From 2006 through 2013, Kansas farmers saw record levels of net farm income. Since then, grain prices have declined significantly resulting in net farm income levels similar to the 1980's farm crisis. Projected grain prices remain low for the next several years, resulting in projections of negative net farm income for many farm families. In this current environment of lower prices, many farmers are experiencing financial stress. The Farm Analyst Program has been getting more requests for farmer assistance than the office can handle.
Because each farm is unique, the best way to guide farms though this turbulent period is to provide an individualized analysis using FINPACK (described in Tools section). The Farm Analyst Program is doing all they can, but their resources are limited. To help, we held 4 workshops (242 farmers attending) about financial risk management where we explained options available to producers and our Extension Agents jumpstart the FINPACK process.
These 4 workshops then led to individualized in-depth FINPACK training. By providing additional resources to supplement the Farm Analyst Program, we helped 54 additional farms achieve roadmaps to help their current farm financial situation that would otherwise not have been served.