Monday January 12 Ag News - Custom Operators Survey - Frontier Coop FFA Grants - AKRS new O'Neill Location - ICA New Board Leadership - Red Meat Export update - and more!

 Custom Operators: Please Complete Custom Rates Survey by Early February

If you provide agricultural custom hire services in Nebraska, Nebraska Extension needs your help.

The 2026 Nebraska Agricultural Custom Rates Report is built entirely from survey responses submitted by custom operators across the state. This report is widely used by producers, operators, and ag professionals to set fair and realistic custom rates, and its accuracy depends on strong participation.

We’re currently working to increase responses and are aiming for 100 or more completed surveys before the survey closes in early February.

Why participate?
    Your rates help set benchmarks others rely on
    Results reflect real-world Nebraska operations
    Strong participation improves accuracy for everyone

The survey is available online or in print, based on your preference.

Request the survey here https://cap.unl.edu/nebraska-custom-rates-survey-sign/
(You’ll receive the online link by email or a printed copy by mail.)

Thank you for taking a few minutes to contribute to a resource that supports sound decision-making across Nebraska agriculture!



CAP Webinar: Is That Bull Worth It? Practical Decisions with the Bull Value Cow-Q-Lator
Jan 15, 2026 12:00 PM 
Matt Stockton, professor and agricultural economist, UNL
Randy Saner, livestock systems extension educator, UNL
Shannon Sand, agricultural economics extension educator, UNL 

This webinar will walk through how to use the Bull Value Cow-Q-Lator to put real numbers behind bull-buying decisions. Participants will see how to combine purchase price, expected calf performance, and herd genetics to estimate the economic value of individual bulls. The session will feature practical examples, showing how the tool can compare multiple bulls, test “what-if” scenarios, and support more confident, data-driven investments in herd sires.

Click here to register: https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.  

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. 



Free Farm and Ranch Legal Clinics Continue in 2026

As a new year begins, Legal Aid of Nebraska is continuing its free farm and ranch legal clinics, offering producers no-cost assistance with common legal questions affecting agricultural operations.

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in January. The clinics are one-on-one in-person meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Dates
    Wednesday, Jan. 14 — North Platte 
    Wednesday, Jan. 21 — Valentine
    Thursday, Jan. 22 — Norfolk
    Monday Jan. 26 — Nebraska City

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258. Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



Frontier Cooperative Supports Local FFA Chapters Through 2025 Grant Program

Frontier Cooperative donated to the Nebraska FFA Foundation in support of local FFA chapters. Ten FFA chapters received grant funds to go toward classroom or chapter needs.
 
The FFA chapters selected to receive 2025 grant funds include:
Ashland-Greenwood FFA, outdoor school garden
Aquinas FFA, ag lab expansion
Central FFA, cow-calf operation
East Butler FFA, beef lab and ag chat
Elmwood-Murdock FFA, cow and pig ear simulation model kit, horse and chicken kits
Johnson County Central FFA, farm learning lab
Palmyra FFA, livestock management project
Twin River FFA, interactive animal and plant science resources
Waverly FFA, soil temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen sensors
Weeping Water FFA, veterinary science curriculum and supplies
 
“We value investing in these chapters and the students who are growing as agricultural leaders in their schools and communities,” said Jeremy Wilhelm, Frontier Cooperative Chief Executive Officer. “Giving to FFA chapters is a meaningful way to support the communities that support Frontier Cooperative and how we hope to ensure a bright future for agriculture.”
 
“Access to quality equipment, curriculum and technology is essential for preparing students for careers in agriculture,” said Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director. “Frontier Cooperative’s support is helping develop a strong future workforce for rural communities across Nebraska, and we’re thankful for their partnership.”



AKRS Equipment Opens New State-of-the-Art Facility in O’Neill
 
AKRS Equipment is opening a new O’Neill store just down the road from its previous location.

The location officially opens for business on January 12th at 49157 Douglas Ave, O’Neill, NE 68763.
The upgraded facility enhances AKRS Equipment’s ability to serve both employees and customers, featuring a 40,000-square-foot service shop that expands technician capabilities, improves service efficiency, and supports long-term growth for the business and the O’Neill community.

“O’Neill has long been an important part of our footprint,” said Kevin Clark, CEO of AKRS Equipment. “This new location allows us to continue serving the area with the level of support and service our customers expect.”
 
In conjunction with the relocation, AKRS is actively hiring service technicians and will host a hiring event later this month at the new facility.
 
AKRS Equipment Hiring Event – O’Neill
    Date: January 23
    Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
    Location: AKRS Equipment, 49157 Douglas Ave, O’Neill, NE

The event will feature open interviews for service technicians throughout the day. AKRS is seeking skilled technicians with John Deere or competitive equipment experience and offers competitive hiring bonuses and relocation packages.
 
Those interested can apply in advance or learn more at akrs.com/careers.
AKRS Equipment continues to invest in facilities, people, and technology to better serve Nebraska agriculture and support the communities where it operates.



IOWA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA), the leading grassroots organization supporting Iowa’s beef cattle industry, recently elected new leadership to its Board of Directors, with the Executive Committee being announced at the annual meeting held at the 2025 Iowa Cattle Industry Convention on December 16 at the Meadows Events Center in Altoona, Iowa.

ICA welcomes Craig Moss from Hull, Iowa, in Sioux County as the new ICA board president. Craig ascends into this position after two years as the ICA president-elect. Craig and his wife, Hayley, along with their two sons, Merritt and McCoy, farm, feed cattle, and raise hogs with Craig’s parents. He began his involvement with ICA early as a participant in what is today the Iowa Cattlemen’s Leadership Program. From there, Craig has held several positions on committees and boards for the association, as well as plays an active role in the Sioux County Cattlemen’s Association. During the past two years as president-elect, Craig has observed, participated, and led association business to help prepare him for success as the association’s president.

"The association is fortunate to have Craig serving the state's cattle producers as president of the association,” said Bryan Whaley, CEO of the ICA. “Craig brings strong leadership, a deep understanding of the beef industry, and a genuine commitment to serving fellow producers. The extensive network Craig has across the country and respect within the industry, will be invaluable as he leads ICA. I look forward to partnering with him as we continue to strengthen our grassroots voice and advance the interests of Iowa cattle producers for generations into the future.”

With this transition, ICA would like to thank the outgoing president, Rob Medberry from Volga, Iowa. Rob diligently served the association for two years as president. During his tenure, he provided thoughtful leadership to direct and guide the association. He offered a sounding board for ICA staff and members to address opportunities and challenges within the industry and the work the association does for members. Thank you to Rob for his service not only as the president but also for his years of service leading up to that position. Rob will retain the past president position on the ICA board.

Additional elections to the Executive Committee included Jeff Landrum as the new ICA president-elect. Also new to the Executive Committee, but not the ICA Board, are Terry (Bubba) Chapman, who was elected as the southeast regional vice president, and Scott Birker, who was elected as the northeast regional vice president. Both Terry and Scott had previously been serving in district director roles. ICA also welcomes back Mitch Schafer to the associate vice president board seat, which he was reelected to for a second term.

ICA staggers regional vice president elections between the east and west to ensure stability within the Executive Committee during transition times. This year, it was eastern Iowa’s election cycle, and ICA would like to thank exiting committee members, Doug Schoeder, the outgoing southeast regional vice president, and Scott Niess, the outgoing northeast regional vice president. Your guidance, support, and vision have been appreciated.

“ICA was fortunate to have individuals like Rob, Doug, and Scott to serve in leadership capacities for many years,” commented Whaley. “Their commitment and dedication to the association as volunteers, representing Iowa at the federal, state, and local county levels, is greatly appreciated. They each brought a unique set of skills and background to their positions on the board and were a great asset in assisting me during my first two years in this role. We thank them for their service to ICA and the cattle industry in Iowa.”

District Directors:
· Brad Balsley, Floyd County (District 5)
· Grant Beeler, Jackson County (District 11)
· Greg Bartelma, Jasper County (District 14)
· Will Longinaker, Fremont County (District 17)
· Dan Delaney, Jefferson County (District 20)

ICA would also like to recognize those board members who were recognized for their service to the board and have termed out or retired from their positions. We thank each of these board members for their service.



October Pork Exports Largest Since March; Encouraging Rebound for Beef

U.S. pork exports continued to build momentum in October, led by a record performance in leading market Mexico, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While beef exports remained lower year-over-year, shipments rebounded to some degree in October, posting the largest totals since June.

Record-large shipments to Mexico fuel strong October pork exports
Pork exports totaled 264,657 metric tons (mt) in October, up 5% from a year ago, valued at $762.1 million (up 7%). Both volume and value were the largest since March, led by substantial growth in Mexico and year-over-year increases to Central America, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. In addition to Mexico, October shipments were also record-large to Honduras and Guatemala.

January-October pork exports reached 2.43 million mt, just 2% below the record pace of 2024. Export value was also down 2% to $6.93 billion. The year-over-year difference is mostly due to a 20% decline in exports to China (which are mainly variety meats), where U.S. pork is subject to burdensome retaliatory duties.

Bright spots for October beef exports include Japan, Taiwan, Caribbean, Colombia
Beef exports totaled 93,448 mt in October, down 11% year-over-year but the largest since June and 16% above the low volume posted in September. Export value was also the highest since June at $759.5 million, down 12% from a year ago but 15% above September. October beef exports increased year-over-year to Japan, Taiwan, Canada, the ASEAN region and the Dominican Republic, while also jumping sharply to Colombia. But these gains were more than offset by lack of access to China, which has reduced exports to minimal volumes for the past several months. For markets other than China, October beef exports were up 5% year-over-year in volume and up 7% in value.

January-October beef exports totaled 949,471 mt, down 11% from the 2024 pace, while value was down 10% to $7.79 billion. When excluding China from these results, exports were down 3% in volume and just 1% in value compared to the first 10 months of 2024.

“The latest export data confirm what I consistently hear from customers across the world and from our international staff – that global demand for U.S. red meat remains robust, despite tight supplies and formidable market access barriers,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “Obviously, regaining access for U.S. beef in China is our most urgent priority, as industry losses from this lockout are enormous. But we are also hopeful that ongoing trade negotiations will remove barriers in other destinations where consumers have a growing appetite for high-quality red meat.”

October lamb exports trend lower
Exports of U.S. lamb muscle cuts totaled 161 mt in October, down 12% year-over-year, while value fell 6% to $971,000. October shipments declined to the Caribbean but increased to Mexico and Central America. January-October exports were still up 40% year-over-year in volume (2,340 mt) and 27% higher in value ($12.65 million), led by growth in Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Panama. 



Economic Outlook: Key Forces Shaping Corn’s Future

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today released its economic outlook for 2026 outlining six key forces expected to drive corn prices and farm margins in the year ahead. The forecast underscores the need for new and expanded markets for corn growers.
 
“As the report shows, U.S. corn production is increasing with sustained high corn acres and productivity gains,” said report author and NCGA Chief Economists Krista Swanson. “Global corn production is at a record and growing. Without a shift in demand, rising domestic and global corn supply adds downward pressure on corn prices for U.S. farmers unless new demand materializes.”
 
Financial strain stays top of mind for growers facing near-record production costs and low corn prices. The 2026 forecast cost is only 1% lower than the record $928 per acre in 2022, but the forecasted $4.10 per bushel market year average corn price is 37% lower than $6.54 for the 2022 crop. 

Despite the challenges noted, the outlook identifies significant opportunity, not only in the near term but also in the long term with growth potential for ethanol in emerging markets beyond on-road use that has bolstered corn in recent decades.  

“Amid high production levels, expanding and diversity demand is essential,” said Swanson. “Decisions made this year—on trade, energy policy, and ethanol expansion—will shape the future profitability and resilience of the U.S. corn industry.” 

NCGA is pushing for passage of legislation that would expand access to fuels with 15% ethanol blends across the nation during summer months. The organization is also working to expand foreign market access and encouraging renewal of USMCA.