Webinars

Drought Outlook 2026: Weather, Water and Risk Management

With:

• Eric Hunt, Weather Ready Farms Program Director
• Gary Stone, Cropping Systems Extension Educator
• Cory Walters, Associate Professor, Agricultural Economics
• Jessica Groskopf, Agricultural Economics Extension Educator
• Xin Qiao, Irrigation Management Extension Specialist 

Nebraska producers are entering another season of drought uncertainty. This webinar will provide an update on spring rainfall expectations, snowpack conditions in the North Platte River Basin, and what those signals could mean for irrigation supplies. Presenters will also discuss irrigation preparation and in-season management strategies, along with key crop insurance considerations as producers evaluate coverage decisions in a dry year. Join us for a timely discussion connecting weather forecasts, water outlooks and farm-level risk management decisions.

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Understanding the Biomass-Based Diesel Market

With: Scott Gerlt, Chief Economist, American Soybean Association 

In this webinar, Scott Gerlt will explain biodiesel and renewable diesel production, economics and policy. Renewable diesel in particular has been driving growth in domestic soybean oil demand. Learn how the policies translate back to farm economics. 

Dr. Gerlt is the chief economist for the American Soybean Association, where he leads market and policy analysis to guide strategic decisions. He frequently presents and writes about issues affecting the soybean industry. Before joining ASA in 2020, Scott was program leader for U.S. crop policy and analysis at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri.

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What’s the Carbon Footprint of Your Feed? New Evidence on Distillers’ Grains and Soybean Meal

With: Felipe Miranda de Souza Almeida, Graduate Research Assistant, UNL Agricultural Economic; Elliott Dennis, Associate Professor, UNL Agricultural Economics; and Richard Perrin, Professor, UNL Agricultural Economics. 

As pressure mounts to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of beef production, feed inputs have become a critical focal point. But co-products like distillers’ grains and soybean meal, which can be large portions of rations for cattle and hogs, are often treated as an afterthought in carbon accounting. This webinar presents new research quantifying the carbon intensity of these feeds using regionally grounded models and economic allocation methods. We show how carbon intensity differs across production regions, irrigation practices, and feed forms, and why allocation assumptions can shift results. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how feed carbon intensities are constructed, how to interpret sustainability metrics, and why the assumptions in this accounting really matter.

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Agricultural Land Management Quarterly - Spring 2026

With Jim Jansen and Anastasia Meyer, Agricultural Economists, UNL

Offered since 2019, the quarterly webinars address common management issues for Nebraska landowners, agricultural operators, and related stakeholders interested in the latest insight on trends in real estate, managing agricultural land and solutions for addressing challenges in the upcoming growing season. 

The May 2026 webinar will cover trends in Nebraska cash rental rates for 2026, financial implications for changing commodity prices and adjusting cash rents. Communications issues and strategies for optimal land management for landlords and tenants will be discussed. A Q&A session will also be included.

Questions may also be submitted ahead of time on the form here.

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