Learn Ranch Cost Analysis this Winter

By Scout Nelson

The Nebraska Extension is hosting a series of Unit Cost of Production (UCOP) workshops in central Nebraska this winter to help producers gain practical financial management skills for their ranch operations.

The two-day workshops will take place December 8–9 at the Community Center in Atkinson and January 27–28 at the Legion Hall in Burwell. Each session will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time.

Designed to provide hands-on learning, the workshops will guide participants in calculating the unit cost of production for cow-calf operations and other ranch enterprises. Attendance is limited to 25 people per location to ensure personalized instruction.

The $50 registration fee includes meals and materials for both days. Participants must pre-register one week in advance by contacting the Nebraska Extension office in Holt County at 402-336-2760 or email Bethany Johnston at bjohnston3@unl.edu.

“Having information to make effective business decisions is important for ranch success. Enterprise analysis and unit cost of production (UCOP) are tools that can help ranchers identify where value is being created on the ranch, where costs are occurring, and what changes could be made to improve profit,” Berger said.

Workshop participants will work through a sample ranch case study to analyze four common ranch enterprises: cow-calf, stockers/breeding heifers, hay, and land. They will calculate what it costs to produce a unit of product for each enterprise and explore opportunities to reduce costs or increase efficiency.

The sessions aim to help producers understand their current cost structure, project future production expenses for 2026, and use that information to guide management and marketing decisions.

By combining real-world data with economic principles, Nebraska Extension’s UCOP workshops offer valuable financial insight and practical tools to enhance long-term ranch profitability and sustainability.

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