The purpose of this manuscript is to communicate how rate of genetic gain per year could be estimated on a crop production-farm. The paper will discuss a general background of what genetic gain is, how realized genetic gain is currently estimated in crop breeding programs for one cycle of selection, and how genetic trends are used to estimate genetic gain per year. The adaptation of current methods of field plot experiments and designs to obtain estimates of genetic trend for a crop production operation will be explored. This manuscript also serves as a resource for crop producers in understanding the basic components of genetic gain and how plant breeding professionals may use this concept. The general background on what genetic gain is and how it is estimated in both short and long term will allow crop producers to acquire language commonly used by plant breeders leading to greater understanding and better decision making for both crop producers and plant breeders.