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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LINCOLN – Nebraska’s agricultural economy rebounding this year and the subsequent property tax relief tied to the economy are among the top agriculture stories of 2021, according to Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB). Also making the list is the move to expand broadband, calls for sweeping changes to the cattle markets, and NEFB’s work to halt a proposal that would devastate family farms. “It’s no secret that we’ve seen progress in prices for most commodities over the past year and we know that when Nebraska agriculture does well, our state’s eco...
Finding it difficult to hire and retain great ag employees? Consider attending the Leading Farm and Ranch Employees Virtual Seminar Series to be held in January. Nebraska Extension will host a virtual seminar series in January (Jan. 18, 20, 25 and 27) designed to help agricultural employers learn techniques and leadership practices to help motivate and empower employees. Finding, hiring and retaining quality employees are major challenges for agricultural business in Nebraska. Help-wanted signs are everywhere. Nebraska currently has the lowest...
BATTLE CREEK – Battle Creek no-till farmer and advocate Dan Gillespie sought to leave any land he farmed in better condition than he found it. Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF), in collaboration with Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Society, today announced a new NCF affiliated fund to ensure Gillespie’s philosophy continues to inspire farmers in Nebraska and surrounding states for years to come. The Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund is dedicated to promoting soil health and regenerative agriculture, including but not limited to no-till far...
A two-day workshop this January will provide a hands-on learning experience for producers to learn how to calculate a unit cost of production for a cow-calf operation. 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. The program will take place Jan. 13 and 14 at the University of...
The 2022 private pesticide applicator training dates, times, and locations have been set, with sessions beginning in early January and continuing through early April at sites throughout the Nebraska Panhandle and Sandhills. Notification letters will be sent out by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to applicators whose license will expire in 2022. The cost of the training is $50, payable the day of the training. Private pesticide licenses also can be obtained by completing an online course. Pesticide applicators can purchase access to the...
For more than 20 years the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center’s Plant Pathology Program has been using a soil index test as a forecasting tool for sugarbeet root rot diseases in Nebraska. A recent conversation revealed that some sugarbeet producers are not aware of this service, so for veteran and newer growers, as well as the public, here is a description of the program. Disease Index The disease index is a pre-plant soil test that was developed and utilized by the plant pathology program at the Panhandle Center. This test is c...
LINCOLN – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced recently that USDA will make up to $800 million available to support biofuel producers and infrastructure. The announcement includes $700 million to provide economic relief to biofuel producers and restore renewable fuel markets affected by the pandemic. The department will make the funds available through the new Biofuel Producer Program authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Additionally, in the coming months, the d...
Des Moines, IA, – Farmmee, the app that connects farmers with farmers when they need help the most, is proving its mettle around the country. The most recent example is straight from the heartland. Tim Sinn runs a 600-head backgrounding operation near Oskaloosa, Kansas. A Kansas native, he moved there six years ago to get back into agriculture after leaving another venture. In addition to cattle, he offers custom farming services throughout the region. He discovered the Farmmee app on Facebook before harvest, signed up and listed the custom s...
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is announcing the retirement of State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes. He started working for NDA in 1990 as a veterinary field officer and became state veterinarian in 2005. Hughes’ last day with NDA will be December 30. “As state veterinarian, Dr. Hughes has been instrumental in keeping Nebraska livestock healthy and the state’s agricultural industry strong,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman. “We want to thank Dr. Hughes for his years in public service and for his leadership at the state an...
The Dry Pea & Lentil Commission will hold its December meeting on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at the West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 W State Farm Rd., North Platte, NE 69101. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. CST. The meeting will include reviewing financial and check-off compliance reports, a report from USA Dry Pea & Lentil, the consideration of research funding and travel approval. The public is welcome to attend any open portion of the meeting. Interested individuals may contact the NWB office for a copy of the detailed...
Jessica Groskopf, Regional Ag Economist Cory Walters, Associate Professor, Ag Economics Rising fertilizer and input prices are the hot topic of conversation in rural coffee shops across the corn belt. However, there seems to be little banter about how to make crop-input purchase decisions heading into 2022. So what should savvy farmers be discussing, in addition to rising costs, to make the best purchase decision? A large piece missing from the discussion is an individual’s personal financial scenario. Your financial standing might be d...
INDIANAPOLIS (National FFA Organization) – The National FFA Foundation announced its new chair for the Sponsors’ Board during the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis this fall. Paul Rea, senior vice president, BASF agricultural solutions North America (Research Triangle Park, N.C.), was named the chair for the upcoming year. Rea, born and raised on a farm in New Zealand, holds a master’s degree from the University of Sydney, graduate school of management and lives in Raleigh, N.C. “It is a privilege and honor to serve as the...
Medicare-eligible Nebraskans still have time to review their Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans through Dec. 7. Also, anyone eligible for Part D but not yet signed up for a drug plan can do so until Dec. 7. Every year beneficiaries need to check their plan to make sure it is still the best plan for their needs. Plans can change every year, so just because you like how the plan you are on now works doesn’t mean it will work the same next year. It is important to make sure your current plan covers the medications you are currently taking. T...
Chris Helzer, a local nature photographer and Nebraska director of science at The Nature Conservancy, was looking for a new way to tell people why prairies are interesting and important when he came up with the idea of proving the diversity of prairies on a smaller scale. And so the project “Hidden Prairie” was born. Helzer’s project originally started as a book that features images and stories about the species he discovered in a square meter over a year in Lincoln Creek Prairie in Auror...
On September 15th the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District (UNWNRD) hosted the 2021 Area 1 Range Judging contest in Alliance. Range Judging is a high school competition that challenges students to gain a better understanding of Nebraska rangelands. Range Judging enables each participant to learn how to recognize range plants, range sites and the need for proper grazing practices. NRDs work with the Society for Range Management, NRCS and UNL Extension to host Range Judging contests...
The Sandhills Rangeland Monitoring Cooperative (SRMC) is a rangeland monitoring project that seeks to link ranchers, scientists and the public in a network of knowledge exchange about rangeland health and management in the Nebraska Sandhills. The goal of the project is to better understand what influences the plant community in the Nebraska Sandhills and help guide management efforts to protect this vital part of Nebraska. The Nebraska Sandhills provide valuable grazing land and plentiful ecosys...
Working with any kind of grain – especially when it’s stored in a bin – poses life-threatening hazards. Understanding those hazards and knowing how to protect yourself from harm helps prevent serious injury or death. Bob Aherin, Ph.D. and Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois, Agricultural Safety and Health Program and AgrAbility Unlimited Program, says becoming trapped in flowing grain one of the most hazardous aspects of grain handling. “Getting caught in a grain auger as you move gr...
LINCOLN — Center for Agriculture Profitability housed in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln hosted a webinar series on October 12 and 14 addressing the current state and potential growth of the meat processing industry. Due to COVID-19, recent market disruptions to the meat processing industry have led the public and livestock producers to be concerned about the size and consolidation of meat processing plants. The purpose of these webinars is to address the following: Financial and legal imp...
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...
