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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...
Nebraska’s Third District is the number one agriculture district in the nation. This past week, I hosted an agriculture summit where I was able to engage directly with Third District producers to hear how we can ensure our producers remain among the top producing in the country. During the summit, we received insights on a wide array of issues that impact Nebraska’s Third District from four special guests. Mark Slupek, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Deputy Administrator for Global Pro...
Student interns who worked in Nebraska Extension offices throughout the state this summer have gotten a taste of careers in Extension by putting on experiential learning programs for local 4-H programs – planning and leading activities in which kids have fun while learning science, math, nutrition and healthy living. Scotts Bluff, Morrill, Garden and Cheyenne counties in the Panhandle are four of the numerous offices in the state where interns are working. The interns help teach 4-H classes a...
Static Hall Special Recognition Awards Ryan Cheleen: Home Environment - Pencil Sketch of a Tractor, Plant Science - Field Crops, Science and Technology - Woodworking, Nailing it Together 3D Barn Lauryn Stanley: Plant Science - Desert Garden, Healthy Living - Coffee Cake Owen Foster: Science and Technology - Welding Horseshoe Cross Riley Adams: Science and Technology - Woodworking Shooting Sports Senior Trap Shooting Grand Champion - Joshua Dejong Reserve Champion - Eli Schmid Junior Trap Shooting Grand Champion - Zeiss Snell Reserve Champion -...
Lincoln, NE— Governor Pete Ricketts recently appointed Kent Lorens from Stratton as director for District 4 and Jared Sayer from Cambridge as director for District 5 to the Nebraska Wheat Board (NWB). Kent will be serving his second term as District 4 director for the Nebraska Wheat Board. The Lorens family has been farming in Hitchcock County since 1986 when Kent and his wife Marilyn took over the family farm. Along with serving on the NWB, Kent is also active in his community, serving on the local school board, the Hitchcock County Farm B...
Lincoln — The use of “digital twins,” virtual copies of physical objects and operations, is gaining steam across a wide range of industries. Updated constantly with real-time data, these virtual mirrors allow engineers to keep an eye on and predict traffic flow, retailers to optimize supply chains and railway operators to spot wear and tear on tracks. Researchers are even working toward digital twins of the human heart, which would let doctors diagnose, treat and monitor patients from afar....
Two canning methods for produce: Are you planning to can some of your garden produce? Garden produce can be preserved by two canning methods, the water-bath or the pressure canner. Water-bath canning is for produce with high acidity, like pickles, most fruits, sauerkraut, tomatoes, jams and jellies. The pressure canner is used for low-acid foods, like vegetables, meats, sea foods and salsas without added acid. Improperly canned produce may result in a deadly food poisoning. Altitude and canning: Do you need to adjust your canning time or...
LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability will host a webinar on early weaning beef calves at noon on Aug. 5. Early weaning can be a helpful management practice for many cow/calf operations, especially where quality forages may be lacking due to drought and other factors. How calves are managed depends largely on the age of the animals the goals of the producer. The webinar will explore different options and best practices for early weaning, covering nutrition, costs and potential benefits. It wil...
On Tuesday, July 13, 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). Ryan Reisdorff, Water Resources Specialist with the SPNRD, presented information about the application to transfer ground water from Grotz & Henderson, LLC to Clean Harbors Environmental Services. Reisdorff explained that the transfer application was received and that the application is to permanently transfer the water rights from...
LINCOLN – Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Steve Wellman has announced the hiring of Cicely Batie for the position of assistant director. Batie, who has education and experience in agricultural economics, natural resources, and trade, began working at NDA in late June. “Cicely is a native Nebraskan, growing up on her family farm northeast of Lexington, so she understands agriculture and what the good life really means here in Nebraska,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman. “Her...