farm management

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 →

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

Webinar for New Owners of Farmland

Written by Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney and Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program

Are you a new owner of farmland? Whether inheriting or purchasing farmland for the first time, a new farmland owner must choose what to do with the land. Farm it, sell it, lease it, preserve it — all are viable options that require an understanding of economic considerations and legal requirements.

Our upcoming webinar for the National Agricultural Law Center can help. Join me and Robert Moore on October 15, 2025 at Noon EST as we present “So Now You Own a Farm: A Beginner’s Guide to Farmland Ownership.” 

Based on our recently published Beginner’s Guide to Farmland Ownership, this webinar will provide practical insights and strategies on new farmland ownership.  We’ll cover topics such as:

  • Estimating the value of farmland;
  • How to sell, lease, manage, or preserve the land;
  • Protecting the farmland from risk.

The session can help both new farmland owners and the professionals who advise them better navigate the responsibilities, options, and decision-making that comes with farmland ownership.  Register for the free online webinar at https://nationalaglawcenter.org/webinars/beginners-farmland-ownership/. 

Farming by the Rules: An Employment Law Series

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

Running a farm business is no small job. Between planting, harvesting, caring for livestock, and tracking markets, it’s easy to see why labor and employment laws might not be at the top of your list. But the reality is this: every agricultural operation, big or small, needs to pay attention to these rules. Ignoring them can create major headaches down the road.

We often write about labor and employment laws in agriculture, but we don’t always take the time to talk about the why. Why should farm employers care about compliance? The obvious answer is that failing to follow the law can lead to fines, penalties, or even criminal consequences. But there is another side to it: compliance is also about smart risk management. Too often, that part of the conversation gets overlooked.

In this post, we will dig into why labor and employment compliance matters for every farm employer, no matter the size of your operation, the number of workers you hire, or whether your team is made up of family, neighbors, or seasonal help. We will also be using this post to kick off a new series of posts, where we will break down labor and employment laws into bite-sized, practical pieces. The goal is to help Ohio producers understand their obligations and share best practices that can reduce risks and strengthen their businesses. Continue reading Farming by the Rules: An Employment Law Series →

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 →

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? →

A Recent Change to FSA Program Payments is Good for Farmers

By:Robert Moore

The One Big Beautiful Bill (HB 1) has received both praise and criticism from many commentators. However, one change that is clearly positive for farms is the provision allowing LLCs, corporations, and other liability-limiting entities to be eligible for multiple payments. This eliminates the need for some farms to choose between multiple FSA payments and unnecessary liability exposure.

Under the old rules, which remained in place through previous Farm Bills, LLCs and corporations were treated as a single “person” for FSA payment limitation purposes. This meant they were capped at one annual payment limit, historically $125,000 for programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), regardless of the number of owners or shareholders involved. To access multiple payment limitations, many farms had to operate as general partnerships, which increased exposure to personal liability.

In contrast, the new rules introduced by HB 1 treat LLCs and S corporations as pass-through entities, similar to partnerships. This allows each actively engaged member or shareholder to qualify for a separate payment limit, now inflation-adjusted to a base of $155,000 per person or entity. Continue reading A Recent Change to FSA Program Payments is Good for Farmers →

September 1 lease termination deadline is approaching for some farm leases

By:Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney and Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program

September 1 is fast approaching, and it’s an especially important date for landowners who lease cropland under an existing lease that does not address when or how the lease terminates. In those situations, September 1 is the deadline established by Ohio law for a landowner to notify a tenant that the landowner wants to terminate the lease. If the landowner does not provide notice by September 1, the tenant operator has a legal argument that the lease continues for another lease term because it was not terminated by the deadline.

Here are a few important provisions about the statutory termination law that are important to understand: Continue reading September 1 lease termination deadline is approaching for some farm leases →

2024 Farm Commodity Program Payment Estimates, Ohio Counties, August 18, 2025

By: Carl Zulauf, Seungki Lee, and David Marrison, Ohio State University, August 2025

2024 crop year payments for corn and soybeans are estimated for ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage – County version) using August 2025 estimates of 2024 crop year prices from USDA, FSA (US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency) (https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/arc-plc/program-data) and estimates of county yields from USDA, RMA (Risk Management Agency) (https://webapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/RIRS/SCOYieldsRevenuesPaymentIndicators.aspx).  Legislation requires FSA to give primacy to RMA yields when determining ARC-CO payment, but FSA can also consider other factors when determining ARC-CO county yields.

Our next report will be the final FSA payment rates for 2024 crop year corn and soybeans.  They are expected to be released in October 2025.  They could differ notably from these estimates.  Crop year prices and county yields are not final.  Moreover, they currently in a range where small changes can cause large changes in ARC-CO payments.  Use these estimated payments with caution. Continue reading 2024 Farm Commodity Program Payment Estimates, Ohio Counties, August 18, 2025 →

Upcoming Webinar: Understanding the H-2A Program for Ohio Farms

By:Robert Moore

The labor needs of Ohio farms continue to evolve, and many producers are exploring new options to meet workforce demands. One of those options is the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, which allows farms to hire seasonal labor from outside the United States.

The H-2A program is commonly used by labor-intensive farms such as fruit, vegetable, and nursery operations. However, it can also be an effective option for traditional row crop and livestock operations. This webinar will explain how the H-2A program works and discuss how it may be a good fit for row crop and livestock producers. The webinar will be hosted by OSU Extension Farm Office and the OSU Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics.

The online webinar will be held on Friday, September 12 at 10:00 am.  Free registration is available here: https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__s5bd8oKQ3K0vLiTYuqSug

What You’ll Learn

This educational session will provide an overview of the current state of agricultural labor and explain the key aspects of the H-2A program, including:

  • What the H-2A program is and how it operates
  • Practical steps for farms interested in applying
  • The application process
  • Why H-2A may be useful for farms that have not traditionally used guest workers

Featured Speakers

The webinar will feature a panel of experts, including:

  • Margaret Jodlowski, Assistant Professor, Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University
  • Jeff Lewis, Attorney, OSU Agricultural and Resource Law Program
  • Robert Moore, Attorney, OSU Agricultural and Resource Law Program
  • Representative from the U.S. Department of Labor

Together, they will share insights into how H-2A functions and answer questions about its potential role in Ohio’s farm workforce.

For more information or questions, contact Robert Moore (moore.301@osu.edu).