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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Whether you are pursuing a trade school, vocational certificate or a two-year or four-year degree, don’t miss your chance to apply for a National FFA Scholarship to help with your next steps in education. If you are a senior FFA member in high school or FFA Alumni in college, just one application is required for multiple scholarship opportunities totaling nearly $2.5 million. The 2024-25 scholarship application will open on Friday, Nov. 1. https://apply.mykaleidoscope.com/login Student Application Live: Nov. 1, 2024 Student Application D...
INDIANAPOLIS – FFA members and supporters from across the country will celebrate agriculture and agricultural education during the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. This time-honored tradition will be held Oct. 23-26. The National FFA Organization is the nation's premier school-based youth leadership development organization with more 1 million members and 9,000 chapters in rural, suburban, and rural schools in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. FFA's m...
By Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator Accurately sampling and testing hay is the only way to get a real understanding of the nutritive value of feed. Using values from previous years or a “book value” can be costly since a producer may incorrectly develop a ration using values that aren’t representative. Guidelines for sampling When sampling hay, getting a representative sample is a critical first step. Samples must accurately represent the entire lot of hay. The UNL NebGuide “Sampling Feeds for Analyses" (PDF version, 655KB)...
SIDNEY--Early in the morning of October 2, 2024, WNCC in Sidney was buzzing with excitement as 84 FFA students from around the Panhandle region gathered to coordinate and get final instructions for the 2024 West Area Land Judging Contest. None of the competitors knew of the exact location where the event would be held to prevent any participants from gaining an advantage over others in the competition. Yolanda Hruska of SPNRD said, "The competition alternates each year between the North Platte...
By Melissa Mracek, Box Butte County 4-H Extension Educator This fall, the Nebraska Extension 4-H staff will engage fourth-grade students from across the Panhandle in Animal Education. The educators will host several events across the region entitled "Animals Inside and Out." Traveling across the panhandle, Nebraska Extension 4-H staff will teach the program with the goal of students gaining a better understanding of where their food comes from, by-products, different careers working with...
By Jessica Groskopf, UNL ag economist and Cindy Bojanski, CFP®,RICP® For many farm and ranch families, bringing children or grandchildren into the operation is the ultimate goal. Successfully bringing additional family members into the operation may require some creativity as all parties need to maintain a viable standard of living. This article is part of a series that will highlight ideas and tactics for bringing another family member into the operation. If this is the first article you are seeing in this series, I would encourage you to g...
By Nicole Heldt, Research Project Coordinator Maharjan Soils Lab, UNL-PREEC The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) team led by Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor and extension specialist at UNL's Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC), accomplished another successful series of Nebraska Soil Health Schools hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and UNL. The schools were conducted at three locations from west to east in Nebraska in 2023 and...
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will hold its biannual Data Users’ Meeting on October 15-16 starting at 12 p.m. ET virtually via Zoom. This meeting is free and open to the public. Registration is required. The Data Users’ Meeting is held to share recent and pending statistical program changes with the public and to solicit input on these and other programs important to agriculture. The event is organized by NASS in cooperation with the World Agricultural Outlook...
While most people do not give soil a second thought, it is one of the most important natural resources on our planet. It supports and influences the crops grown around the world for food and fiber. Soil is as important as the water humans drink, and the air we breathe. Land judging is a valuable competition that teaches local high school students how to have a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation. Part of the goal is enabling the participants to recognize physical features...
By Sonni Cochran Nebraska Extension Educator Disaster Education Coordinator Everyone should have an emergency plan for their home, farm, or ranch operation. The plan doesn’t have to be complicated – it can be very simple. It also doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. Involve everyone in the family, as well as any employees. Below are some guidelines to get you started. Identify Hazards and Risks - Consider the hazards and risks found in your area. Not everyone will have the same hazards. You may live where severe storms or wildfire risks are c...
By Chabella Guzman PREEC Communications / Dr. Nevin Lawrence, Nebraska Extension Weed Management Specialist In 2019, Western Sugar Cooperative knew it had a problem when the herbicide-resistant weed Palmer amaranth became more common within its 135,000-acre sugar beet crop. “Palmer amaranth can seed and begin to grow in under two weeks and grow two inches a day,” said Rebecca Larsen, Western Sugar's chief scientist. “It’s competitive and can crowd out the sugar beet plant before it can get established.” Palmer Amaranth is a veritable weed powe...
SPNRD - SIDNEY The South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) held public hearings on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, to receive public comments on the proposed budget and setting the final tax request for FY 2024- 2025. At their regular board meeting, the Board approved the FY 2024-2025 Operating Budget of $2,641,579.83. The property tax request is set at $1,386,394.76, which causes the levy to be 0.046954 per $100 of assessed value. “This is 1% lower than last year’s levy of 0.047342. For a home valued at $100,000, property taxes will be...
LINCOLN, NE – Nebraska Cattlemen is accepting nominations for the Young Cattlemen's Connections (YCC) Class of 2025 until Tuesday, October 22, 2024. YCC is a longstanding Nebraska Cattlemen tradition aiming to keep the future of our industry innovative and knowledgeable. This program helps emerging leaders understand the industry structure, issues management, product research and marketing, and teaches participants how to become effective communicators. The YCC program is a two-year c...
The upcoming weed management and Pesticide applicator workshop and program is recommended for anyone needing pesticide recertification credits or for those simply wanting information about controlling noxious weeds. You may attend to gather information even if you do not need the credits. The event will be held on Friday, October 24, 2024 from 8am until 2pm in the Founder’s Room at the Morgan Community College, 920 Barlow Road, Fort Morgan, CO. Coffee and breakfast pasteries will be served b...
Fall turkey season will open soon, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wants to reacquaint hunters with the changes that first became effective last fall. The changes to the fall season are: • The fall turkey season is Oct. 1-Nov. 30. • Each hunter may only have one fall permit. • The bag limit allows the take of one turkey of either sex with a shotgun or archery equipment. All turkey harvests must be reported via Telecheck. Turkeys may be checked by internet at Outdoo...
By Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension Water and Cropping Educator Crops in the North Platte Valley and the Panhandle are doing well. This is good for the growers as irrigation deliveries will shut down beginning Sept. 16. According to a Pathfinder Irrigation District press release, the Interstate Canal system irrigation deliveries will terminate as water levels in the canal drop. The Supply Canal, High Line Canal, and Low Line Canal will be shut down on Sept. 18, and. irrigation deliveries will...
The Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund (DGSHF) knows that the creativity and ideas of farmers, ranchers, teachers and students can often exceed the budget available for special projects. DGSHF is now accepting applications for grant funding made available to organizations, projects, people, and initiatives that are advancing soil health and regenerative agriculture. The fund was established to promote educational practices related to soil health and regenerative agriculture, including but not limited to no-till farming, water conservation, tree...
The Nebraska Extension will host an Introduction to Schedule F, Tax Planning for Farms and Ranches Workshop on Thursday, September 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Scottsbluff at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center, 4502 Avenue I. "Farmers and ranchers, especially new and beginning producers, often have questions about tax planning for their business," said Jessica Groskopf, Extension Educator. "This workshop will provide you with the basic information you need when filing a...
Nebraska governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director (NDA) Sherry Vinton were joined by livestock producers in West Point on Thursday, August 29. The topic at hand was the three initiatives that he, along Vinton, would be undertaking now and in the future. They are looking at protecting both consumers and the Nebraska's livestock industry from lab-grown meat. Lab-grown meat is defined as having tissue originating from an agricultural food animal but that, in lieu of...
To meet the needs of the community and students of western Nebraska, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) signed a 2+2 agreement, which will aid students in obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Agricultural Education and Skilled and Technical Science Education. “We're very excited to have a signing ceremony that signifies the agreement between Western Nebraska Community College and UNL's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources,” said Mark Balschweid, UNL Professor and Head of the Dep...
LINCOLN, NE (08/30/2024)-- Hannah Kielian of Dix, an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is among the first cohort of students to qualify for the Nebraska Elite 11 Veterinarian Program, a uniquely designed program aimed at increasing the number of production animal veterinarians in the state. Those veterinarians specialize in working with farmers and ranchers who raise cattle, swine, sheep and other types of livestock and poultry. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and University of...
Pregnancy detection in replacement heifers or cows is a tool producers can use to increase profit. Traditionally, cows and replacement heifers are pregnancy tested in the fall of the year, and then non-pregnant and cull cows are marketed. This is also when cull cow prices are typically at their lowest. Timing of Pregnancy Test Ultrasound and blood tests can detect pregnancy in cows as early as 25-30 days. For cows to be identified as pregnant utilizing the palpation method, cows need to be at...
Nebraska ag producers and small businesses have until Sept. 30 to apply for the latest funding round of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program, part of the Farm Bill providing grants and guaranteed loans for renewable energy systems or energy efficiency improvements. The Inflation Reduction Act included nearly $2 billion for projects under the program. Christopher Faber, state energy coordinator for Nebraska USDA Rural Development, said the legislation also...
Hunters are reminded Nebraska’s state recreation areas are closed to hunting until Sept. 3. Several hunting seasons open in early September, including archery deer, dove, grouse, early teal and other small game and furbearer seasons on Sept. 1. Regulations state that portions of some SRAs are open to hunting from the first Tuesday following Labor Day – this year is Tuesday, Sept. 3 – through the end of the spring turkey hunting season, unless restricted. Standard hunting regulations apply. A park entry permit is required for vehicles enter...
By John Thomas, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Extension Educator Common bunt, also known as stinking smut, is caused by two closely related fungi. Tilletia caries, also known as Tilletia tritici, and Tilletia laevis. This year I worked with a grower in Morrill County who had three full circles of irrigated winter wheat seriously infected with common bunt. Infection of wheat occurs during germination and is favored by cool, wet conditions. The first indication of a problem was a cloud of...
