Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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INDIANAPOLIS — This week, FFA members and supporters from across the country will celebrate agricultural education and agriculture during the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 27-29. Nine Sidney High School FFA members and officers, their sponsor and one chaperone will be flying to Indy today (Wednesday). Students attending are:Sidney Allard (Treasurer, Sophomore), Joslyn Bertrand (Member, Junior), Zoe Fornander (Member, Junior), Angel Helms (Vice President, Junior), Nolan Hofrock (Reporter, Junior), Kord McMillen (President, S...
As shoppers adjust their holiday gift-buying strategies due to supply chain issues, they might want to think about retooling their holiday meals, too. Just as consumers are feeling the supply chain headaches, so too are farmers, food processors and shelf stockers. Nearly everything from fertilizer for fields, feed ingredients for livestock to the harvesting of fresh produce has been impacted by shortages that have slowed the supply chain to a crawl. Erkut Sönmez, associate professor of supply chain management and analytics at the University...
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has filed a complaint requiring Banghart Properties LLC, a.k.a. Fearless Grain Marketing Storage & Arbitrage, a.k.a. Fearless Grain Marketing, a.k.a. Fearless Grain of Gettysburg, South Dakota, to cease and desist all operations as a Grain Dealer in Nebraska. On September 5, the PSC Grain Department sent the company a letter stating that a Grain Dealer license is required for the company to purchase grain from a Nebraska producer. The letter indicated all grain dealer activity by the c...
Nowadays, farmers have more access than ever to data of all kinds about their crops, thanks to rapid development of sensor and telemetry technologies over the past few decades. Yet the adoption rate of sensors for farming operations is still low, possibly due to cost, comfortability of adapting to sensor-based management, concerns on return on investment, and other reasons. Farm machinery is commonly equipped with sensors for monitoring planting, harvesting, and other field operations. For monit...
Grand Island, NE — The Nebraska State Fair opened with great excitement and anticipation. The gates opened and the grounds filled with fairgoers as State Fair Board Chair Beth Smith and Executive Director- Bill Ogg gave the Opening Ceremony welcome to the 2021 Nebraska State Fair. The 11-day event gained momentum with the start of 4-H weekend and continued throughout the week with the conclusion of FFA exhibits on the Labor Day weekend. Concerts saw strong attendance and crowds were smiling, d...
Can winter field peas, planted in September and harvested the middle of the following summer (like winter wheat), work as part of the dryland cropping rotations in the Nebraska Panhandle? The question is being studied by the alternative crops breeding program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff. Incorporating winter pea into a wheat-based dryland crop production system in the Panhandle has the potential to increase the crop production sustainability and economic viability of dryland...
LINCOLN – Nebraska Farm Bureau is asking Nebraska’s three House members to support the Senate passed version of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act when it comes to the House floor for a vote. “Whether it’s good roads to move crops and livestock from our fields, pastures, and feedlots to market, or subsequently moving agriculture commodities and products to ports for transport to international customers, infrastructure is critical to Nebraska farm and ranch families. That’s why Nebraska Farm Bureau is a long-time supporter of investing i...
Congratulations to these Sidney high students who attended the State Range Judging competition on September 29th in Valentine, Nebraska. Team members pictured include Emily Miller, Zoe Fornander, Matthew Cabbage, Ty Grunig, and the team's lucky sugarbeet (Parliament). With 35 teams represented in the senior level division, Sidney's team placed 10th overall. Among the 123 total students participating, Ty Grunig placed (26th) and was awarded a green ribbon, followed by Zoe Fornander (32nd), Emily...
WASHINGTON – On Sept. 22, the National Farmers Union, a national organization advocating on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities, launched Fairness for Farmers. This campaign seeks to rally Americans to urge their Congressional leaders and the Biden administration to take concrete steps to curtail consolidation in agriculture, which negatively impacts farmers, ranchers and consumers. At today’s press conference, NFU President Rob Larew, Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer, and Minnesota Far...
LINCOLN - The Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) has hired a new director of grower services. Katherine Byrne brings talent and experience from her time as public relations director at Ag Valley Co-op and internships with the Nebraska Pork Producers Association and Nebraska Agribusiness Association. Katherine also sits on the board of the Nebraska FFA Foundation as their secretary. “We are excited to have Katherine on our staff,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of NeCGA. “As a strong advocate for the agriculture indus...
LINCOLN – Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors expressed its opposition to the reconciliation package that has been working its way through Congress, in a letter to President Biden and Congressional leaders this week. “Given what the federal government has spent over the past 21 months, combined with the threat of massive tax increases that look to put the future of family farms and ranches at risk, we simply cannot support this legislation. Unfortunately, it is clear to us this package is a work of party politics rather than sound publi...
PLEASANT DALE, Neb. – Del Ficke of Ficke Cattle Company just northwest of Pleasant Dale, Neb., and Ken Stewart of XL Ranch out of Cowley, Wyo. are pleased to announce they will be holding the inaugural Graze Master cattle sale and open house on Saturday, Nov. 13. The sale, the first of its kind ever, is also the launch of the Graze Master Group® – a new vision for the cattle the industry that has independence, common sense, genomic expertise, and profitability at its center. “We have the same mindset,” Ficke said. “I trust Ken’s cattle judgm...
LINCOLN – Natural resources stakeholders and experts will be in Kearney for the annual Nebraska Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) Conference at the Younes Conference Center Sept. 26-28. The conference brings together NRD employees, directors and others integrally involved in conservation, technology and policymaking. The event kicks off with the Ron Bishop Memorial Golf Outing and trap shoot on Sunday, Sept. 26, to raise money for the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Foundation. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. M...
Volunteering at community gardens: With fall approaching there are many garden tasks to be completed and many community gardens in need of care, including the Scotts Bluff Court House front garden fall cleanup; removing tall grasses at the Guadalupe center rain/pollinator garden; picking produce at the Evergreen Green House in Gering on Wednesdays; and many more. Call your local extension office to see how you can help in the gardens and be less isolated during this time. It’s a great way to make a difference in your community. Enjoying d...
Sara Allard – Purple – Intermediate Beef Showmanship Sara Allard – Purple - Market Beef – Crossbred Steers Sidney Allard – Purple – Senior Beef Showmanship Sidney Allard – Purple – Commercial Breeding Heifers Calved March/April 2020 Emily Miller – Purple – Senior Beef Showmanship Emily Miller – Red – market Beef – Nebraska Fed Steer Challenge Keian Kaiser – Blue – Intermediate Swine Showmanship Keian Kaiser – Blue – Market Swine – Crossbred Market Barrows Alaina Challburg – Heritage -Level 1: Beginning Special events Scrapbook Alexa Shoema...
Lincoln - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability and Nebraska Extension will present Returning to the Farm, a workshop series for families who are in the transition process of bringing members back to the farm. It will begin with a two-day workshop for multi-generational families on Dec. 10 and 11 in Columbus. “Bringing a young person into a farm or ranch operation can present challenges,” said Allan Vyhnalek, an extension educator for farm succession. “This...
Daryl Koptiva grew up farming. When he wasn't farming, he was custom harvesting. When he wasn't cutting grain, he was repairing machinery to get back in the field. Now he is offering his experience to farmers and ranchers in western Nebraska. He said he left the farm when the work load became more than he could handle. "The farm grew to be a little too much," he said. He had a trucking business that he closed when the last driver retired. His service will include most anything that can break...
Some photography tips to capture great shots of your garden and landscape: Anytime is a good time to photograph something in your garden. But to improve your photography, early morning and late afternoon offer the best lighting of the day. Overcast skies also provide naturally diffused lighting. Shooting during these times limits the harsh, bright light of the mid-day sun. Also take lots of shots so you have a variety that you can look over later and choose the best ones to keep as a reminder of this year’s garden. Flowers are probably e...
Dr. Mohamed Khalil has been appointed as geoscientist in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Conservation and Survey Division (CSD), based at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. His start date is today, Sept. 1. The appointment was announced by Dr. Matt Joeckel, director of Conservation and Survey Division, a unit of the UNL School of Natural Resources. Khalil is the first new CSD geoscientist in Scottsbluff in three decades, replacing Steve Sibray, who retired in...
On Tuesday, August 17, 2021 the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) Board of Directors (Board) held its monthly meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the South Platte NRD Conference Room (551 Parkland Drive, Sidney NE). Sydney Norris, Public Relations and Education Manager shared photos taken of the Adventure Camp about the Environment (ACE Camp) that was held at the 4H camp in the Nebraska National Forest. Four students were offered a scholarship by SPNRD that covered the ACE Camp costs. The four students who attended ACE Camp in the District...
This article and other research-based beef news are available on beef.unl.edu, Nebraska Extension’s beef cattle production website. Interviews with the authors of BeefWatch newsletter articles become available throughout the month of publication and are accessible at https://go.unl.edu/podcast. Early weaning of calves may be advantageous in times of drought, when cows are in a confinement system, or as a body condition management tool for very young or old cows. Early weaning is typically d...
Joel Ahrens, Sidney Location Manager, delivers a presentation on the latest innovations in products and techniques and how these will help during this year's harvest at the Thursday, Aug. 19, "2021 Combine Optimization Clinic," hosted by 21st Century Equipment. Additionally, guest speakers and Product Specialists detailed their new products and talked about the challenges facing the local agricultural community. They also discussed machine optimization and offered expert assistance and advice...
YORK – The Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) elected four farmers to serve leadership roles at its recent board meeting on Aug. 19. The leadership roles are effective immediately and are yearlong in duration, with the possibility to be reelected. Jay Reiners, At Large Director, was elected as chairman of the board. Reiners farms near Juniata, where he grows field corn, seed corn and soybeans. He has been farming for over 30 years and is the fourth generation managing the family farm. He graduated with an associate’s degree in general agriculture fro...
LINCOLN — Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, along with Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania, the ranking member of the house ag committee, joined university leaders on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus Friday for a town hall about the present and future of agriculture — and Nebraska’s important role in both. NU President Ted Carter, UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green and NU Vice President and Harlan Vice Chancellor for UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Mike Boehm joined Fortenberry and Thompson for a tele-town hall about the import...
Lincoln — The Nebraska Wheat Board (NWB) will hold its next meeting Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 W State Farm Rd., North Platte, NE 69101. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. CDT. During the meeting, the NWB board will receive reports from members on committee activities as well as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Wheat Growers Association. The board will conduct the Oath of Office for new directors, elect new board officers, and determine travel and participation in upcoming m...
