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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In celebration of Nebraska 4-H Month in February, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Office in Cheyenne County and the Cheyenne County 4-H Clubs created volunteer bags for PlainsWest CASA. It is in the 4-H Pledge to use “my hands for larger service”, and this project provided an opportunity for the 4-H youth to do just that by giving back to the community and other children in need. PlainsWest CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to...
From March 21-27, 2021 we celebrate National Agriculture Week in Nebraska. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the hard work our farmers and ranchers do to produce high-quality and affordable food. The crops and livestock they raise feed families in our state, across the nation, and around the world. Agriculture is our number one industry. It adds more than $21 billion to our state’s economy each year. Nebraska’s cash receipts from agricultural commodities are greater than ag receipts in Fl...
On Tuesday, March 9, 2021 the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) Board of Directors (Board) hosted its monthly meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the South Platte NRD Conference Room (551 Parkland Drive, Sidney NE). Rod Horn, General Manager for SPNRD reviewed the schedule for the public hearing that will be held for proposed amendments to the Districtwide Ground Water Management Area Rules and Regulations. The hearing will be held at the Country Inn and Suites in Sidney March 18, 2020. There will be an information meeting beginning at 5:00...
The Cheyenne County 4-H Council is excited to host the Annual Spring Carnival this year on March 20th from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds! The primary goal for the carnival is to provide an opportunity for local families to learn more about the 4-H Program and the various 4-H clubs in the county. This is the largest fundraiser the Cheyenne County 4-H Council has each year. Proceeds go to support all 4-H programming across the county, 4-H events at the Cheyenne County Fair in J...
As the Cowboy’s Wife was on her way out the door for a few days away to teach a Professional Development, she mentioned that if I had any ideas for an article this week, I was welcome to write it. She rarely asks for help, though she keeps a number of plates spinning at any given moment, so I willingly stepped into the heel trap she had expertly thrown to volunteer for this effort. All that being said, I figured I would have some time in the office while the younger cowpokes took their naps. Som...
The deadline to enroll in Farm Programs is quickly approaching on March 15, 2021. Producers have the option to change enrollment between Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC). But the question is, “which one should I choose?” Whatever your choice, you need to contact your local FSA office to schedule an appointment for enrollment. To answer the ARC vs. PLC question, first look at each farm’s “base acres.” Base acres refer to a farm’s historical plantings enrolled in farm programs and have a program commodity assigned to...
LINCOLN – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides technical and financial assistance to help Nebraska farmers and livestock producers recover from damages brought on by winter storms Uri and Viola. Agricultural producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center to learn about the programs available to help them recover from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses. “The recent extreme cold and winter weather has been a challenge for farmers and ranchers in Nebraska,” said Timothy Divis, acting state execu...
When a person chooses to live a life of agriculture it really is more than a livelihood, but truly a way of life. This means that when we drop into the arctic tundra temperatures, we must still get out of our warm houses, put on as many layers as we can, and venture outside. There are lives that depend on it – actually hundreds of them. As we watched the weather forecast and saw the impending storms headed our way, it really didn’t matter what else had recently gone on in our lives. It did...
On Tuesday, February 9, 2021 the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) Board of Directors (Board) held their monthly meeting at 5 p.m. in the South Platte NRD Conference Room (551 Parkland Drive, Sidney NE). Discussed at the meeting were proposed amendments made to the Districtwide Ground Water Management Area Rules and Regulations. Travis Glanz, Water Resources Coordinator, reviewed the responses received from producers regarding proposed Allocation amounts from letters sent in early January 2021. Some of the proposed changes...
Agri-Plastics, The Calf Housing Specialist, is proud to introduce calfhutchshop.com, an online shop for calf feeding products and accessories. As third-generation dairymen, the VanBuuren family knows the challenges with raising healthy dairy calves. Rugged Agri-Plastics products are uniquely manufactured to withstand punishing weather extremes along with everyday wear and tear, calf after calf, year after year. Producers don't always have time to run to the store to purchase feeding equipment or accessories. Now they can enjoy the convenience...
The 2021 Nebraska Dry Edible Bean Day will be a virtual event this February, featuring the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association’s annual meeting and updates on bean-related research in Nebraska. Dry Edible Bean Day is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, on the Zoom webinar platform. To receive the Zoom address, contact the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association at 308-633-1387 or email, [email protected] NDBGA business will include a welcome from NDBGA President Dan Hinman, financial reports, announcement of scholarship winner, a...
The annual University of Nebraska-Lincoln High Plains Ag Lab Research Update and Advisory Board Meeting is going virtual for 2021. It will begin at 1 p.m. MST on Tuesday, Feb. 16, on the Zoom webinar platform. At the annual research update, the latest results from crop and livestock research at HPAL, as well as administrative and business updates, will be shared with the HPAL advisory board and the public. Anyone who wants to participate in the meeting should call the High Plains Ag Lab at 308-254-3918 to obtain a link where they can join....
LINCOLN — A Nebraska Extension webinar on Feb. 11 at noon will feature a panel discussion aimed at helping farmers and ranchers to better manage costs of production. The webinar will focus on where to find cost-of-production information, characteristics of profitable operations and areas to reduce costs without sacrificing productivity. It is the second installment in a series that seeks to help agricultural producers to better understand their financial positions. Panelists will include Nebraska Extension Educators Glennis McClure, Aaron B...
After eons of landing on the legs and arms of humans and animals, ticks have landed smack-dab in the middle of the research interests of University of Nebraska–Lincoln master’s student Dominic Cristiano. Cristiano, a member of the NSF National Research Traineeship Program at Nebraska, studies issues at the intersection of human health, wildlife disease and the environment, and these eight-legged critters (yes, ticks are arachnids, not insects) suck the blood of their hosts and spread dis...
Many eggs reach stores only a few days after being laid. Determining the freshness of eggs can be confusing at times, as some egg cartons feature two dates. The Julian date is the “pack date,” when the eggs were washed, graded and placed in the carton. This three-digit code represents the consecutive day of the year, with January 1 as 001 and December 31 being 365. The Julian date is usually found on the short side of the carton. Eggs are safe to be consumed four to five weeks beyond that date, as long as they are kept refrigerated. Many egg...
LINCOLN – The Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN), the wholesale power supply entity of NMPP Energy, elected officers for its board of directors for fiscal year 2021-22 at its annual meeting Jan. 21. Those re-elected to one-year terms as officers of the MEAN board of directors beginning April 1 were: • Tom Goulette, city administrator/utility superintendent, West Point, Neb., chair • Tom Ourada, city administrator, Crete, Neb., vice chair • Darrel Wenzel, chief executive officer, Waverly (Iowa) Utilities, secretary/treasurer Four re...
Nebraska Extension will conduct chemigation certification training sessions in February and March at Alliance, Sidney, Bridgeport, and Scottsbluff. Training and testing will also be available online. Producers who plan to apply crop nutrients and pesticides through irrigation systems during 2021, including those who need to renew their permits, are required to attend a training session and pass the test administered afterward, or else complete the online process. The preferred option for both initial and recertifying chemigators is the online...
LINCOLN — Nebraska Extension’s upcoming Farm and Ranch Management webinar will focus on strategies for livestock producers to add value through approved certification programs. Consumers are desiring more information about how their food is produced. Participation in an approved certification program is one way for producers to capture additional value at the time of sale. The webinar will review the historical financial performance of commonly used livestock programs and talk about current and...
I will introduce a bill to move the headquarters of the Game and Parks Department to the City of Sidney. Currently, state law mandates that the headquarters for the Game and Parks Department be in the City of Lincoln. I would like to change that. So today I would like to explain why I believe this move is good for Nebraska. First, there are no state parks located in the City of Lincoln, just as there are no state parks located in the City of Sidney. So, proximity to state parks has never been...
LINCOLN — An upcoming Nebraska Extension webinar will examine recent livestock facility nuisance litigation and look at a tool from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for assessing the odor footprints of these facilities. The webinar will be presented on Jan. 21, from noon to 1 p.m., by Dave Aiken, professor and agricultural law and water law specialist in the university’s Department of Agricultural Economics. In its recent decision in the case of Egan v. County of Lancaster, the Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed the rulings of lower courts tha...
OAKLAND — Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill to provide some relief for meat supply chains by allowing consumers to purchase smaller ownership shares of livestock. Aunbrea Zeleny with the Oakland Meat Processing Plant said Legislative Bill 324 would help more Nebraskans who have struggled to find meat at grocery stores during the coronavirus pandemic access food from trusted local sources. “The people that aren’t able to purchase a $700 quarter, being able to just get that piece of what they need, whether it be the roast, a couple of st...
As the new year begins, all is quiet at the research plots at the High Plains Agricultural Lab 6 miles northwest of Sidney. Winter wheat fields are dormant, and other fields await the spring planting season. But inside, scientists and support staff are analyzing data, planning for 2021 and completing other tasks to carry out research aimed at helping crop and livestock producers in this semi-arid region be more efficient, sustainable and profitable. The High Plains Ag Lab is operated by the Univ...
Five members of the Sidney High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter, returned from a speech competition with awards, and just importantly experience. Angel Helms, Erika Meakins, Isis Finnie, Riley Rohn, Alyssiah Green and Sidney Allard competed in the speech event. Helms competed in persuasive speaking, Meakins competed in extemporaneous speaking, Finnie in FFA Creed, and Rohn also competed in Creed. This year’s competition took place under the health directives in reaction to the C...
Sidney FFA members competed in the District FFA Leadership contest on December 9, 2020. Our chapter had five members represent Sidney, which is quite an impressive accomplishment. The event was held virtually and conducted using Zoom. Freshmen Riley Rohm and Isis Finnie each earned blue ribbons in the Creed Speaking contest, where they ran against 22 other speakers. The creed is a five paragraph testament to a strong belief in the industry of agriculture and the core values of citizenship and patriotism (National FFA Organization) in the...
The South Platte NRD (District) will not be holding any County Wide Ground Water Advisory Committee Meetings in person this spring. Instead certified irrigation owners and operators will be receiving a letter with instructions on how to provide feedback to the District. All the meeting materials that usually are presented at the meetings will be available online at the District website www.spnrd.org. The public hearing will still be held in March 2021 concerning proposed changes to the District’s Ground Water Rules and Regulations. With the n...
