Nebraska Extension in Scotts Bluff County

Local Interest

New Nebraska ag labor guide available

By Ryan Evans | UNL Communications Specialist 

Hiring and managing a team of employees is one of the toughest parts of running a farm or ranch today. To help navigate those hurdles, Nebraska Extension has published the Nebraska Agricultural Labor Guide to support employers through every stage of the employee relationship. 

Developed by a team of extension educators and specialists, the guide is designed to give agricultural employers in Nebraska a practical starting point for thinking through labor decisions before problems arise. The guide also helps employers identify areas where clearer communication, stronger systems, and better planning can improve the workplace for both managers and employees.

It breaks down the employment process and best practices in the following areas: 

• Recruitment and hiring: How to define a role and find the right fit
• Onboarding: Getting new hires started on the right foot
• Development and Operations: Managing day-to-day training and safety
• Retention: Strategies for keeping your best workers on board
• Termination: Navigating the difficult process of ending employment

"In agriculture, your people are often the biggest factor in long-term success," said Shannon Sand, an extension agricultural economist and one of the guide’s authors. "But managing well takes intentional planning, and this guide is meant to help ag employers think through those decisions in a structured, practical way."

The Nebraska Agricultural Labor Guide is now available on the Center for Agricultural Profitability’s website at https://cap.unl.edu/labor.

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2021-38640-34714 through the North Central Region SARE program. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.

Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar Series

Input costs are challenging producers to examine production costs and identify opportunities to adjust the production system. Knowing annual cow costs is the foundation for evaluating and making management decisions to improve profitability in a cow-calf enterprise. Calculating costs and breaking them into categories provides insight into where there may be opportunities to make changes.

 Nebraska Extension will host a webinar series on November 9, 10, and 12 to explain the fundamentals of knowing and calculating annual cow costs.

 Topics to be covered will include:

• Understanding economic unit cost of production for the cow-calf enterprise.
• Recognizing the value and cost of both grazed and harvested feed.
• Calculating cow depreciation and replacement development costs.
• Figuring the cost of equipment and labor utilized in the cow-calf enterprise.
• Examining breeding expenses and evaluating the value and cost relationship.
• Reviewing benchmark cost and production data to see how you compare.

The webinar series is $70 per person and includes a resource workbook. The course will be limited to 40 participants. To register, go to https://go.unl.edu/cow_costs. Registration is requested by October 30 to ensure meeting materials have time to be mailed to participants.

For questions about the webinar series or for more information, contact Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Educator, at 308-235-3122 or aberger2@unl.edu.