Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - LaDonna Werth
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - Amy Timmerman
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt, Boyd, Garfield, Loup, & Wheeler Counties - Bethany Johnston
Nebraska Extension Educator - Brown, Rock, & Keya Paha Counties - Brittany Spieker
Nebraska 4-H Assistant - Holt & Boyd Counties - Debra Walnofer
October 5: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Initial Workshop, 8:00am–12:00pm, Panhandle Research Extension Center, Scottsbluff, NE - https://events.unl.edu/NE4H-Shooting-Sports/2025/10/05/189871/
Oct 11: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Update, 9:00am–12:00pm, Ashland Gun Club, Ashland, NE - https://events.unl.edu/NE4H-Shooting-Sports/2025/10/11/188974/
Oct 11-12: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Training, 8:00am–6:00pm, Ashland Gun Club, Ashland, NE - https://events.unl.edu/NE4H-Shooting-Sports/2025/10/11/188969/
Oct. 13-30: Knowing, Growing, and Grazing Grass Webinar Series, Monday and Thursday evenings, 7:30pm–8:45pm CT, go.unl.edu/knowing_grass
October 26: Holt County Achievement Ceremony, 5:00pm, Faith Wesleyan Center, Atkinson, NE
November 2: Boyd County 4-H Jamboree, 2:00pm, T&S Farmstore and Food Coop, Bristow
10 Healthy Fall Fruits and Vegetable
Some fruits and vegetables are easier to come by in the summer months, but a good variety is available in the fall and winter as well. It’s important to include fruits and vegetables in your diet year-round to stay healthy and ward off diseases. Here are some of the superstar fruits and vegetables of the fall and winter months.
1. Sweet potatoes. They are loaded with beta carotene (which the body makes into vitamin A), vitamin C, potassium, fiber, iron, and vitamin B6. Sweet potatoes have more nutrients than regular white potatoes and can replace white potatoes in some recipes. Try them mashed, baked or as a dessert.
2. Apples. Apples are a traditional fall favorite and are easy to find in the supermarket or you can pick your own at a nearby orchard. They are a quick, easy snack and can be paired with peanut butter or cheese for protein. Apples contain antioxidants, which may help protect against certain cancers and reduce levels of LDL or bad cholesterol. Apples have vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber. Remember the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
3. Broccoli. This is one vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked, hot or cold, by itself or with other foods. Broccoli can help prevent cancer and heart disease and boost the immune system. Nutrients in broccoli include vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E.
LaDonna Werth
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: lwerth2@unl.edu
4. Pumpkin. Pumpkin is a great source of potassium and beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that is good for the eyes. Canned or prepared fresh, pumpkin can be made into a variety of soups, baked goods and desserts.
5. Kiwi. This fruit can be eaten alone (after peeling) or can be added to many different dishes, including soups, salads, and desserts. Kiwi contains antioxidants, which can help protect the eyes, heart, and colon. Kiwi also provides vitamin C, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin E.
6. Avocado. Avocados contain healthy monounsaturated fat. Even healthy fat is a dense source of energy, so it’s important to eat avocados in moderation. They also contain vitamin E, fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Avocados can be used on sandwiches or salads or made into guacamole.
7. Green beans. Green beans are high in vitamin K which protects red blood cells and helps reduce the severity of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. They also contain vitamin C, potassium, folate, iron, and magnesium. Green beans can be served as a side dish or used in salads, soups, or casseroles.
8. Spinach. Dark green veggies contain a variety of nutrients a healthy body needs. Spinach is packed with vitamin A, vitamin K, iron, folate, magnesium, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin E.
Spinach also has antioxidants and anti-cancer agents. Frozen or fresh spinach can be added to just about any meal. Try using it on pizza or lasagna or use it instead of lettuce in a salad.
9. Pears. They are a good source of fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C. Research suggests that regularly eating pears and other fruits may guard against macular degeneration. Pears seldom cause allergies and are usually safe for infants and small children.
10. Winter squash. It contains fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamin A. Vitamin A helps ensure healthy skin, hair, vision, and bones. Winter squash can be mashed, used in breads, desserts, and soups, or as a snack or side dish.
Source: Melissa Bess, former Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
Considerations for Leasing: Cash Rent vs. Crop Share
At a Glance
- Cash rent: stable income for landowners, all risk on tenants.
- Crop share: shared costs, income, and management decisions.
- Taxes differ — cash rent is passive; crop share is farm income.
- Cash rent offers predictability; crop share adds flexibility.
- Best lease depends on goals, risk tolerance, and tax planning.
Leasing farmland is a foundational part of Nebraska’s agricultural economy. It provides landowners a way to generate income without actively farming and offers producers access to acreage without the high capital investment of land ownership. Two common lease arrangements — cash rent and crop share — are widely used across the state. While each has its place, they come with different risk levels, profitability potential, and tax implications that both landowners and tenants must carefully evaluate.
Amy Timmerman
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: atimmerman2@unl.edu
As agricultural economists, we are frequently asked, “Which is better: cash rent or crop share?” The answer is: it depends. The best lease structure is the one that fits the goals, risk aversion, and other preferences of both parties, and one they can mutually agree upon. Strong communication between landowners and tenants is essential for a successful relationship, regardless of the lease type.
Cash Rent: Simplicity and Stability
Cash rent leases involve a fixed payment from the tenant to the landowner, typically on a per-acre basis, regardless of changes in yield or market prices throughout the growing season. This model is appreciated for its simplicity and predictability.
For landowners, cash rent offers:
- A stable, predictable income stream, that is commonly split into multiple payments that are collected in a single calendar year.
- Minimal involvement in day-to-day farming decisions.
- Income is reported as passive income on Schedule E.
- No financial responsibility for operating inputs.
However, cash rents should be regularly renegotiated to reflect changes in land values, commodity markets, production costs, and increases in a landowner's expenses such as property taxes or irrigation equipment. Both parties must be open to adjusting rents up or down based on market conditions to maintain fairness.
For tenants, cash rent arrangements mean taking on all the production and market risk and potential reward. Cash rent traditionally requires the tenant to pay half of the rent at the beginning of lease, and the remaining at harvest. This cash outlay is something that must be planned for. However, tenants keep the entire profit when yields and prices are high but also bear all the losses in poor years.
Crop Share: Shared Risk, Shared Reward
A crop share lease divides both the crop and, in many cases, a portion of the input costs (such as seed, fertilizer, and chemicals) between the landowner and tenant. This arrangement fosters shared interest in the crop’s success and often involves the landowner in some level of management decision-making.
For landowners, crop share leasing may:
- Provide higher returns in years with strong yields and commodity prices.
- Require participation in input decisions.
- Allow participation in federal farm programs (e.g., ARC/PLC, ECAP) and crop insurance, in proportion to their share.
- Require marketing their share of the crop.
However, landowners also bear the downside risk, as their income is affected by adverse conditions such as poor production years or low market prices. Furthermore, landlords must manage expenses year-round as well as variable income. Consider decisions such as pre-paying expenses, in-season applications, and paying for storage.
For tenants, crop share reduces financial exposure, as both income and costs are shared.
However, the tenant must also coordinate closely with the landowner, requiring a strong communication foundation.
Tax Implications
One of the most overlooked aspects of lease decisions is the tax treatment, which can vary significantly between lease types.
Cash Rent:
- Cash rent provides a steady income, typically paid within the calendar year, which is usually easier for landowners to manage from a tax perspective.
- Generally considered passive income like other rental properties, reported on Schedule E.
- Often ineligible for agricultural tax deductions or federal farm program benefits.
Crop Share:
- Crop share income and expenses can vary widely from year to year. Furthermore, the timing of income and expenses may also change. This variability can make it more difficult to manage crop-share rental income from a tax perspective.
- Crop share gives more flexibility to the landlord for the timing of recognizing the income by selling grain before or after the end of a tax year.
- Typically, reported on Form 4835 as farm income that is based on production of a tenant.
- Could also qualify for farm-specific tax deductions, income averaging, and the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction under Section 199A, which provides more ways to manage tax liability.
- Overall, crop share offers greater flexibility in managing landowners' tax liabilities.
If a landowner is considering switching between lease types, particularly from crop share to cash rent, it is critical to consult a qualified tax advisor or CPA who specializes in agricultural taxation. Making such a change without proper planning can inadvertently trigger tax consequences or affect eligibility for retirement and estate tax provisions.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between cash rent and crop share leases depends on various factors: risk appetite, desired income stability, level of involvement and, in some cases, income tax considerations. Both arrangements can be fair and profitable when structured thoughtfully.
Above all, clear communication, a written lease agreement, and regular reviews of market conditions are key to a successful leasing relationship between tenants and landowners.
Source: Anastasia Meyer – UNL (CropWatch – August 22, 2025)
Fall and Winter Management Strategies for the Cow Herd – Sample, Test, Inventory and Stage Harvested Hay
Haying season is over, days are shorter, and cooler weather means winter isn’t far away. Beef producers will keep cows grazing as long as possible since it’s cheaper than feeding harvested forage. Dormant range, cool-season pasture, and cornstalks are excellent winter feed resources if grazing guidelines are followed (cornstalk grazing recommendations). Still, at some point before spring green-up, harvested hay will enter the ration. Now is the time to get that hay component organized.
Sampling Hay
Contact the lab that you will send the hay samples to. The lab often provides plastic bags to put samples in (a quart zip lock will do just fine too), an information sheet identifying the hay type, analysis you want the testing lab to perform, and billing and contact information.
For harvested forages like hay, use a hay probe to collect the sample for an accurate assessment. Most extension offices have a hay probe that can be checked out. Sample each hay by lot. A lot is hay harvested at a similar time, from the same plant type and growth stage, and from a similar location such as a field. Because hay quality can vary due to differences from all the listed factors, sampling by lot ensures that a representative sample is provided for testing. Also remember when sampling a bale, core on the side of the bale that goes through the most possible layers, for example, the rounded side of a round bale or the short side of a square bale.
Bethany Johnston
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: bjohnston3@unl.edu
For most hays, 20 subsamples should be taken per lot and then mixed before the sample bag is filled and submitted to the laboratory. This helps capture variation in the hay. When sampling, try to take samples at random from bales. Don’t seek out good spots or avoid bad ones as this can skew results providing an inaccurate assessment of the hay quality.
Testing Hay
The most cost-effective analysis for most hays is a NIRS analysis. For this type of analysis, it is important to identify the sample (alfalfa, summer annual, prairie hay, bromegrass, etc.). Most common hays have a robust NIRS database for labs to pull from, but complex mixtures or rare hay types may still be best analyzed using traditional wet chemistry. If you have any questions, reach out to your lab of choice before submitting for confirmation on types of analysis (NIRS, wet chemistry) to use.
If hays will be fed to beef cows, test for moisture, percent crude protein, and total digestible nutrients (TDN). TDN cannot be directly tested but is a calculated value. You can request minerals as part of your NIRS analysis. If there is a need to test for other minerals, the lab can do that using another testing procedure. Summer annuals should also be tested for nitrates.
Learn more at "Understanding A Forage Analysis" or "Test, Don't Guess- Sampling and Testing Hay."
Hay Inventory
Inventory hays by type (alfalfa, grass hay, summer annual, etc.). Inventory each hay type by quality, including high (percent crude protein and percent TDN), moderate, and low. Count the number of bales by type and quality. Take a weight of each hay type by quality and calculate total pounds of each type. This will help determine the number of feeding days for each hay type and quality. Cows will eat more of the high-quality hay compared to the moderate and low-quality hay because it is easier to digest.
Cows will eat between 2.0 and 2.5 percent of their body weight on a dry matter basis (https://beef.unl.edu/cattleproduction/forageconsumed-day). As you budget the amount of hay needed, account for storage losses (10% to 25%) and feeding losses (10%). It is important to store hays in such a way to reduce storage losses. Store big round bales on the round side with space between them and not in low places where water settles. Additionally, limit or control (by mowing) the growth of weeds around the bales.
The following calculations will help you determine the amount of hay to budget per cow. If cows, on average weigh 1,200 pounds and the hay quality is moderate to high, each cow will eat 30 lb per day. When accounting for feeding losses (10%), this calculates to 33 lb per head per day on a dry matter basis. To determine the amount needed on an “as-fed” basis, look at the hay analysis to get the dry matter content. If the moisture content is 15%, then the dry matter content is 85%. Most baled hays will be between 84% and 90% dry matter. Divide 33 lb/hd/day by 0.85 to determine pounds per head per day “as-fed”. For this example, the amount is 39 pounds per head per day. If storage losses are 15%, you will need to budget 45 pounds per head per day.
Storage can also affect the quality of the hay.
Staging Hay
With inventory complete, consider organizing the stackyard by hay and forage quality. Stage by type (alfalfa, grass hay, summer annual, etc.) and quality. If some hays like summer annuals are high in nitrates, make sure you know where these hays are in the stackyard because they need to be diluted with other hays to be fed at a safe level. Consider identifying these bales by spray painting the bale wrap with a N. Organize the bales in the stackyard, so that you can easily get to each hay quality and type. Work with your Extension Educator or nutritionist to determine when and what to supplement when the hay doesn’t meet the cow’s nutrient requirements based on her stage of production (stage of gestation and stage of lactation).
Planning ahead for winter feeding takes time but pays off. By testing hay, organizing inventory, and staging bales for easy access, you can match forage supplies to cow needs and stretch resources further. Combined with strategic use of cornstalks and other grazing opportunities, a thoughtful hay plan helps maintain cow performance while controlling feed costs through the winter months.
Source: Rick Rasby - Nebraska Extension Specialist, Ben Beckman - Nebraska Extension Educator (BeefWatch - October 1, 2025)