Build Resilience into Your Pasture Lease: The Drought/Disaster Clause
Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Educator
Drought, grasshoppers, wildfire and other natural disasters can unexpectedly impact pasture conditions, leading to forage shortages and financial strain for both landowners and ranchers. These events are often stressful times, and making decisions with a clear head can be difficult. Including well-defined drought or disaster clauses in pasture lease agreements can help mitigate risks and provide clear guidelines for both parties in times of hardship.
Why Include a Drought or Disaster Clause?
A well-structured drought or disaster clause ensures fairness and flexibility when adverse conditions affect grazing capacity. These clauses protect both landowners and tenants by outlining specific actions and responsibilities during droughts, wildfires, floods, or other disasters. Without such provisions, disagreements may arise regarding stocking rates, rental payments, and lease termination.
A well-defined drought or disaster clause allows landowners to prevent overgrazing and long-term pasture degradation, provides ample time for lessees to make alternative plans for animals, and ensures both parties still receive fair compensation. A well thought out drought/disaster plan provides flexibility and adaptability to the lease by offering a structured approach to adjusting stocking rates and payments based on real-time pasture conditions.
While there is no one-size-fits-all example for leases, the following are a few things to consider when developing a drought/disaster clause for your lease agreement:
1. Definition of Drought or Disaster Conditions
Clearly define what constitutes a drought or disaster. This could be based on precipitation levels, soil moisture data, or regional drought monitoring systems like the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Specify triggers such as a certain number of consecutive weeks without adequate rainfall or an official drought declaration by state or federal agencies.
If the decision of what defines a drought/disaster is not tied to an objective measure like above, decide who is making the decision on when the clause will be activated.
2. Stocking Rate Adjustments
Outline provisions for reducing livestock numbers when forage availability declines.
Define how reductions should be determined—by mutual agreement, consulting a third-party expert or using forage production data.
Set a timeline for how these discussions will occur and how much notice should be provided to the tenant if animals need to be removed.
3. Lease Payment Adjustments
Establish whether rental payments will be adjusted based on grazing capacity.
Consider a pro-rated payment system where fees decrease if stocking rates must be reduced due to drought.
Check with Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Natural Resource District (NRD), or other similar groups about possible implications adjusting pasture lease payments may have on disaster program eligibility and conservation programs.
4. Alternative Forage or Water Solutions
Address whether supplemental feeding or alternative water sources can be used to maintain livestock.
Clarify if temporary grazing on adjacent or alternative properties is an option.
If supplemental feeding is used, consider designating a sacrifice area to reduce potential overgrazing of the entire pasture area.
If outside hay is being fed, remember this may be a source of seed for noxious or other problematic weedy species. If possible, use locally sourced hay to limit risks. Feed hay in a specific area to reduce possible spread and allow for better monitoring of the area in the future.
5. Early Lease Termination or Suspension
Specify conditions under which a lease can be suspended or terminated without penalty if grazing becomes unviable.
Include a notification period and process for ending the lease early.
6. Disaster Recovery Assistance
Mention whether the leaseholder can apply for federal or state disaster assistance programs and how lease terms might be adjusted accordingly.
Check with Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Natural Resource District (NRD), or other similar groups about possible implications adjusting pasture lease payments may have on disaster program eligibility and conservation programs.
Keep clear records of any adjustments that may be required for disaster programs or to adjust terms of conservation projects.
Conclusion
Including a drought/disaster clause in a pasture lease is a proactive step that benefits both landowners and tenants. By setting clear expectations and providing a framework for decision-making during adverse conditions, these clauses contribute to more resilient grazing agreements. By incorporating flexible terms into leases both parties can ensure long-term sustainability for both land and livestock.
Before finalizing a lease agreement, it’s advisable to consult legal professionals specializing in agricultural contracts to ensure that all necessary provisions are in place.
For more information on drafting effective grazing lease agreements, visit University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s BeefWatch or explore additional guidance at AgLease101.org.
Generations United: Breaking Stereotypes and Fostering Communication
Feb 27, 2025 12:00 PM
With Leacey E. Brown, MS, South Dakota State University Extension Gerontology Field Specialist.
Each of us is a member of a generational cohort used to describe groups of similarly aged people. People from the same generation are often depicted as sharing similar traits and characteristics, leading to the development of micro generations, like the Xennials or Generation Jones, when individuals do not match existing generations. This workshop will dispel common misconceptions about generations and explore how to communicate across the generations.
Miss the live webinar or want to review it again? Recordings are available — typically within 24 hours of the live webinar — in the archive section of the Center for Agricultural Profitability's webinar page, https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.
Shannon Peterson Elected to Nebraska Beef Council Board
Shannon Peterson of Gothenburg, Nebraska, has been elected as the new District 5 Representative for the Nebraska Beef Council Board of Directors, succeeding George Cooksley. Born and raised south of Brady, Nebraska, Peterson grew up on her family’s fifth-generation ranch, where she developed a deep passion for cattle and agriculture. Now residing north of Gothenburg, she and her husband run a cow-calf and feedlot operation in partnership with his brother, raising commercial black cattle alongside managing their farm.
Peterson's career path has been shaped by her connection to agriculture and her education in veterinary technology, which she pursued at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. After working in a veterinary clinic for 18 years, she transitioned to focusing full-time on her ranch and family. She and her husband, Paul, have two daughters, one a recent Kansas State University graduate and the other a student at Montana State University.
Peterson’s interest in the Beef Checkoff and the Nebraska Beef Council was sparked during her time in the Nebraska LEAD program from 2008 to 2010, where she learned about the organization’s mission to promote and educate about beef. She also brings leadership experience to the role, having served on the Nebraska Cattlemen Board for a total of seven years and as the executive director of Dawson County Cattlemen.
“I feel very strongly about the Beef Checkoff and its role in advancing the beef industry,” Peterson shared. “This opportunity allows me to contribute more meaningfully to an industry I love.”
In her first year on the board, Peterson aims to deepen her understanding of its broad scope and identify areas where she can make the greatest impact. With a background in animal health and years of hands-on experience, she is particularly drawn to topics surrounding livestock care and education.
Discovering Iowa's Best Burger: The 16th Annual Contest is Here!
The Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) and the Iowa Cattlemen's Association (ICA) are excited to announce the launch of the 16th annual Iowa's Best Burger contest. This much-anticipated event celebrates the culinary creativity of Iowa's talented chefs and restaurateurs, bringing together communities to honor the unbeatable flavor of beef.
Iowa's Best Burger Contest is more than just a competition - it's a statewide celebration showcasing the strong partnership between Iowa's cattlemen and food service providers. Previous winners have experienced remarkable transformations, gaining new customers eager to try their award-winning burgers.
“Through initiatives like Iowa’s Best Burger contest, we aim to highlight the quality and flavor of beef while fostering a sense of community and culinary pride,” said Kylie Peterson, Director of Marketing and Communications for IBIC.
How to Participate and Vote
Whether you’re a restaurant owner ready to showcase your burger masterpiece or a consumer eager to cast your vote, here’s how to join the fun:
Menu Requirements: To qualify for the title of Iowa’s Best Burger, the burger must feature a 100% real beef patty served on a bun or bread product.
Restaurant Promotion: Call IBIC at 515-296-2305 to ensure your restaurant is included on the voting list. Download promotional materials at www.iabeef.org to advertise the contest in your restaurant, online, or on social media. Encourage patrons to share photos of their favorite burgers using #IABestBurger and tagging @iowabeefcouncil.
Voting Timeline: Nominations are open until 5 p.m. on March 10, 2025. Visit www.iabeef.org to submit your nomination. Restaurants with the most nominations have the best chance of making the “Top Ten” list, announced on March 17, 2025.
Judging and Winner Announcement: Finalists will receive a certificate and undergo a secret taste test by contest judges. The 2025 Best Burger in Iowa will be revealed on May 1, 2025, to kick off May Beef Month in Iowa.
Join the Celebration
Don’t miss this chance to be a part of Iowa’s tastiest tradition. Celebrate local flavors, support your favorite restaurants, and help crown Iowa’s 2025 Best Burger winner!
Emerging Data Begins to Quantify Value Beef and Dairy Crossbred Cattle Bring to US Beef Supply Chain
New data from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is beginning to shed light on the impact of beef and dairy crossbred cattle on the beef supply chain. While limited in scope, the data collected to date suggests the growing number of beef-on-dairy animals is contributing to higher cattle prices for producers and delivering added value to feedlots and processors.
The practice of using beef genetics in dairy reproductive programs, commonly referred to as “beef on dairy” within the industry, has steadily increased as the U.S. beef cow herd has contracted. Historically, cattle market analysts had limited pricing data to quantify the impact of beef-on-dairy on the cattle market. That changed in March 2024 when USDA began tracking beef-on-dairy animals sold at public auctions.
According to an analysis outlined in a new CoBank Knowledge Exchange report, the slaughter auction prices for beef-on-dairy cattle were slightly higher than for beef cattle and significantly higher than for dairy cattle. The weight of beef-on-dairy animals fell between the ends of the beef and dairy cattle spectrum.
“The data also showed that beef-on-dairy cattle maintained the largest proportion of their value from feeder price to slaughter cattle auction price on a per hundredweight basis,” said Abbi Prins, livestock analyst with CoBank. “That’s an important financial metric for feedlots. We’ll have to see if these patterns hold over time as additional data becomes available. But preliminarily, it reaffirms the value proposition beef-on-dairy brings to the wider beef sector.”
The U.S. beef cow herd is at historically low levels due to prolonged drought and poor grazing conditions. Tight supplies amid robust consumer demand for beef have pushed cattle prices to record highs. Dairy producers are capitalizing on the opportunity to capture higher prices and an additional revenue stream by producing more beef-on-dairy calves for sale into the beef market.
While beef-on-dairy breeding is not a new phenomenon, additional opportunities to track and analyze these animals using performance metrics throughout their life will enhance efficiencies and profitability in the cattle sector, Prins added.
Beef Quality is Surging
U.S. beef quality has undergone a near complete transformation over the last decade. Prime beef production has increased 140% to reach more than 2 billion pounds annually. Production of Choice grade beef, which makes up over three-quarters of the market, grew 20% with nearly 16 billion pounds produced in 2024. Meanwhile, production of lower-grade meat like Select decreased 37% since 2014 to land at 3.17 billion pounds in 2024.
While the dairy industry’s contributions to meat quality are not easily discernable from publicly sourced data, many of the animals from dairy programs that utilize native beef genetics such as Angus can now qualify for branded premium programs.
“Purebred beef cattle will remain the dominant source of the U.S. beef supply, and that’s not going to change,” said Prins. “But considering the added value crossbred dairy-beef animals are bringing to market for all participants in the supply chain, it is unlikely the trend will slow any time soon.”
Read the report, Beef-on-Dairy Data Suggests Opportunity for Feedlots and Processors https://www.cobank.com/web/cobank/knowledge-exchange/animal-protein/beef-on-dairy-data-suggests-opportunity-for-feedlots-and-processors.
NMPF’s Doud Urges More Dairy Trade Opportunities Before Subcommittee
Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), told the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee today that expanding market access and enforcing existing trade agreements to America’s dairy producers, workers and exporters is of paramount importance.
“To keep up with our competitors from Europe and New Zealand, U.S. dairy exporters need new trade deals that cut tariffs and tackle nontariff trade barriers,” Doud said in his written testimony. “Whether the U.S. government prioritizes the enforcement the trade agreements it has negotiated and addresses trade barriers targeting U.S. exports will determine whether American farmers and workers will actually benefit from the market access that has and will be promised.”
The U.S. dairy industry last year exported close to $8.3 billion in dairy products overseas, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, despite competing against global counterparts who benefit from more recent and expansive trade agreements. Doud highlighted the critical role of existing U.S. trade agreements and called on Congress and the Trump Administration to pursue and enforce trade policies that empower the U.S dairy industry to grow its business internationally.
Doud also detailed specific agreements for the U.S. government to prioritize greater enforcement, including:
Fixing the United States’ deeply imbalanced agricultural trade relationship with the European Union.
Ensuring Canada holds up its end of the bargain on dairy in USMCA by fixing both the export issues into Canada and the excessive offloading of artificially low-price Canadian dairy protein into the U.S. and global markets.
Following through with China on increasing its purchases of U.S. dairy products, ensuring timely facility listing updates, and providing protection for common names.
Resolving India’s longstanding high tariffs and unscientific certification requirements.
“Our competitors are not slowing down,” Doud said. “They are targeting highly valuable and important dairy markets, with the backing of their governments’ proactive trade agendas. We are hopeful that the U.S. government will take this as a challenge to stand up for U.S. dairy and U.S. agriculture. Our farmers deserve a level playing field and are counting on their government to deliver.”
Checkoff Showcasing Dairy Innovation At Natural Products Trade Show
The dairy checkoff is returning to Natural Products Expo West to highlight the innovation and nutritional benefits of dairy to more than 65,000 industry professionals, investors and leaders from consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and retail companies.
Dairy farmers and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) team members will showcase new dairy products and lead an educational session titled “What Women Really Want: Cracking the Code for Food and Beverages,” offering insights on how dairy can meet the modern health and wellness needs of women.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) will join DMI in presenting a cohesive “Innovate with U.S. Dairy” approach. The event, recognized as the country’s leading trade show for the natural, organic and healthy products industry, runs March 4-7 in Anaheim, Calif.
DMI attended Expo West for the first time last year and represented dairy in a space where the industry previously had little presence.
“In the past, plant-based products dominated Expo West and dairy had less presence,” said Norrie Wilson, who serves as an innovation and insights consultant for DMI. “Dairy made its mark last year, with interest in innovation, which is driving distribution and investment. Retailers, CPG companies and investors are starting to take a second look at dairy, and this is accelerating growth in the marketplace.”
DMI’s booth will feature its successful partnership with General Mills in the development and launch of YoBark, a refrigerated snack that blends yogurt with Nature Valley granola in a convenient stand-up pouch and is available in retailers nationwide. This collaboration exemplifies DMI’s unique role in accelerating innovation, offering the checkoff’s expertise and resources to help brands deliver products that meet changing consumer needs.
Other DMI features at Expo West include:
· Alise Sjostrom, a Minnesota dairy farmer and CEO of Redhead Creamery, will participate in DMI’s educational session and provide premium cheese samples at the booth.
· DMI is featuring a company that makes low-carb, high-protein cheesecakes.
· Dairy farmers from DMI’s board of directors will be on-site to speak with attendees about their commitments to sustainable farming and animal care.
· CMAB will highlight new products, including milk-based energy shots, cheeses, kefir and gelato.
Marla Buerk, executive vice president of innovation for DMI, said Expo West provides an opportunity to stay informed of emerging trends where dairy can play a key role.
“Expo West is where trends emerge, and by having a strong dairy presence, we’re not just following trends but setting them,” she said. “There’s growing interest in products that target women’s health, and dairy is a key player in this space. We’re already seeing dairy products targeted toward women’s health and wellness, and it’s only going to grow.”
The natural and organics market is valued at $317 billion, according to Nutrition Business Journal’s 2023 State of Natural Report. Buerk said a goal of the DMI team, which will include product and nutrition scientists as well as marketing experts, is to remind attendees of dairy’s natural attributes.
“Our products are made with clean ingredients and real, high-quality dairy,” Buerk said. “At the end of the day, dairy is as natural as it gets, and people appreciate that and are seeking our delicious product samples at Expo West.”
Wilson added that in addition to seeing whey protein prominently featured in innovations across several categories, there is a shift toward products with functional ingredients such as probiotics, prebiotics, adaptogens and nootropics to support everything from gut health to mood enhancement and cognitive function. These ingredients are becoming increasingly popular and are being incorporated into dairy products.
“We’re positioning dairy to be a trendsetter in health and wellness, and Expo West is the perfect place to showcase this,” Wilson said. “We’re making sure dairy has a strong voice in the conversation happening at Expo West, and dairy is here to stay.”
Pioneer® Brand Plenish® High Oleic Enlist E3® Soybeans Available in 2025
Pioneer announces the availability of Pioneer® brand Plenish® high oleic Enlist E3® soybeans for the 2025 season, giving U.S. farmers the opportunity to capitalize on per-acre premiums while controlling weeds with the No. 1 herbicide-tolerant trait in soybeans.
New Plenish high oleic Enlist E3® soybeans will be introduced in Pioneer brand Z-Series varieties, providing industry-leading genetics and a generational leap forward in yield potential. Roger Theisen, marketing manager for Pioneer specialty crops, says this advancement brings even more options for farmers to increase their per-acre profit potential with high oleic soybeans.
“We continue to see growing interest in Plenish high oleic soybeans as farmers learn about the opportunity to increase profits through processor-paid premiums,” Theisen said. “With the availability of Plenish high oleic Enlist E3 soybeans, farmers will have access to even better tools to control weeds using the Enlist weed control system – the new standard for weed control in soybeans.”
Plenish high oleic soybean varieties are grown and marketed under identity-preserved contract programs, and farmers receive premiums from participating processors or elevators. Theisen believes the additional choice of Plenish® high oleic Enlist E3® soybeans will increase interest in the program.
“We know there are farmers who have wanted to plant Plenish high oleic soybeans in the past but needed the tools of the Enlist weed control program to effectively manage weeds on their farm,” Theisen said. “Now they don’t have to choose between planting Plenish high oleic soybeans or Enlist E3 soybeans – they can have the benefits of both, combined with the elite germplasm of the Pioneer brand Z-Series.”
Plenish high oleic soybean oil helps meet consumer demand for alternative cooking oils by providing a product with zero grams of trans fat, less saturated fat and the highest amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat available in soy.
In addition to consumer cooking oil, Plenish® high oleic soybeans are increasingly being used in on-farm dairy feeding. Standard soybeans, commonly grown for commodity markets, contain high levels of linoleic acid, which can reduce milk fat when used in dairy rations. In contrast, Plenish® high oleic soybeans offer a unique fatty acid profile with approximately 75% oleic acid and significantly lower linoleic acid, promoting higher milk fat production in dairy cows while lowering feed costs for dairy producers.
Three new Plenish® high oleic Enlist E3® varieties will be available for the 2025 season with an agronomic fit in the Delmarva Peninsula, central Indiana and southern South Dakota. Pioneer plans to advance additional varieties of Plenish high oleic Enlist E3® soybeans for Michigan, New York and Wisconsin in 2026, with broad availability the following season.
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