My colleague, Tyler Williams in Lancaster County is again providing a series of programs for the successful farmer to start in January at the Lancaster County Extension Office or available online. All programs will run from 9-11:30 a.m. and be at the Lancaster Extension Education Center in Lincoln or can be viewed online at Lancaster.unl.edu/ag. A summary of the programs is provided below.
January 4 – Cover Cropping 2.0 taught by Justin McMechan, Extension Cropping Systems Specialist& Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer sponsored by Sustainable Ag Research and Education (SARE).
Session Description: Utilizing cover crops has been a popular topic for many workshops and conferences. This session will focus on the next level of cover crops beyond the basics. Justin McMechan will provide an overview of pest and beneficial insects in cover crop systems, as well as strategies and practices for mitigation the risk of pests in cover crops. Paul Jasa will discuss the latest techniques to taking cover crops to the next level on your farm.
January 11 – Alternative Crops taught by Nathan Mueller, Extension Educator& Stephen Baenziger, Professor of Agronomy and sponsored by Farmers Union.
Session Description: Winter barley can be used for malting, as a feed grain, for forage, and as a component of a cover crop. Stephen Baenziger will discuss the benefits and needs for each of these uses, as will be the differences between winter wheat and winter barley production systems. Yellow field peas are another alternative crop gaining interest in the area. Nathan Mueller will share his knowledge on adopting this crop into your rotation.
January 18 – Spray Drift Management taught by Greg Kreuger, Associate Professor & sponsored by Nebraska Soybean Board.
Session Description: Featuring a mobile lab, this session will provide one of the most complete sessions on pesticide applications that can be found. Information will be given on the major factors influencing drift, an overview on nozzles that are used for broadcast applications, how to utilize the label to maximize pesticide applications, and points to consider when setting up to manage weeds. The session will also cover the latest research at the Pesticide Application Technology Laboratory located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s West Central Research and Extension Center which one of the world’s leading research facilities on pesticide application technology.
January 25 – Changes in Ag taught by Tyler Williams, Extension Educator& Hilary Maricle, Commonground Nebraska with Ag Tech Panel: Joe Luck, Associate Professor, & Kelly Maaske, Midwest Farmers Cooperative, & a local ag producer and sponsored by Midwest Farmers Cooperative.
Session Description: One thing that doesn’t change in agriculture is the fact it is constantly changing; however, it is changing faster than ever. Keeping up with the changes can be challenging, but a necessary part of a successful operation. This session will feature speakers talking about changes in our weather and climate, as well as changes in the consumer and their demands. There will also be a panel discussion on changes in ag technology featuring University and industry experts, as well as local producers.
February 1 – Disease and Nutrient Deficiency ID with Kyle Broderick, Coordinator, UNL Plant & Pest Lab& Ellen Paparozzi, Professor of Agronomy & sponsored by Nebraska Corn Board
Session Description: What’s wrong with my plants? A new twist on old symptoms. Nutrient deficiency and disease identification is a key component to successfully growing crops in Nebraska and Ellen Paparozzi and Kyle Broderick will cover standard diagnostics and new theories for identification and management of crop disease and nutrient issues.
February 8 – Ag Marketing taught by: Austin Duerfeldt, ExtensionEducator& Cory Walters, Associate Professor & sponsored by Farmers Cooperative
Session Description: We will discuss how to develop a written marketing plan and understanding basis and carrying charges, using location-and commodity-specific information. The session will also feature the Marketing in a New Era simulator and the Grain Marketing Plan smartphone application. All attendees will be given access to a computer to follow along.
For more information on these programs, call Lancaster County Extension at (402) 441-7180 or go to Lancaster.unl.edu/ag. Cost is $15 for the series or $5/session at the door. Online viewing is free.
Kicking off the 2018-2019 Farmers & Ranchers College programming year with a full house was Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus from Virginia Tech. As usual, he did an excellent job describing global risks which affect us and how those risks will affect the agricultural industry. International trade issues continue to emerge and it will be interesting to see how they play out. One of the things to watch closely is China’s “Belt & Road Initiative” which is an ambitious effort to improve regional cooperation and connectivity on a trans-continental scale with China and approximately 65 other countries. This is important to monitor because countries impacted in this Initiative account for about 30 percent of the global GDP and 60% of the world’s population.
Let’s talk about the Thanksgiving meal, include some facts about Thanksgiving and examine reasons to be thankful. First of all, according to the USDA, about $670 million is the monetary value of turkeys consumed for Thanksgiving every year which is based on an estimated 46 million turkeys and 92 cent-per-pound. On average, it costs about $50 for a 10-person Thanksgiving meal. Included in the $50 meal is the turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and beverages of coffee and milk (Source: American Farm Bureau). You can thank our American farmers and ranchers who are able to provide us the bounty of safe and affordable food we are able to consume.
Thanks to all who are currently serving or have served!
Views from VanDeWalle 