soybeans are estimated for ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage – County version) using USDA, FSA (US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency) final program parameters, US crop year price, and Ohio county yield.

Caveat:  Even though final 2024 program data is used, the county payments in this report are estimates.  Currently available data do not break out base acres enrolled in ARC-CO by irrigation –dryland designation while program parameters for some Ohio counties are broken out by this designation.  We use dryland values since irrigation is limited in Ohio.  Our estimates should be close to the actual values.

ARC-CO Ohio Payment Overview

  • Appended Ohio maps present corn and soybean per base acre payment rate and total payment by county.  Tables presents the combined corn and soybean payments by county.
  • $85 million total Ohio corn payments
  • $83 million total Ohio soybean payments
  • $168 million combined payments
  • $111 per base acre – highest per base acre payment for corn (Ross County irrigated)
  • $71 per base acre – highest per base acre payment for soybeans (Mercer County)
  • $9 million – highest total county payment for corn (Pickaway)
  • $5 million – highest total county payment for soybeans (Mercer)
  • $13 million – highest total county payment for corn plus soybeans (Pickaway)
  • 34 Ohio counties with corn base had no ARC-CO payments.
  • 20 Ohio counties with soybean base had no ARC-CO payments.
  • 19 Ohio counties with corn and/or soybean base had no ARC-CO payments.

PLC (Price Loss Coverage), the other widely-used commodity program option, made no payments to corn and soybeans.

 

Payment Formulas (● = times):

ARC-CO payment rate per base acre = MAX [$0, or 86% times (county benchmark revenue – observed revenue)] ● 85% payment factor.  County benchmark revenue = (5-year Olympic average (high and low value removed) of recent US crop year prices ● 5-year Olympic average of recent trend-adjusted county yields).  Observed revenue = observed US crop year price ● observed county yield.  ARC-CO payment rate is capped at 10% of county benchmark revenue.

PLC payment rate per base acre = MAX [$0, or (US effective reference price – US crop year price) ● FSA farm’s PLC base yield ● 85% payment factor. Continue reading 2024 ARC-CO Corn & Soybean Payment Estimates, Ohio Counties, November 2025 →

Agricultural & Natural Resources Income Tax Issues Webinar

Written by Jeffrey K. Lewis, Esq., Legal Associate, Agricultural and Resource Law Program, Income Tax Schools

Barry Ward, Director, Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University
Jeff Lewis, Legal Associate, Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University

Tax practitioners, farmers, and farmland owners are encouraged to connect to the Agricultural and Natural Resources Income Tax Issues Webinar (via Zoom) on December 15th from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University and Purdue Income Tax Schools.

The webinar focuses on issues specific to farm tax returns related to agriculture and natural resources and will highlight timely topics and new regulations.

The program is an intermediate-level course for tax preparers whose clients include farmers and rural landowners. Farmers who prepare and file their own taxes will also benefit from the webinar.

 

Topics to be covered during the Ag Tax Issues webinar include:

Outlook for Farm Economy
Legislative and Regulatory Update
Farm Partnership Tax Matters
Installment Method on the Farm
Healthcare Options for Farmers in 2026
Sale and Exchange of Farm Property
Cost Recovery in 2025 and Beyond
CCC Marketing Assistance Loans
Residual Fertility/Fertilizer Deduction
Taxability of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Indemnity Payments
Income Tax Issues – 4-H & FFA Projects
R&D Tax Credits – Credit for Increasing Research Activities (I.R.C. § 41)
Changes to Corporate Transparency Act – Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting
Managing Basis in Estates

The cost for the one-day school is $180 if registered by December 1st. After December 1st, the registration increases to $230. Additionally, the course has been approved for the following continuing education credits:

  • Accountancy Board of Ohio, CPAs (6 hours)
  • Office of Professional Responsibility, IRS (6 hours)
  • Supreme Court of Ohio, Attorneys (5 hours)

Registration also includes the Agricultural Tax Issues Workbook. Early registration (at least two weeks prior to the webinar) guarantees that you’ll receive a workbook prior to the webinar.

Instructors will include Jared Foos (President, Foos Garvin Accounting, Inc & instructor for many Ohio and National Tax Courses), Barry Ward, Jeff Lewis, David Marrison, Robert Moore (all with The Ohio State University) and Michael Langemeier (Purdue University).

The live webinar will also feature options for interaction and the ability to ask questions about the presented material.

More information on the workshop, including how to register, can be found at: https://go.osu.edu/tax2025

For any questions, please contact Barry Ward or Jeff Lewis at taxschools@osu.edu

Pasture and Forage Risk Protection? – Enroll by December 1st

By: Eric Richer, Aaron Wilson, Mike Estadt, Garth Ruff

It is no secret that hay producers and pasture managers in Ohio have experienced lower production in the past two years than the previous several years due to significant drought in parts of the state. Similar to row crop production, weather risk can present significant challenges for our livestock producers who produce their own forages and/or graze livestock. Those producers may consider Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Insurance as part of their risk management strategy. Enrollment in this insurance product closes December 1st each year.

The Basics

PRF is a single-peril (rainfall only) and area-based insurance product. Area-based means that indemnity payments will not be based upon individual producer’s experience, rather, payments will be based upon a grid’s deviation from historically normal rainfall. It covers less than average rainfall levels in a particular grid up to the level of coverage that a farmer selects. Rainfall is measured through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center (NOAA CPC). A producer will have to make several choices including the coverage level of forage production they wish to insure, the rainfall index months to cover, the productivity level of the field or fields they wish to enroll and the number of acres they wish to insure. Continue reading Pasture and Forage Risk Protection? – Enroll by December 1st →

Lorain County Planning for the Future of your Farm Workshop, December 11 & 17

 This program will be held on December 11 and 17 from 6-9 PM with a light meal starting at 5:30 pm.

If you and your family are grappling with the critical issue of how to transition your farm operation and assets to the next generation, OSU Extension invites you to attend the “Planning for the Future of Your Farm Workshop” on _December 11 & 17_from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at _the Lorain County Extension Office with a light meal starting at 5:30.

This two-evening workshop will help your family to actively plan for the future of the farm business.  Learn how to have crucial conversations about the future of your farm and gain a better understanding of the strategies and tools that can help you transfer your farm’s ownership, management, and assets to the next generation. We encourage parents, children, and grandchildren to attend together to develop a plan for the future of the family and farm.

Teaching faculty for the workshop are David Marrison, OSU Extension Farm Management Field Specialist, and Robert Moore, Attorney with the OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program.

Workshop topics include: Developing Legacy Goals; Planning for the Transition of Management; Planning for the Unexpected; Communication and Conflict Management; Legal Tools and Strategies; Developing Your Team; Getting Your Affairs in Order; and Selecting an Attorney.

The base registration fee of $35_includes course materials, refreshments and light meal prior to evening’s workshop.  Registration is limited and should be received no later than December 9.

To get registered, please reach out to the Extension office or stop by to fill out a registration form. There are limited spots available, so don’t wait! We hope to see you there! You can also find the flyer and registration form on our county page here: https://lorain.osu.edu/events/planning-future-your-farm-workshop

Farmer and Farmland Owner Income Tax Webinar

Written by Jeffrey K. Lewis, Esq., Legal Associate, Agricultural and Resource Law Program, Income Tax Schools

Barry Ward & Jeff Lewis, Income Tax Schools at The Ohio State University

Are you a farmer or farmland owner wanting to learn more about recent tax law changes which were a part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? If so, join us for a live webinar on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, as part of our Farm Office Live Series.

To register visit: https://go.osu.edu/register4fol

This webinar will focus on issues related to farmer and farmland owner income tax returns as well as the latest news on CAUV and property taxes in Ohio. This two-hour program will be presented in a live webinar format via Zoom by OSU Extension Educators Barry Ward, David Marrison, Jeff Lewis, and Robert Moore. Anyone who operates a farm, owns farmland, or rents agricultural property will benefit from this timely update.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • Tax Provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
    • Changes to Section 179 Expensing and Bonus Depreciation
    • Changes to 1099 Thresholds
    • Changes to Estate Tax Exemption
    • And many more….
  • Tax Planning in Low Income Years
  • Residual Fertility / Excess Fertility Deduction
  • Research & Development Tax Credit
  • Sale of Inherited Farm Assets
  • Valuation of Unharvested Crops
  • Special Use Valuation
  • Income Tax Issues for 4-H & FFA Projects
  • Ohio Tax Update (CAUV/Property Tax Update, Income Tax Changes)

Registration: https://go.osu.edu/register4fol

For more information, contact Barry Ward at ward.8@osu.edu or Jeff Lewis at lewis.1459@osu.edu

Avoiding Probate: Two Commonly Overlooked Farm Assets

By:Robert Moore

Avoiding probate should be a primary goal in nearly every estate plan. It reduces legal fees, shortens administration time, and prevents unnecessary disruption for heirs. For most assets, avoiding probate is straightforward. Bank accounts, life insurance, and retirement accounts can pass by beneficiary designation. Real estate can transfer through a transfer on death affidavit.

For farm families, however, two types of assets are often overlooked and end up forcing an estate into probate: trailers and cooperative ownership. Continue reading Avoiding Probate: Two Commonly Overlooked Farm Assets →

More than a Buddy Seat – Turning Harvest Rides into Meaningful Conversations

By: David Marrison, OSU Extension Field Specialist – Farm Management

OSU Extension has a long history of helping farm families with transition and estate planning. While most would agree this kind of planning is vital for the future success of the farm, it often gets delayed or doesn’t happen at all, for a variety of reasons.

So why the delay?

  • Families often cite reasons such as:
  • Not enough hours in the day to get everything done.
  • Not comfortable talking about death.
  • Don’t know how to develop a plan.
  • Don’t understand all the legal jargon.
  • Legal and tax professionals are too expensive.
  • We don’t agree on what to do.
  • It might cause family conflict.
  • Our family communication about sensitive topics is poor.

So, what would be on your list? For most, the top two reasons are the lack of time and a history of poor communication around difficult topics. So, how can we overcome these obstacles? Maybe one strategy this fall is to use the buddy seat to our advantage.

Buddy Seat

A buddy seat, sometimes called a passenger or instructional seat, is an extra seat inside the cab of farm equipment like a combine or tractor. It is there so someone else (like a child, grandchild, trainee, or helper) can ride along safely with the operator. It is a great way to teach someone the ropes or spend some quality time together during long hours in the field.

I recently read an article by Raney Rapp called “The Buddy Seat Barometer” which explores how the buddy seat has become an informal rite of passage in farm dating. Rapp explained that a few minutes or hours in a buddy seat can show you a lot. You will see the good, how someone handles stress, and how the family works together. Rapp remarked that the buddy seat is a good barometer to see if this life and person might be the right fit.

So, beyond the dating world, could the buddy seat be used to create deeper connections? What if we used the buddy seats in our combines, trucks, and tractors as places to have more intentional conversations? Continue reading More than a Buddy Seat – Turning Harvest Rides into Meaningful Conversations →

Planning for the Future of Your Farm Online Farm Transition and Estate Course Now Available

OSU Extension is pleased to announce that a new online self-paced course titled “Planning for the Future of Your Farm” is now available through OSU’s Professional and Continuing Education platform. This course is designed to help farm families navigate the complex process of farm transition and estate planning.

Using OSU Extension’s structured five-phase approach, participants explore strategies for transferring ownership, management, and assets to the next generation. The course emphasizes effective family communication, legal and financial planning tools, and proactive decision-making.

Whether your farm is large or small, this course provides the guidance that will help you to create a customized transition plan that reflects your family’s goals and values. Families are encouraged to participate together to develop a shared vision for the future. Continue reading Planning for the Future of Your Farm Online Farm Transition and Estate Course Now Available →

Time to Review Your Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will

Written by Robert Moore

Planning for the future of a farm involves much more than deciding who will operate the business or inherit the land. It also means making decisions about your personal care if you cannot speak for yourself. Few topics are harder to consider than end-of-life treatment, but addressing them in advance can save loved ones from confusion and  conflict at a difficult time. Two legal documents are especially important for these decisions: the Health Care Power of Attorney and the Living Will Declaration. Continue reading Time to Review Your Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will →

2026 Crop Insurance Decision – a cut and paste from last year or not?

By Clint Schroeder, Program Manager for Ohio Farm Business Analysis Program and Eric Richer, Field Specialist, Farm Management

With the projected price discovery period now closed for winter wheat Ohio farmers have until September 30, 2025, to select the crop insurance coverage that best suits their operation. However, the decision on policy type and coverage levels for 2026 crops could be impacted by the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Signed into law on July 4, 2025, OBBBA offers higher area-based policy coverage levels, increases premium support, and expands support for beginning farmers and ranchers. This article will highlight these key changes so that producers can make more informed decisions for 2026 production on their farm. Continue reading 2026 Crop Insurance Decision – a cut and paste from last year or not? →