News Release
February 8, 2009

Workshop on managing agricultural enterprises Feb. 23 in Riverton

The University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) will host a workshop for Wyoming agricultural producers titled “Managing agricultural enterprises with uncertain input costs.”

The workshop is 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at the armory building in Riverton. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.

Topics include risk management options, crop input levels when costs are high, adjusting input levels and the bottom line.

Montana State University faculty members Vince Smith and Jim Johnson will cover Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite, production range forage and other federal insurance options available to Wyoming agricultural producers.

“A number of insurance products are now available for row crops and livestock enterprises across Wyoming. Understanding product differences, deciding on coverage level and how insurance can be an important part of a risk management plan will be the focus of this session,” said John Hewlett, UW CES farm and ranch management specialist.

Jay Norton, UW CES soils specialist, will explain balancing soil fertility, irrigation water and crop-hay-pasture productivity.

“Understanding and reassessing crop nutrient needs and soil nutrient cycling create opportunities for real savings and higher profits as costs of fuel and fertilizer continue to rise,” Norton said. “Timely soil tests provide information needed to balance inputs, crop residue management practices and yields. Options for optimizing crop yields through careful management and fertilizer use will be presented.”

Norton and Hewlett will present sessions on changing crop inputs and the impact on the financial bottom line and accurately estimating machinery costs.

“Following the recommendations for adjusting crop inputs, the effect of these adjustments will be calculated using cost-of-production estimates, fertilizer cost software and other tools to evaluate the benefits and costs to the producer,” Hewlett said.

He said machinery cost-estimation software will be presented as another tool for calculating the cost of owning and operating machinery for various field operations or for custom work.

Lunch will be provided by program sponsors at no charge. Sponsors are the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency and the UW CES Profitable and Sustainable Agricultural Systems state initiative team.

For more information, contact UW CES educator Ron Cunningham in the Fremont County office at (307) 332-1044, or e-mail ronc@uwyo.edu.

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Contact: Robert Waggener, Editor
Phone: (307) 766-3571
E-mail: robertw@uwyo.edu

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