Kansas State University Research and Extension Resources Available to Kansas Dairy Farmers
LaVell Winsor
My names is LaVell Winsor and I am a Farm Financial Analyst through Kansas State University Agricultural Economics Department. As a Farm Analyst, my role is to work directly with farmers on farm financial issues. Finance issues may be a challenging creditor issue, the financial impact of transitioning to the next generation, how an expansion might impact the farm, or many other things.
My role is to access the farm from a neutral perspective and look for areas that might be improved in the financial area. Often, that may involve bringing in other resources or specialists. I may work with a farm once, over a period of months to resolve an issue, or annually. Most often, we work with a farm family through a specific situation and then they resume normal activity as they implement any improvements that fit their operation. Often our role is to connect farm families to resources that they may not be familiar with.
The Farm Analyst team works closely with KAMS (Kansas Ag Mediation Services). Kansas is fortunate to be a long-time recipient of USDA funds that help farmers in several ways. KAMS will often refer clients to the Farm Analyst team to help with any financial issues. KAMS also has resources available for legal counseling to answer general questions or assist in finding representation through Kansas Legal Services. Sometimes parties (family, creditor/lender, neighbors) may need help facilitating conversation to come to a workable agreement; this is where mediation may come in.
Kansas State University Agricultural Economics Department has an award-winning website full of helpful resources. Highlights from the AgManager website include land values, cash rental and custom rates, crop insurance, commodity marketing, legal information, and much more. Subscribe to receive an email weekly which highlights timely information and resources.
Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA) houses the economists who work directly with farmers on their farm records year-round. KFMA clients work with their economist to manage their farm records. They may use them for tax preparation and planning. Representing over 1,800 farms statewide, KFMA also provides financial information that can be used to understand the agricultural economy.
AgKansitions is the Office of Farm and Ranch Transitions. They help farmers through succession planning, have a land-link program to connect retiring and beginner farmers, and provide education to beginner farmers.
The Extension program in Kansas is strong. Although you may think of extension from the aspect of 4-H or agronomy, there are other areas that may help your farm too. Extension agents are a great resource to start with if there is a fence dispute with your neighbor or if something is fair on a farm lease. There are also agents who specialize in areas important to consider with aging or retirement, such as, Medicare, drawing social security, health insurance, and more.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Kansas State University has Dairy Research & Extension specialists who can assist you with specific production questions or concerns for your farm.
My hope is this expanded your knowledge of resources available to you. These resources are here to help your farm to be successful. Do not hesitate to reach out to any of them. Resource links can be found below.
Resources:
– KAMS (Kansas Ag Mediation Services)
– Agricultural Economics Resources