With: Brad Lubben, Associate Professor and Extension Policy Specialist, UNL; and Elliott Dennis, Assistant Professor and Extension Livestock Economist, UNL.

Since 2008 when livestock was given its first major title in the 2008 Farm Bill, the federal government has continued to provide more assistance to livestock producers. This assistance includes new federal programs, changes to existing programs, and an increasing amount of ad-hoc payments. We will describe the history of the growth of government in livestock markets, provide an overview of all the available programs for livestock producers, and discuss whether this new role is ultimately a net benefit to producers.