Ag Liens, Loans and Leases April 25

A free Ag Liens, Loans, and Leases workshop will be held in Chadron, April 25 at Chadron State College Student Center, Scottsbluff Room. A light dinner will be provided. The workshop runs from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 pm.  To register call the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.

Speakers Joe Hawbaker, ag law attorney from Omaha, and Dave Goeller, ag finance and transition specialist, will address these topics:

Liens (Hawbaker) - Nebraska's statutory agricultural liens, from the producer's perspective:  What are they?  How do they work? These are liens that give creditors rights in certain property, such as crops, feed and livestock, to secure payment of obligations for goods or services, such as seed, fertilizer, ag chemicals, petroleum products, veterinary assistance, cattle care, harvest work and machine repair.  The discussion will focus on identifying the liens and understanding how they work from the producer's perspective. 

Loans (Goeller) – The presentation will provide producers with an inside look at “What your lender is looking for.”  The impact of collateral, cash flow, credit score, character and trends on loan applications.  A brief overview of balance sheets, trend sheets and ratio analysis will also be included. 

Leases (Goeller) – The importance of lease communications between the landlord and tenant and useful lease provisions will be discussed, along with highlights of current lease rates and trends in Nebraska.

Farm Succession Workshop April 26

A business succession and estate planning workshop for farm and ranch owners, families and beginners will be held at the Harrison Fire Hall on April 26.  The workshop is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  To register call the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  A lunch will be provided. Speakers will be Joe Hawbaker, ag law attorney from Omaha, and Dave Goeller, ag finance and transition specialist.

Topics will include: stages of succession planning, contribution and compensation, balancing the interests of on-farm and off-farm heirs; the importance of communication, setting goals, assessing feasibility, and balancing intergenerational expectations and needs; beginning farmer loan and tax credit programs; estate planning goals and issues (incapacity, taxes, asset protection, long term care, feasibility); forms of ownership; transfer tools (wills, titling, trusts); succession planning tools and examples (installment sales, lease and ownership options, preemptive rights, use of entities, buy-sell planning).