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 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...
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC communications / Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator For growers, temperatures have moderated back to near-normal for the season. "Parts of the Panhandle received particularly good and much-needed moisture, and precipitation chances remain average for the coming week," said Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator. Panhandle crops continue to do well, and the replanted dry beans will require a long fall to catch up. Winter wheat planting will begin soon. "Usually,...
By UNMC, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, Omaha, NE In a 2024 study of agricultural youth (Rudolphi JM, Berg RL. Stress, Mental Health, and Risk-Taking: Associations among a Sample of Agricultural Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jun), it was found that about 70% of the youth surveyed had at least mild symptoms of depression, while 63% had anxiety symptoms. AgriSafe Total Farmer Health Director, AgriSafe Network, Tara Haskins, says youth who live on a farm, surrounded by and sometimes participating in...
GURLEY--Kriesel Certified Seed in Gurley held its annual "Seed Preview" event on Tuesday morning, August 13. A crowd of over 60 people attended to hear the latest developments in wheat and millet seeds. On hand was Cody Creech, UNL Dryland Specialist, who gave a talk on the Wheat Streak Mosaic. Amanda Easterly a UNL Research Assistant Professor spoke on wheat variety data, and Jenna Zahller of Perry Brothers Seed out of Ovid, CO spoke about marketing millet. Door prizes and fresh cinnamon rolls...
The Nebraska Soil Health School will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Fort Robinson State Park, located at Soldier Creek Road and U.S. Highway 20. Hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), the schools are designed to build upon soil-related knowledge and practices for growers, crop consultants, ag professionals, and others. The program will focus on integrated crop and livestock system goals and objectives that might affect soil health management with the following...
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA is moving forward in the awards process with a new clean energy project through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. Secretary Vilsack announced that SE Municipal Solar LLC in Nebraska has been selected to move forward to receive nearly $30 million to build eight solar photovoltaic generation facilities totaling 18.72 megawatts. The facilities will produce enough electricity to power more than 1,700 residential homes throughout...
Promoting the unspoken superpower which is women in agriculture, the Women in Ag conference took place Friday, August 2, 2024, at the Elks Lodge #1894 in Sidney. The morning and afternoon were well attended with guest vendors on the side and Elk's legendary taco bar for lunch. The agricultural event was a good way to spend the weekend. Breakout sessions created an umbrella of topics, from pollinator habitats and backyard ag, to stress relief tips and tricks, there was something for everyone....
A new event, “Bean Growers Day in Grant,” will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the Stumpf International Wheat Center in Grant. “The purpose of the grower's day is to reach out to growers and industry people in southwest Nebraska with valuable current information on dry bean production,” said John Thomas, Nebraska Extension Educator. Nebraska Extension specialists, educators, and members from the dry bean industry will present on a variety of topics. Topics for the day include: • Weed management (Palmer Amaranth) • Fertility and soil • Dise...
Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska – The Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska proudly announced the successful conclusion of its 2024 event, hosted at the Schiff Ranch in Scotts Bluff County near Minatare, NE. Over 3,000 people attended this year's event, all coming together, united in their support for cancer research and local health and wellness programs. Through the generosity and support of the many attendees, sponsors, and volunteers, a hugely impressive $1,685,176.87 for the Buffett Cancer Center and...
Some farm leases are not written but are verbal or "handshake" agreements. Because nothing is in writing, the parties may have different recollections of their agreement, making lease disputes more difficult to resolve. The most common legal issue associated with verbal farm leases is how a lease may legally be terminated. For verbal leases in Nebraska, six months advance notice must be given to legally terminate the lease. In contrast, the termination of a written lease is determined by the terms of the written lease. If the lease does not...
GURLEY-- The calendar has turned to August, signaling it's time for the annual Fall Seed Preview at Kriesel's Certified Seed in Gurley. Area farmers will be able to learn the latest seed and wheat trends in their area, and get a preview of some of the new strains that will be available. Kriesel's is in their 53rd year of operation, and the annual event enlists guest speakers from the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory who will educate area farmers on wheat crops, trends in the industry and new...
Gary Stone Nebraska Extension water & cropping systems educator The center pivot is the one invention that has changed the irrigated agricultural landscape worldwide. Center pivot irrigation has increased irrigation water use efficiency and reduced labor costs. It has also allowed agricultural development on marginal land with varying soil types and topography. Irrigated acres in Nebraska have increased from 3,998,000 acres (1960) to 9,378,462 acres (2022). The general concept of a center pivot is a series of pipes connected by flexible coupler...
For some of us growing up on the farm where surface irrigation was prevalent, the irrigation siphon tube has been and still is utilized to irrigate crops across Nebraska and the world. Learning how to "set" the siphon tube, moving the tubes from set to set, field to field, "digging (row) ends," and dealing with ditch washouts, gophers, moles, mosquitoes, and other critters does not always bring back fond memories! What is an irrigation siphon tube? The tubes can be constructed of plastic (earlie...
The market value of agricultural land in Nebraska increased by five percent over the prior year to an average of $4,015 per acre, according to the preliminary results of the 2024 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey. This marks the third consecutive year of increases in the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska, setting another high in the non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in the survey's 46-year history. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Department of Agricultural Economics annually surveys land industry professionals...
SIDNEY--The Sidney Women in Agriculture Conference will be held at the Sidney Elks Lodge on August 2, and the conference’s theme is “Sowing Seeds for Generations”. The event is held in partnership with the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Program, which is designed to assist women in their agricultural business. The Department of Agricultural Economics is committed to bringing Nebraska Ag women’s management education and recognizes the vital role that women play in the agricultural industr...
Cheatgrass is an invasive species that greens up and sets seeds earlier than most native species. It uses up soil moisture in the spring, which can prevent the germination of native plants. Studies on managing the invasive species are ongoing in the Panhandle of Nebraska and were part of a Cheatgrass Tour on June 26. Among the tour stops were pastures owned by Banner County Rancher Jack Revelle, which he had treated with Rejuvra. Miranda Mueller, a graduate research assistant at the University...
Lincoln, Neb. -Late May and June are the months when we frequently see both native and non-native forbs begin to flower in range and pasture. This is a good time of the year to be on the alert and look out for these "pretty flowers" and for other plants that you may not recognize. Seeing something you haven't seen before? Go check it out. Those "pretty flowers" or plants you don't recognize may be a plant that is an invasive species. Early detection and rapid response are critical to helping to...
OGALLALA-- During the June 11 Quarterly Committee meeting for the Nebraska Brand Committee, after the review of annual financials, it was determined that the brand inspection charge will be raised from the current $.85 per head back to $1.00 per head. In the 2021 session Nebraska Legislature imposed a 2-year reduction of fees to assist in depleting the Brand Committee’s cash reserve account that had grown due to efficiencies gained with the implementation of the electronic brand inspection program and other advances and improvements. Those e...
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Department of Agriculture's (NDA) Poultry Photo Contest is currently accepting entries from poultry-raising 4-H and FFA members. Current 4-H and FFA members can submit up to four photos that they have taken during the year to be featured in NDA's 2025 poultry calendar. Official contest rules and entry forms are available at nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/. Entries must be submitted online at https://tinyurl.com/NDAPhotoContest by the July 15 deadline. "Caring for poultry i...
