Ag Policy

Survey for Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rental Rates

Hello ANR Friends,

We are once again surveying ag professionals (Extension Educators, Farm Service Agency CEDs and County Committees, financial officers/lenders, appraisers, and others) across Ohio to generate information for those interested in farmland. You might notice that our timing is different this year. We hope that you’ll still be able to assist in this important survey effort for Ohio. We value your thoughts and responses greatly!

This year, there are three options to complete the short survey.

  1. Complete the survey online at: https://go.osu.edu/ohiocroplandvaluescashrents2122
  2. Complete the attached survey (Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rents Short Survey 2022) by printing it out, filling it out, scanning, and emailing the completed survey back to ward.8@osu.edu
  3. Complete the survey in the body of this email and return it to ward.8@osu.edu (Please see the survey at the end of this email.)

You can also access the online survey through this QR code:

If you’re able to assist with this effort, we ask you to please complete the online or attached survey by April 30th, 2022.

All survey data will be anonymous and distributed only in a summary format. Summary conclusions from the latest survey of agriculture professionals, the “Western Ohio Cropland Values and Cash Rental Rates 2020-21”, are available online at: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farm-management-tools/farm-management-publications/cash-rents

I would like to thank the many of you that have taken the time to share your thoughts and information with us in the past and thank you all in advance for your valuable time in providing data for this research! We expect it to benefit you and your clientele. Summary data of this research will be available via our Farm Office website: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/ and the free online OSU Extension newsletter, “Ohio Ag Manager”. Subscribe to receive this electronic newsletter at:  http://ohioagmanager.osu.edu/

Thank you!
Barry Ward, Director, OSU Income Tax Schools
Leader, Production Business Management
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
Ohio State University Extension
614-688-3959 Office
ward.8@osu.edu
https://farmoffice.osu.edu/

Join us for Farm Office Live on April 22

I just wanted to shoot you all a quick note letting you know that this month’s Farm Office Live is two weeks away!  Yes, that means we have changed the date of this month’s Farm Office Live.  Instead of Wednesday, April 20th, Farm Office Live will now take place on Friday, April 22nd from 10:00 – 11:30 AM.

Topics on April 22 will include:

  • State and Federal Legislation Update
  • LLC Liability Protection Review
  • 2021 Midwest Farm Performance Preview
  • Fertilizer and Crop Budgets Update
  • FSA Program Updates
  • Ohio General Assembly Website Tour

March Edition of Farm Office Live

This month’s Farm Office Live will be held on March 16th, from 7 – 8:30 pm, and again on March 18th from 10 – 11:30 am. The Farm Office Team provides the latest outlook and updates on ag law, farm management, ag economics, farm business analysis, and other issues dealt with in your farm office.  Targeted to farmers and agribusiness stakeholders, our specialists digest the latest news and information and present it in an easy-to-understand format. To sign up for the webinar (and if you can’t attend the recording link) go to go.osu.edu/farmofficelive.

March topics will include

  • Updates on FSA programs
  • Federal Tax Law Update/Medicaid Planning Review
  • Financial Efficiency Review for Grain Farms
  • Fertilizer Update/Crop Budgets
  • Grain Marketing Outlook

ARC-County: What’s my County’s 2022 Guarantee Revenue – Deadline to sign Up at FSA is March 15

By:  Wm. Bruce Clevenger, OSU Extension

The Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs were authorized by the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. Both programs are risk management tools. The ARC-CO (county) program provides income support tied to historical base acres, not current production, of covered commodities. ARC-CO payments are issued when the actual county crop revenue of a covered commodity is less than the ARC-CO guarantee for the covered commodity.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) publishes county-level data online that provides the details used in the ARC-CO calculations. The 2022 Program Year-specific data contains the ARC-CO Benchmark Yields and Revenues using county-level yields and Market Year Average prices from 2016-2020. The data is organized by state and county name from Autauga County, Alabama to Weston County, Wyoming.

To access the data, visit the link and make two additional clicks:

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/arcplc_program/arcplc-program-data/index

Click 2022 Program Year Specific Data

Click 2022 ARC-County Benchmark Yields and Revenues (Excel format)

A 2022 ARC-CO payment is made when the actual 2022 county crop revenue is less than the Guarantee Revenue for the covered commodity. The Guarantee Revenue is 86% of the county Benchmark Revenue, based on the Olympic average county yields and Olympic average Market Year Average (MYA) price for five prior years.

Q: What is the value of knowing your county’s 2022 Guarantee Revenue?
A: A producer can then contemplate conditions that may occur in national price and their specific county yields that would trigger or not trigger a 2022 payment.

Q: What is the difference between ARC-CO and PLC?
A: ARC-CO is a revenue (price and yield) risk program; PLC is a price risk program.

Q: How much do we know about the 2022 crop yields and 2022 commodity prices to make ARC/PLC decisions?
A: County yields are as (un)predictable as the weather. Even trend yields, retrospectively, have significant past volatility. Market analysis and futures prices can be some indicators of price, but they are based on what the market knows and reacts to today. Risk management is not about predicting the future, it’s about being prepared.

The USDA-FSA programs are offered as risk management choices and not a guaranteed payment program. Crop prices, production systems, and other risk management tools should be considered as producers make the ARC/PLC election/enrollment by March 15.

Virtual Annie’s Project “Mitigating Risk Across Common Barrier’s” Webinar Sessions

In 2021, I had the opportunity to attend the national certification to become Annie’s program coordinator. Many people have not had a chance to hear about this program.  Let me share about the program and give you a few details of an upcoming FREE webinar series.

About Annie’s Project

Annie’s Project is an education program dedicated to strengthening women’s roles in modern farm and ranch enterprises. Launched in 2003 by University of Illinois Extension Educator Ruth Hambleton, Annie’s Project is a tribute to her mother, Annette Kohlhagen Fleck.

The program honors Annie’s entrepreneurship and her goal of raising a family and being an active partner in the family farm operation.

Farming is a complex business s and more farm women are becoming active business partners in their operations. The target audience is farm women with a passion for business and involvement. Participants will gain a better understanding of human resource issues, business plans, financial documentation, property titles, cash, and crops share leases, marketing pants, retirement, estate planning, and types of insurance.

“Our mission is to empower farm and ranch women to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information.”

Annie’s Project – Education for Farm Women (APEFW) is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization established for the purpose of providing education and other opportunities to woman farmers and ranchers so that these women can become effective owners and partners in farm businesses. Programs offered through APEFW are called Annie’s Projects. There are two level’s to Annie’s Project. For more information check out https://www.anniesproject.org/

Upcoming Programs

In March, we will be offering Annie’s Project Mitigating Risk Across Common Barriers to Profitability webinar series. This webinar series is free of charge. We invite you to attend! Attached is more information about the topics, dates, and times. There is a separate link for each Zoom session. Sessions are March 3, 10, 17, and 24.

See the official flyer for these programs Annie’s Webinar Flyer

Farm Office Live Scheduled for February 16th or 18th Online

We hope that you can join us this week for Farm Office Live.  The Farm Office Team provides the latest outlook and updates on ag law, farm management, ag economics, farm business analysis, and other issues dealt with in your farm office.  Targeted to farmers and agri-business stakeholders, our specialists digest the latest news and information and present it in an easy-to-understand format.

Farm Office Live will be held via zoom on February 16th from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, and again on February 18th from 10:00 am – 11:30 am.

To register, or to watch recorded Farm Office Live episodes, please visit https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive

ARC/PLC Program Election and OSU Extension Decision Tool

by: Chris Zoller, Extension Educator, ANR, Tuscarawas County

Introduction

The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net programs that were in the 2014 Farm Bill. Producers must enroll in ARC/PLC for the 2022 crop year through their local Farm Service Agency office. The signup period for the 2022 crop year is open now, and the deadline to enroll and make amendments to program elections is March 15, 2022.

If changes are not made by March 15, 2022 deadline, the election defaults to the programs selected for the 2021 crop year with no penalty. Continue reading ARC/PLC Program Election and OSU Extension Decision Tool →

Farm Bill Election and Crop Insurance Meeting Offered

by: Chris Bruynis, Extension Educator

Each year farmers across Ohio need to make decisions concerning the level of risk they want to accept when it comes to raising corn and soybeans. With current input costs elevated, the amount of money needed to plant the 2022 crop is up significantly from last year. The risk-mitigating tools that are available are the USDA Farm Bill programs of ARC and PLC as well as crop insurance.

Farmers who are interested in learning how the different programs/products work are invited to join a free luncheon webinar on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at 11:45 AM lasting for approximately one hour.

Speakers include Chris Bruynis, Associate Professor and Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, and Wyatt Schroder, Crop Insurance Specialist, FedCrop Insurance Services, LLC.  The 2022 Farm Bill election decision, the crop insurance products, and the interaction between the Farm Bill election and crop insurance will be discussed.

To join the Zoom Meeting go to https://go.osu.edu/farmbill2022 and use the password 767767 to log into the program. If you have any issue logging into the meeting contact Marianne Guthrie at 740-702-3200.

Farm Office Live – Did You Miss the January Topics? Recording Available.

Farm Office Live provides the latest outlook and updates on ag law, farm management, ag economics, farm business analysis, and other issues dealt with in your farm office. Targeted to farmers and agri-business stakeholders, our specialists digest the latest news and information and present it in an easy-to-understand format.

Photo of Farm Office Team Presenters

To register, visit the Farm Office Live registration site at https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8abbbMu0RdC-oPB5DFuB3w.

Register once and you’ll receive reminders for future sessions.

DOWNLOAD JANUARY SLIDES 

Future dates: 

February 16 7:00 – 8:30 pm
February 18 10:00 – 11:30 am
March 16 7:00 – 8:30 pm
March 18 10:00 – 11:30 am
April 20 7:00 – 8:30 pm
May 18 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Did you miss a Farm Office Live?  Access our past Farm Office Live recordings and materials https://farmoffice.osu.edu/farmofficelive

Be sure to catch an Agricultural Outlook and Policy Meeting this winter

by: Mike Estadt, OSU Extension, estadt.3@osu.edu

The Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the Regional Ag Outlook and Policy Meetings for 2022.  Meetings will be held around the state beginning the last of January and ending in March.

Speakers will address a myriad of topics of agriculture interest here in Ohio as well as across the Corn Belt.  Programs will include presentations on Grain Market Outlook, Ag Law Updates, Dairy Industry 2022, Ohio’s Changing Climate, Farm Policy, and Farm Bill, SB 52: Utility Solar Legislative, Farm Real Estate, and Cash Rent Trends, Ag Input Price Projections, and Federal Tax Updates.

New to this year’s program is the statewide sponsorship and support of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association.

“We are proud to partner with Ohio State University  Extension educators across the state to support this year’s agronomy, outlook, and grower meetings.  We value this partnership and look forward to supporting programs that bring value to our member’s farm businesses”, according to Brad Moffitt, Director of Membership and Market Development for the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association.

The following table lists the scheduled Outlook programs with contact information to register. Continue reading Be sure to catch an Agricultural Outlook and Policy Meeting this winter →

Allen County Ag Outlook and Agronomy Day

By Clint Schroeder

Join OSU Extension at the Allen County Fairgrounds, in Lima, Ohio, on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, starting at 9:00 a.m. for the Allen County Ag Outlook and Agronomy Day. The morning session will focus on commodity market outlook and ag policy. In the afternoon you will find answers to your agronomy questions, obtain pesticide applicator and fertilizer recertification credits, and CCA education hours as you prepare for the next growing season. The program will wrap up at 3:30 p.m.

Please RSVP by January 31, 2022, by contacting OSU Extension Allen County at 419-879-9108 or email Clint Schroeder at schroeder.307@osu.edu. The event will be held in the Youth Activities Building on the Allen County Fairgrounds, 2750 Harding Highway, Lima, OH 45804.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m; event starts at 9 a.m. Pre-registration by 1/31/2022 is required and the $15 admission can be paid at the door. The registration fee covers coffee and rolls, lunch, information packet, and education credits.

The 2022 PLC and ARC Decision

By: Gary Schnitkey, Nick Paulson, and Krista Swanson – Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics – the University of Illinois and Carl Zulauf – Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics – Ohio State University

Farmers will again have until March 15 to make commodity title program selections. Given the current high prices, commodity title payments are not expected from any program option for the 2022 marketing year. If a change in conditions resulted in payments, those would be received in October 2023, after the close of the 2022 marketing year. Farmers wishing to purchase the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) crop insurance policy must select Price Loss Coverage (PLC) as the commodity title choice. Based on current price projections, Agriculture Risk Coverage at the county level (ARC-CO) will maximize the chance of payment for soybeans, although that chance will be small. The probability of payments is roughly the same for corn and soybeans.

Decision Overview

Farmers have three program options when making their election decisions.

  • Price Loss Coverage (PLC) is a crop-specific fixed price support program that triggers payments if the marketing year average (MYA) price falls below the commodity’s effective reference price. Payments are made on 85% of historical base acres.
  • Agricultural Risk Coverage at the county level (ARC-CO) is a crop-specific county revenue program. ARC-CO triggers payments if actual revenue (MYA price times county yield) falls below 86% of the benchmark revenue (product of benchmark price and trend-adjusted historical yield for the county). Payments are made on 85% of historical base acres.
  • Agricultural Risk Coverage at the individual level (ARC-IC) is a farm-level revenue support program. Like ARC-CO, payments are triggered if actual revenue falls below 86% of the benchmark. If an FSA farm unit is enrolled in ARC-IC, information for all commodities planted in 2022 are combined together in a weighted average to determine benchmark and actual revenues. If a farmer enrolls multiple FSA farms in the same state, all farm units are combined in determining the averages for actual and benchmark revenues. Payments are made on 65% of historical base acres.

Decisions are made for each FSA farm unit. PLC and ARC-CO are commodity-specific and can be mixed and matched on the same FSA farm or across different FSA farms (i.e. PLC for one commodity, ARC-CO for another on the same FSA farm, or using different programs for the same crop on different FSA farms).

The following sub-section will discuss the PLC and ARC-CO decision for corn, soybeans, and wheat in 2022. This focus is taken as most individuals choose between PLC and ARC-CO. Not many farms are enrolled in ARC-IC. Even if enrolling in ARC-IC, having some understanding of the PLC and ARC-CO alternatives will be valuable in making decisions. Continue reading The 2022 PLC and ARC Decision →

Ohio Farmland Leasing Update Webinar from OSU’s Farm Office

2022Farmland_Leasing_Update Flyer

Contact: Peggy Kirk Hall, 614.688.0466

Is it time to review your farmland leasing situation?  OSU’s Farm Office team will provide helpful leasing resources in its Ohio Farmland Leasing Update webinar on February 9, 2022, from 7 to 9 p.m.

“Winter is a good time to review farm leases, and current information is critical to that process,” said Barry Ward,  Leader of Production Business Management for OSU Extension.  “We’ll provide the latest economic and legal information relevant to farmland leasing in Ohio.” Continue reading Ohio Farmland Leasing Update Webinar from OSU’s Farm Office →

Farm Office Live on November 17 or November 19

We will again host two sessions of Farm Office Live this week. Our first session is Wednesday evening from 7:00 – 8:30 pm and it will be repeated live on Friday from 10:00 – 11:30 am.

This month’s topics include:

  • Introducing Margaret Jodlowski, new Ag Economist, and the work she is doing in AEDE
  • Update on the Build Back Better Act
  • State and Federal Legislative Updates
  • Federal Farm Program Update
  • Farm Business Analysis Report

If you are already registered, you will receive a reminder email prior to the sessions. Click here to register if you’ve not yet attended.

OSU Income Tax Schools 2021

OSU Extension Announces Two-Day Tax Schools for Tax Practitioners & Agricultural & Natural Resources Income Tax Issues Webinar


Barry Ward & Julie Strawser, OSU Income Tax Schools

Dealing with the tax provisions of the COVID-related legislation for both individuals and businesses are among the topics to be discussed during the upcoming Tax School workshop series offered throughout Ohio in November and December.

“The annual series is designed to help tax preparers learn about federal tax law changes and updates for this year as well as learn more about issues they may encounter when filing individual and small business 2021 tax returns,” said Barry Ward, Director of the Ohio State University Income Tax School Program.

“The tax schools are intermediate-level courses that focus on interpreting tax regulations and changes in tax laws to help tax preparers, accountants, financial planners, and attorneys advise their clients,” he said. The schools offer continuing education credit for certified public accountants, enrolled agents, attorneys, annual filing season preparers, and certified financial planners. Continue reading OSU Income Tax Schools 2021 →

Next Farm Office Live is October 15

Join OSU Extension Faculty and Staff on Friday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. as we discuss current farm management and legislation issues.

Details and registration link are available at https://go.osu.edu/farmofficelive.  Below are this week’s topics:

  • Introducing…..Seungki Lee,  new Ag Economist
  • Federal Legislative Update
  • Farm Tax Implications from Federal Legislative Proposals
  • State Legislative Update
  • Ohio Farm Business Analysis 2020: Costs & returns for corn, soybeans, and wheat
  • Crop Costs and Margins for 2022
  • Farm Office Program Updates
  • Panel Discussion: Considerations for End of Year Tax Planning with returning Special Guest Robert Moore, Esq.
  • Q&A

We hope to see you at this virtual session!

New Solar and Wind Laws went into effect on 10/11/2021

By Peggy Hall, OSU Extension Educational Lawyer

Monday marked the effective date for new laws in Ohio addressing utility-scale solar and wind facilities.  As a result of Senate Bill 52, the new laws expand local involvement in the siting and approval of these facilities, as follows:

  • County commissioners may designate “restricted areas” where such facilities may not locate.
  • County citizens may petition for a referendum to approve or reject restricted area designations.
  • Developers must hold a public meeting overviewing a proposed facility in the county where it would locate.
  • County commissioners may prohibit or limit a proposed wind or solar facility after learning of it at the public meeting.
  • County and township representatives must sit on the Ohio Power Siting Board committee that reviews facility applications.

The new laws also require wind and solar developers to submit decommissioning plans and performance bonds to address the removal of a facility at the end of its lifetime.

To help explain the laws, Eric Romich and I have developed the law bulletins and videos you see below.  We also have a podcast that Amanda Douridas and Elizabeth Hawkins recorded with us.  You’ll find all resources on the Farm Office website at go.osu.edu/energylaw.   Also on that page are the Farmland Owner’s Guide to Solar Leasing and our Solar Leasing Checklist.

 

Producers with Crop Insurance to Receive Premium Benefit for Cover Crops

From the RMA Website 

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 – Agricultural producers who have coverage under most crop insurance policies are eligible for a premium benefit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) if they planted cover crops during this crop year. The Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), offered nationally by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), helps farmers maintain their cover crop systems, despite the financial challenges posed by the pandemic.

The PCCP is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, a bundle of programs to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions.

“Cultivating cover crops requires a sustained, long-term investment, and the economic challenges of the pandemic made it financially challenging for many producers to maintain cover crop systems,” said RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy. “Producers use cover crops to improve soil health and gain other agronomic benefits, and this program will reduce producers’ overall premium bill to help ensure producers can continue this climates-smart agricultural practice.” Continue reading Producers with Crop Insurance to Receive Premium Benefit for Cover Crops →

New bulletins on personal guarantees and operating loans

BY  | APRIL 14, 2021 · 9:03 AM

Farms and financing–that’s a common combination in agriculture.  Because farm operators often use financing arrangements to fund the capital-intensive nature of farming, we created the Financing the Farm law bulletin series.  The series aims to help operators, especially new and beginning farmers, understand the legal workings of farm financing arrangements.

We’ve just added two new bulletins to the Financing the Farm series.  “Personal Guarantees and Agricultural Loans” address the legalities of a personal guarantee–a personal promise made by a third party to pay the loan if the borrower fails to do so.  We explain when lenders might require a personal guarantee for a loan, how a personal guarantee works, and issues and implications for entering into this type of agreement. Continue reading New bulletins on personal guarantees and operating loans →

Ohio Legislative Update: County Fair Funds, Water Quality Bonds, Animal-drawn Vehicles, Regulation, Broadband Services, Eminent Domain, Beginning Farmer Funds, Wind, Solar

BY  | APRIL 16, 2021 · 8:05 AM

Hopefully, Ohio’s planting season will soon be as busy as its legislative season.  There’s a lot of activity down at the capitol these days, with many bills on the move.  Here’s a summary of bills that could impact agriculture and rural communities. Note that the summary doesn’t include the budget bill, which we’ll address in a separate article.

Water quality bonds.  A joint resolution recently offered in the Senate supports amending Ohio’s Constitution to create permanent funds for clean water improvements.  S.J.R. 2, a bipartisan proposal from Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Hts.) would place a ballot issue before voters in November.  The issue proposes amending the Constitution to allow for the issuance of general obligation bonds to fund clean water improvements.  Up to $1 billion over 10 years would be permissible, with no more than $100 million allocated in any fiscal year.  Bond funds would create a permanent source of funding for the H2Ohio program, which is now dependent upon the state budget process.

Continue reading Ohio Legislative Update: County Fair Funds, Water Quality Bonds, Animal-drawn Vehicles, Regulation, Broadband Services, Eminent Domain, Beginning Farmer Funds, Wind, Solar →