The Farm Economy in the
North Central Region
Trends, Directions and Needs
Charlie Stoltenow
Chair NCCEA ANR Program Leaders
The Farm Economy in the
North Central Region
Listening, Anticipating, Leveraging
Charlie Stoltenow
Chair NCCEA ANR Program Leaders
Listening
• Continual stakeholder “needs assessment”
– High commodity prices led to increased use of
consultants
– Large farms becoming less of ES local
portfolio
• 2014 Farm Bill collaboration with FSA
– Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC)
– Price Loss Coverage (PLC)
• Identified ag downturn over 18 months ago
Anticipating
• NC ANR Academy for the 21st Century
Extension Professional
– Lead and teach ES educational experiences
targeting critical and emerging ag issues
– Engage our top ag producers in
transformational learning experiences
– Develop multi-state cohorts of talented earlyto mid-career professionals
Success – FSA Collaboration
• Success of collaborating with FSA
– ND example
• Approximately 20,000 farms > 180 acres
• Approximately 15,000 producers attended ES farm
bill education meetings
• Follow-up survey, producers rediscovering ES
– 90% used the NDSU ES developed decision aid tool
– Use of ES for research based advice
» 56% already use ES, 38% intend
– Use of ES for survey data (crop/pest report, land rent…)
» 64% already use ES, 29% intend
2014 Farm Bill Education
Success – ANR Academy
• 21 early- and mid-career ES professionals
• 6 multistate curriculum developed
– Biology of pesticide resistance
– Climate resources for Extension
– The nitrogen experience – 21st Century
– On-line resources for managing cover crops
– Soil health and rainfall simulator for youth
– Using “Take Action” resources to manage
herbicide resistant weeds
NC ANR Academy
Leveraging
• NC ANR Program Leaders Farm Business
Two-Prong Initiative
– Two NC regional workshops
• Ramp up ability of local staff to deal with short term
demands for information and education
– NC ANR Academy - Cohort 3
• Continue to develop a cohort of early- and midcareer ES professionals that can provide
transformational education to our stakeholders
– Both efforts will partner with other ES program
areas to address mental and emotional stress
Messaging
• Productivity
– You can’t sell what you don’t produce
• Efficiency
– Cutting inputs that directly impact yields could
make the problem worse
– Eliminate “insurance” type inputs
– Sell excess “steel”, tax consequences
– Live “frugally”
• Marketing
– Take any “profit” where you can find it
Leveraging
• Succession planning
– Prepping producers for the “hard” decisions
– Multiple NC states providing succession
planning education
– Potential for ANR to partner with historical
FCS programming
Leveraging
• Entrepreneurship
– Ag downturn will require new solutions
beyond the farm level
– Communities, regions and states will need to
engage in entrepreneurship
• Production vs Demand
– Potential for ANR to partner with historical CV
programming
Leveraging
• Stress
– Mental health
• Isolation
• Depression (ND 42%, 2002)
– Relationship health
• Marriages
• Siblings
– Financial health
• Mediation services
– Potential for ANR to partner with
historical FCS programming and
community services
On Going Activities
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IA – farmer attitude survey
IN – center for commercial ag active
KS – ag mediation center and agent training
MI – in service training for Extension
MN – farm business management center active
MO – regional listening sessions by ES and DOA
NE – in service training for Extension
ND – in service training for Extension
OH – securing ag mediation center
• IA, KS, MO, NE – regional DOA Directors meeting
Needs
• Integration
– ES must continue to seek partnerships and
opportunities with other agencies to serve agriculture
– ES’s and AES’s must share “research” and “needs
assessment” information
– Barriers to multistate collaboration and cooperation
must be minimized or removed
– NIFA must be made aware that capacity funding is
vital ES’s and AES’s to respond quickly and
effectively to rapidly developing issues*
*State-Level Cooperative Extension Spending and Farmer Exits
Goetz and Davlasheridze, 2016
Opportunity
We have the opportunity to:
be in the right place,
with the right information,
at the right time!
MO Listening Sessions
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What are specific issues in your local area that are resulting from the current financial downturn?
What local business segments are seeing the greatest stress beyond farmers?
Are specific demographics affected more by the turndown? Younger farmers for example.
What trends are you seeing in land values and cash rents in your area?
How are current federal agricultural policies working to help with the economic downturn? Including crop
insurance, ARC/PLC, disasters programs, etc.
Which commodity areas are seeing the greatest economic stress? Cattle, corn, soybeans, cotton, milk, etc.?
Has the recent increase in crop prices reduced the stress in your area of the state?
Will producers find obtaining operating loans for 2017 more difficult to obtain than last year?
What things could be addressed to help get through this period of lower prices and income?
Are producers finding current price risk management tools helpful in this period of volatile agricultural prices?
What changes do you see farmers making to survive this economic downturn?
Have lenders changed producer record requirements?
How do you expect the next couple of years to unfold for the agricultural industry in your area?
What areas of agriculture in your area are experiencing growth today?
What can University of Missouri Extension provide in your area of the state to help with this economic downturn in
agriculture?
What can the Missouri Department of Agriculture provide in your area of the state to help with this economic
downturn in agriculture?