Video Tutorials
The next five tutorials were prepared early on as the ABC program was launched initially for crop enterprise budgeting. They are numbered in sequence. As the program has developed, parts of the program have changed, however it still has the same general look and feel. Viewing these videos should provide more in-depth instruction on using the program to create crop budgets.
Check back soon for updated videos on working with ABC.
1. Determining the Enterprise Data Needed in Budgeting
This tutorial video provides a brief overview on the purpose of the ABC program, the type of data to gather to utilize as you begin creating an enterprise budget (crop focused). Included is instruction on establishing an ABC account of your own. Runtime: 8:54
2. Creating New Enterprises, Yearly Rates and Prices, and Field Operation Entries
The tutorial covers steps to creating a crop enterprise, including naming the enterprise, setting up the budget year, and then adding field operation entries. Runtime: 19:18
3. Managing Inputs for Annual Budgets
This video provides more detailed information on entering information in the “Manage Inputs” area including materials, power units, implements, labor, and irrigation systems. Runtime: 15:04
4. Copying and Modifying a UNL Crop Budget as One of Your Own
This video shows where the Nebraska (UNL) budgets are found in ABC and can be downloaded and modified in a user’s account (if they choose not to create their own from scratch). Each year the Nebraska crop budgets are created using ABC and are available for download. Since 2025, cattle budget examples have been added to ABC. Runtime: 11:35
5. Completing a Crop Enterprise Budget and Viewing Reports
In this tutorial we review the enterprise budget report(s) and supplemental reports that are created in the ABC program. Runtime: 8:38
Risk Module Overview and Corn Example
Reference in this video about the risk module in ABC is made to farm.unl.edu webpage that has been updated to cap.unl.edu/abc where updated information on the ABC program is available. The risk module in ABC provides some insight on considering financial risk exposure and how different levels of federal crop insurance might cover some risk. Runtime: 11:10
Risk Module Soybean Example
Reference in this video about the risk module in ABC is made to farm.unl.edu webpage that has been updated to cap.unl.edu/abc where updated information on the ABC program is available. The risk module in ABC provides some insight on considering financial risk exposure and how different levels of federal crop insurance might cover some risk. Runtime: 12:19
Duplicating Budgets from Prior Years
In this ABC tutorial, this is a more in-depth demonstration on duplicating a crop enterprise budget that was created and resides in your ABC account (current or prior year). With the duplication feature in ABC, a “base” budget for a crop can be built and then copied as many times as necessary. Let’s say you have 5 fields of dryland corn. After completing a budget for the first field, you can duplicate the enterprise budget several times, each time renaming the new budget to fit the farm, or field, or the budget situation. After a budget is copied or duplicated into your ABC account, a new budget name can be added, along with acre updates. If a copy is being made to a new or different budget year, it is important to cross check and update any material and service prices for a given year, along with labor, machinery, and equipment changes for the budget year that the duplicated budgets are going to. Runtime 12:23.
Entering TAPS Decisions Into the ABC Program/Creating TAPS Enterprise Budgets
This video demonstrates how TAPS team members can utilize the ABC program to create their TAPS crop budget. Updates can be made as decisions are made during the production season. Runtime: 14:47
Agricultural Budget Calculator Training and Question & Answer Sessions
Training and Q&A sessions are scheduled to assist you!
Training sessions to help users and others interested in the Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) program are scheduled as needed. Q&A help sessions are scheduled on an ongoing basis. See the current list of scheduled sessions below.
Have a group of producers interested in learning during a “hands-on” session? Let us know and we can set up in-person training programs in your area. Email Glennis McClure.
Q&A Sessions on ABC
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.
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.
ABC Q&A Schedule:
- Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. CT
- Monday, April 20, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at Noon CT
- Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. CT
Click the "Register" button below. Upon your registration to any session, the online Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to you.
In-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:
- Nothing scheduled at this time.
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.