Agricultural Budget Calculator Workshops/Training Sessions
Training sessions to help users and other interested in the Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) program are regularly scheduled, including Q&A help sessions. Want to learn in person? We can travel to your area to provide training if you have an interested group of learners. Please let us know! Email Glennis McClure.
It’s always important to estimate cost of production for our agricultural enterprises. Understanding and knowing projected cost of production figures for your various enterprises can assist you in making important management decisions now and throughout the production and marketing year.
Training workshops are scheduled both online and in-person, so Agricultural Budget Calculator users can get hands-on experience and learn about how the program can be a valuable resource for them.
Hop on your computer, create an Ag Budget Calculator (ABC) program account at agbudget.unl.edu, and let us walk you through the program features and provide instruction on using the program!
Online and In-Person Training
Online Training: ABC Program and the Livestock Module Feature: Approximately 1 hour
For anyone beginning to use the ABC program with an interest in the livestock budgeting feature.
Topics covered:
- The steps to creating or updating livestock enterprise budgets for your farm or ranch using the ABC program.
- Learn what is included in the projected cost of production and anticipated return reports generated by ABC (cash and economic costs and returns).
- Discuss information included in the program along with management decisions that might be possible as a result.
- As time allows, other features of ABC will be shared including crop budgeting and how to integrate crops grown for feed into your livestock enterprise budgets.
ABC Livestock Module Training Schedule:
- Friday, August 8 at Noon (12:00 p.m. CT)
- Wednesday, September 3 - 12:30 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, October 1 – 10:00 a.m. CT
Upon your registration to any online training session, a Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to you.
Watch for more training sessions that will be scheduled into the fall and winter months. If you’d like to host an in-person ABC workshop, contact: Glennis McClure, gmcclure3@unl.edu
RegisterOnline Training: ABC Program and the Specialty Crop Module Feature: Approximately 1 hour
For anyone beginning to use the ABC program with an interest figuring cost of production for specialty crops.
Topics covered:
- The steps to creating or updating specialty crop enterprise budgets for your operation using the ABC program.
- Learn what is included in the projected cost of production and anticipated return reports generated by ABC (cash and economic costs and returns).
- Discuss information included in the program to date and management decisions that might be possible.
- As time allows, other features of ABC will be shared including commercial crop budgeting and how to integrate with livestock enterprise budgets.
ABC Specialty Crop Module Training Schedule:
To be scheduled soon.
Upon your registration to any online training session, a Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to you.
RegisterABC Office Hours: Virtual Q&A Help Sessions
Upon your registration to any session, a Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to you.
ABC Q&A help sessions are scheduled regularly to provide an opportunity for program users to join on Zoom to ask questions about making the best use of the ABC program for their operation. You might be running into questions about the program that others have as well. Hop on Zoom at the scheduled times and we’ll help you out. We appreciate hearing your questions and receiving your feedback on ABC.
If you have a question and don’t want to wait for a training or Q&A session, please call or send an email to Glennis McClure, Extension Educator, 402.472.0661, or gmcclure3@unl.edu.
ABC Virtual Q&A Schedule:
- Tuesday, August 26 – 1:00 p.m. CT
- Thursday, September 25, 12:00 p.m. CT
- Tuesday, October 14, 9:30 a.m. CT
It helps to know if users are planning on attending a Q & A session online, so please register here. Upon registration, the Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to you.
RegisterIn-Person Training
Interested in an in-person ABC workshop in your area? We can arrange to travel wherever there is interest, and where we can gather at least 6 to 8 producers, farm managers, bankers, or others interested in learning about the ABC program. These sessions have proved to be successful in teaching folks how to use the program and to get immediate assistance and feedback on the use of the program. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptop or mobile device to learn how to use the program during workshops. Mobile lab computers can be made available if needed.
Call or email us to schedule a workshop in your area.
Topics covered at in-person workshops:
- Using the ABC program to create and/or update crop and livestock enterprise budgets for your various farms or fields on owned and/or rented ground or for your ranch.
- Save and print enterprise cost of production and return reports.
- Get details with hands-on demonstration of combining enterprise budgets using the “whole farm” component of the program, including reconciling operation expenses, and allocating overhead expenses to enterprises.
- Learn more about other program features, including breakeven, enterprise comparisons and the risk analysis module and then learn how the cash flow module in the ABC program works.
In-Person Training Schedule
Scheduled sessions will be posted as they are planned.
RegisterVirtual and In-Person Training
The ABC program and materials are based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28586, 2021-70027-34694 and 2023-70027-40444.