Upcoming Outlook Conferences, offered across the state by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, will cover key topics affecting farm management and production decisions for 2009.

The morning session will focus on the commodities and will cover the outlook for livestock, crops, inputs, and land. The session will also highlight tools that can help producers make better management decisions for 2009.

Morning sessions speakers and topics include:

Darrell Mark will present the livestock outlook and focus on market prices, production economics, and risk management decisions.

Paul Burgener will provide the crop outlook, focusing on market prices, production economics, and risk management decisions.

Matt Stockton and Roger Wilson will cover the outlook for input costs, focusing on the impact of changing input costs on optimal input decisions and crop selection.

Bruce Johnson and Ben Blomendahl will present an update on land markets, tracking movements in land values and changes in cash rental rates. They will demonstrate a leasing decision tool that will help producers analyze and budget changing rents into the profit equation.

The afternoon session will focus on economic and policy outlook. With the economic uncertainty and volatility in the market today, the outlook for the general economy has an increased relevance to this year's farm management decisions. They include:

A perspective from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City will provide the general economic outlook as well as a discussion of ag credit conditions and lending issues in each region.

Brad Lubben will discuss the policy outlook as it is shaped by the focus of a new administration and the implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill programs. With the farm programs now being implemented, producers also face significant sign-up decisions regarding ACRE and SURE. The policy presentation will also discuss these programs and feature decision tools to help producers make farm program and risk management decisions

In addition to the presentations, the conference will provide a forum to highlight the department's activities and discuss the opportunities for students to learn and work in the department on agricultural issues affecting Nebraska producers.

Individual registration cost for each of the meetings is $25 and advance registration is necessary.

Schedules for the five Cornhusker Economics Management and Outlook Conferences in 2009 are:

Feb. 18, Buffalo County Extension office. Contact is Brent Plugge at 308-236-1235.

Feb. 19, Grey Goose Lodge, Ogallala. Contact is Doug Anderson at 308-284-6051.

Feb. 20, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff. Contacts are Tom Holman at 308-632-1480 and Paul Burgener at 308-632-1230.

Feb. 23, Kimmel Education and Research Center, Nebraska City. Contacts are Sarah Heidzig-Krager at 402-245-4324 and Tom Lemmons at 402-762-3644.

Feb. 24, Dusters Restaurant, Columbus. Contact is Allan Vyhnalek at 402-563-4901.

Contact Brad Lubben in the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics at 402-472-2235 or contact any one of the Extension educators listed with each location for more information. Conference information and a link to online registration are also available at the conference Web page at www.agecon.unl.edu/resource/cemoc.html.