Property owners – especially those who operate a commercial enterprise – can be confronted with neighbors who view those commercial activities as infringing on the rights and privileges of the latter’s property enjoyment. This is certainly true for agricultural operations that can create byproducts others may find objectionable.

If you’ve been in the cattle business long enough, you’ve lived through more than one cycle that made you question your sanity. You’ve seen high interest rates, relentless drought, feed costs spike overnight and markets turn just when you thought you were positioned well.

What the heck is a carbon credit? Nicki Nimlos, a doctoral student at the University of Wyoming, says that’s a question she’s heard often over the last couple of years. Around 2023, when Nimlos was beginning her Ph.D., carbon market programs were becoming more widely available to ranchers.

Today, we’ll dive into how third-party verification programs enhance credibility, market access and consumer confidence in beef production.

Cattle producers in many areas of the country face a critical decision: whether to produce their own hay or to buy hay from external sources. Both approaches have distinct advantages, challenges and economic implications.

Risk in the cattle market doesn’t suddenly appear in the cash market. It can surface quietly – first on the board, in how futures are priced, how options reflect uncertainty and how basis behaves compared to those markets.

Wildfires undoubtedly are one of the most challenging natural disasters, and when they occur, they create immense hardship for our farming and ranching families and greater rural communities.

When the time comes and we move into a period of softer cattle prices, conversations on many operations will naturally shift. When prices are strong, it is easier to absorb inefficiencies. When prices soften, those same inefficiencies can show up quickly on the bottom line.

H.R. 1 (commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – OBBBA) included numerous provisions impacting agricultural operations (some positive, some negative). For today, we will focus on three.

Operating a successful farm or ranch today requires more than strong production skills and long hours in the field. Modern agricultural operations function as complex businesses that face legal, financial, regulatory and risk management challenges that can significantly impact long-term viability.