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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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...
Three college students from different parts of Nebraska are spending the summer in the Chadron area of northwest Nebraska, learning while helping strengthen the community through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Rural Fellows internship program. The Rural Fellows are helping bolster tourism efforts and mental health services for K-12 students. The students, Jacy Hafer, Hanna Jemison and Chantelle Schulz, are working with several local organizations while under the coordination and m...
LINCOLN– With support from Lancaster County Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation hosted eight Nebraska teachers and volunteers at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference “Field of Dreams,” June 29 – July 1 in Des Moines, Iowa. Educators from across the country attended to explore how to use agriculture to enhance classroom learning. The conference included keynotes, workshops, and tours of agricultural operations and businesses. Becky Streff, a fifth-grade teacher...
After postponement in 2020, the Nebraska Water Center’s annual conference will return this August. Entitled “The Shape of Water in Western Nebraska,” the conference will be held Monday, Aug. 16 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. An all-star lineup of Nebraska water professionals will discuss water infrastructure in the panhandle, western Nebraska’s unique hydrogeology, and innovation in water and agricultural management. “We are g...
The Cheyenne County Fair is conducted under the direction of the Cheyenne County Fair Board. While the greatest possible care will be exercised by the management to protect the patrons of the fair, each will be held personally responsible for his or her own actions and the management will not be accountable or responsible for injuries or accidents that occur. The Fair Board reserves the final and absolute right to interpret these Rules and Regulations, and arbitrarily settle and determine all...
The commitment of generations of dedicated soil scientists in maintaining and managing the historic Knorr-Holden Plot near Scottsbluff for more than a century came to fruition in a recently published manuscript in Agronomy Journal. The lead author of the manuscript, Bijesh Maharjan, is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and currently manages the Knorr-Holden Plot. He is the soil and nutrient management specialist at the...
LINCOLN -- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Acting State Director in Nebraska Kim Martini today announced that USDA is investing $650,000 to equip, rebuild, and modernize essential services in rural areas throughout Nebraska. The investments will benefit more than 300 rural residents. “USDA is committed to assisting rural communities with improving infrastructure for essential services,” Martini said. “The investment being announced today will help to make that community safer for local residents and pedestrians with...
Finding the right spot for your garden, laying out your beds and preparing your soil can be grand adventures. As I have mentioned before, I do not care for weeding my garden, so using weed proofer has saved me hours and hours of labor. It also keeps the soil warmer and moisture locked in. For my row crops I simply cut a slit in the weed proofer and plant my little seeds down those rows. For my starters, I cut a four-inch hole in the weed proofer, place them in their little home and cover the...
On Tuesday, June 8, 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). Thad Kuntz P.G., Adaptive Resources Inc., (ARI) presented a review of the current Western Water Use Management Model (WWUMM) update and the next Robust Review Analysis. Kuntz provided a summary of the work that has been completed in the past few years for the WWUMM. During his presentation, Kuntz explained the implementation of...
LINCOLN—The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is pleased to host the Midwest Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s (MASDA) annual meeting in Lincoln, June 21-23. MASDA represents the Departments of Agriculture from 13 Midwestern states. At this meeting, staff from MASDA states and various federal, state and industry stakeholders will discuss critical agricultural issues and share ideas. “MASDA brings together state ag leaders to represent and grow agriculture in the Midwest,” said NDA Director and MASDA President Steve W...
LINCOLN – Jeff Nichols has been selected as the State Rangeland Management Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Nebraska. He will begin the position June 21, 2021. As an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the NRCS provides opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners to voluntarily implement conservation practices that benefit their land needs. Nebraska has 22 million acres of range and pastureland that are utilized to support its cattle industry. An industry that accounted for $6.5 b...
After you have determined the placement and layout of your garden spot, the next thing to get ready is your soil. This is my favorite part of the whole season. There is something about digging in the dirt that is soothing for the soul. There are some amazingly cool resources to help determine if your soil is too acidic or too basic, but I keep my life much more simple than that… I add the same amendment every year and it has never sent me astray. Never! My beds remain uncovered in the off s...
Here is the weekly crop of Master Gardener tips from Nebraska Extension in the Panhandle, relevant to local lawn and garden issues in the High Plains and consistent with research-based recommendations. Have you considered growing dahlias? The dahlia is a versatile flowering plant, providing a wide array of sizes, forms and colors. Ranging from half-inch pompons to giants, the flower forms vary from daisy-shaped singles to fully double types. Dahlias generally are purchased as tuberous roots which can go directly into the ground in the spring...
LYONS — Cover crops are a conservation practice with wide ranging benefits, from improving soil health to protecting water quality. Many farmers who planted fall cover crops are now eligible for a discount on their crop insurance premium, thanks to a new program announced June 1. The Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency, offers a discount of $5 per acre on a farmer’s 2021 crop insurance premium, but no more than the full...
The draft Wildcat Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Update for Banner, Cheyenne, Kimball, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff Counties is ready for public review. Draft copies of the document have been mailed to county offices and are available to the public online at https://nfs.unl.edu/documents/CWPP/WHCWPP.pdf. Comments will be accepted until July 9, 2021. County boards, emergency managers, fire department personnel, and other stakeholders worked with the Nebraska Forest Service to update the 2015 CWPP. This plan is a wildfire-specific...
5 marks the fifteenth year I will plant a garden, which certainly does not qualify me as an expert, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve I thought I could share with you over the next few articles. My gardening adventures began when my cowboy and I were living in northern Wyoming. The first year I began gardening I spent hours and hours researching and studying before I ever moved a bit of dirt. The first step in any garden is finding the right spot and determining the layout that works best...
SIDNEY – Cheyenne County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Brad Fraass is reminding area producers that accurate and timely reporting of acres for all crops and land uses is an FSA program eligibility requirement. The deadline for acreage certification is July 15, 2021. This includes common spring-planted crops, such as oats, corn, peas, grain sorghum, millet, sunflowers, and etc but also includes Conservation Reserve Program acres and perennial grass. “In order to comply with program eligibility requirements, all producers mus...
