Each year UNL offers a workshop held over two weekends for students, beginning farmers, and established operations. This year the first weekend sessions are planned for Dec. 12 & 13th and the second are planned for Jan. 9 & 10th.
Bringing a young person into a farm/ranch operation presents challenges. However, the business operation can accomplish numerous goals by helping the young person get a solid start in the operation, keeping the farm/ranch in the family, and ensuring a comfortable retirement for all involved.
Success does not come automatically; it requires effort. Blending a variety of talents and personalities into
one farming or ranching operation takes planning, communication, and management. The Returning to the Farm program is designed to assist families and operations in developing a financial plan and successful working arrangements that will meet the needs of multiple families.
During the program participants will:
Review financial feasibility, balance sheets and trend sheets
Identify estate planning issues
Develop a farm/ranch transition plan
Set both personal and professional goals
Look at the communication process between family members
Returning to the farm is sponsored by the University of Nebraska – Ag Economics Department. Presenters will include: Dave Aiken, Tina Barrett, Kate Brooks, Dave Goeller, Cheryl Griffith, Brad Lubben, Jay Parsons, Cory Walter and Roger Wilson.
For more information about this great program, go to Ag Econ website. I know there are local families who have particiapted and came back with great reviews on it. Let me know if you have any questions about this workshop.
We are so blessed to live in the United States of America for numerous reasons and I give my gratitude to those who are serving in the military or have served. Both of my grandpas served and I have three cousins who have or are serving. Thank you so much to all of the servicemen and women for the sacrifices they have made. This week’s column will focus on a national organization that helps veterans who are in agriculture or are interested in pursing a career or business in agriculture. Eric Williams, Fillmore County Veterans’ Service Officer provided the following information about the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), which helps place veterans in agriculture.
According to the FVC website, the mission of the Farmer Veteran Coalition is “to mobilize veterans to feed America. We cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities. We believe that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to strengthen rural communities and create sustainable food systems for all. We believe that food production offers purpose, opportunity, as well as physical and psychological benefits.”
There are 3,000+ members of the FVC in the country, and 48 are in Nebraska. As an ag state, there is an opportunity for many more Nebraska veterans to participate in this program. To bring awareness of FVC in Nebraska, an event is being held on September 18 in Seward, NE. The event features an educational session open to veterans and anyone interested in exciting, new, innovative, niche agricultural opportunities. That night there will be an amazing celebration of NE Ag Vets at the Seward Ag Pavilion.
Space is limited so reserve your spot today by calling Del Ficke at (402) 499-0329 or email fickecattle@outlook.com. If you are a veteran and cannot afford to attend, but are still interested, let Del know as there are some funds available for cases such as this. If you purchase a $30 ticket to the evening celebration, your entry is free to the day seminars. If you would like to attend the day portion only, the cost is $10.
The evening event is a fundraiser so services can be expanded to NE veterans. Here is a link to the event registration.
UNL Extension is hosting a precision ag clinic Aug.27 and a clinic on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil and water Aug. 28, both at the UNL’s Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead. A Precision Ag Clinic will be held on August 27th at the ARDC near Mead aimed at providing a clearer understanding of how technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), crop canopy sensors, soil mapping systems and spraying technology can be utilized and their value in crop production.
Topics will include:
Evaluating Crop Stress with Aerial Sensing Platforms;
Crop Canopy Sensors for In-Season Nitrogen Management;
Soil Conductivity, pH, and Organic Matter Mapping;
Overlap and Turn Compensation Control for Sprayers and Ammonia Application with Capstan’s PinPoint® Technology; and
Improving Farm Productivity with Agricultural Technologies.
Certified Crop Adviser credits (6.5) have been applied for and are pending approval for this clinic. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. Training begins at 8:45 a.m.
Soil and Water Clinic Aug. 28
Improving and maintaining soil quality is essential to the productivity of land for current and future use. UNL Extension’s physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and water clinic on Aug. 28 will provide hands-on training. The in-field training is ideal for agribusiness professionals and those who work with soil and water management.
Topics will include:
Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties of Soil and Water: The Cornerstone of the Human Race;
Cover Crops for Improving the Soil;
Infiltration Test and Organic Matter;
Soil Health’s Impact on Soil Water;
Using Laboratory Tests to Determine Soil Health;
Soil Characteristics, Productivity and Landscape Position; and
Management Considerations to Improve the Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties of Soil.
Certified Crop Adviser credits (7.5) have been applied for and are pending approval for this clinic. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. Training begins at 8:45 a.m. Pre-registration is required for these clinics. All registrants will be sent a confirmation letter, receipt, and finalized schedule. Space is limited; your registration is not guaranteed unless payment is received. Registration for a single day is $160 before Aug. 21 and $210 after that date. Registration fee for both days is $280 by Aug. 21 and $320 after that date. Fees include training, lunch, and reference materials.
Developing youth as leaders in the agricultural industry is crucial to the success of agriculture and feeding our growing population. I like the quote, “Thank a farmer three times a day. ” It really gets the point across how important agriculture, most importantly famers are in our society. Whether you prefer conventional, organic, or other labeled products, all of them are produced by a farmer or rancher and provide you with a delicious, safe and nutritious product. Growing up on a farm and being a farmer’s daughter, I appreciate the hard work, dedication and risk involved in production agriculture. While I am not a farmer I work with farmers and have a great appreciation for them. My husband is an agricultural education instructor and FFA adviser and was also a raised on a farm.
As an extension educator for the University Of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension, I have focused my area on educating youth and youth professionals on related agronomic topics. The overall goal is to encourage youth to pursue a degree in agronomy or related fields, since there is a tremendous career opportunity waiting for them. Whether they return back to the farm or work with farmers in production agriculture, the need for bright, talented and hard working people in agricultural careers is more important now then ever.
Sally Mackenzie, Ralph & Alice Raikes Chair for Plant Science in the Center for Plant Science Innovation provided insight on this challenge at a UNL Heuermann Lecture last year, where she said, “The continued debate over genetically modified crops is a “sociological and psychological discussion,” not a scientific one and it’s a distraction from the reality: The world’s population, now about 7 billion, is expected to top 9 billion by 2050. There’s not enough water or arable land to feed those people using current agronomic practices.” Mackenzie told UNL students “these challenges are your challenges.”
Recently I coordinated the first Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition at the Ag Research & Development Center near Mead, NE. Six FFA and 4-H teams competed by taking a written test and completing eight crop-scouting exercises. The goal of this contest was to engage youth in agronomic principles, gain an interest in crop-related careers and ultimately pursue a career related to crop production. The 25-question exam tested their knowledge on basic integrated pest management strategies. Eight field exercises focused on general scouting procedures including topics in entomology, pathology, taking stand counts, weed resistance management, crop growth & development and soil residue management.
This contest was sponsored by DuPont Pioneer and provided cash prizes to the top performing teams. Plans are to continue this program for future years. More details about the program can be found on the CropWatch- Youth webpages.
Another program for youth interested in crops is the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge that is in its third year. In this program, youth work with a project advisor to test a novel management practice or product with the goal of increasing yield in an economic manner. Entry forms for this contest are due March 15th of each year.
Each year Soybean Management Field Days is held at 4 different locations across Nebraska. This year, Fillmore County is fortunate to host one of these programs. On August 13, 2014 at the Stengel farm near Shickley, with registration at 9:00 a.m. and the program running from 9:30 – 2:30 p.m. this educational event will occur. One hour presentations will occur aimed at providing important research based data to soybean producers.
Herbicide applications, water quality and resistance management (demonstrations of herbicide drift with discussion on how to mitigate drift with new herbicide-resistant traits, how weed growth affects herbicide performance, etc.)
Growth development and growth enhancement products (soybean growth and development, how yield is made and soybean responses to plant density and planting date)
Multiple soybean input study that includes row spacing, fungicides, insecticides and nutrient management (soil fertility management for soybeans, seed treatment products, risks associated with application of “insurance” application of insecticides, etc.)
Irrigation management for soybeans (scheduling based on soil moisture and crop water use, variety impact on water use efficiency and irrigation timing impact on yields)
Grain marketing/ag policy/risk management (understanding the global soybean market, farm program decisions, fine tuning your marketing plan, etc.)
Your soybean checkoff investment
How to handle, store and use biodiesel in your farming operation
This program is sponsored by the Nebraska Soybean Board in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. The Fillmore County program will be held at the Stengel farm northwest of Shickley (from Shickley, go west on hwy. 74 for 4 miles, go north on county road 2 for 2 miles; it is located just west of of intersection of county roads 2 & R).
If you are unable to attend August 13th, the program will be held near Auburn on August 12th, near Belgrade on August 14th and near Synder on August 15th. For more information go to ardc.unl.edu/soydays or call 1-800-852-BEAN. Hope to see you there!
My extension focus has been engaging youth in plant sciences, especially agronomy. Last year I had the opportunity to attend the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition where ISU Extension faculty worked with 4-H and FFA youth to not only compete in an agronomic principles contest, but most importantly learn about various pests which affect corn and soybeans in addition to other abiotic and biotic factors. It is my pleasure to bring this program to Nebraska with 2014 as the pilot year. Details for this new program are provided below.
The University Of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension is pleased to present the first annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. It will be held in at the ARDC near Mead, Nebraska on August 6, 2014. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 7-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate.
The purpose of the competition is to provide students an opportunity to learn crop scouting and principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for corn and soybeans in Nebraska, to obtain knowledge and skills that will be helpful in future careers and to demonstrate newer crop scouting technologies.
Schools, clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three or four participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.
Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $300 for second, $250 for third and $100 for fourth place.
Teams will be expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields. This includes crop staging; looking for patterns of crop injury; disease, insect and weed seedling identification; etc. Other topics many include but are not limited to, pesticide safety, nutrient disorders, and herbicide injury.
More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth. Click on the link that says, “Crop Scouting Competition”.
Teams must be registered by July 15. Registration is $50/team; the fee will be refunded when the team attends the competition. Payment by check is due along with the registration form by July 15. This program is sponsored by DuPont Pioneer and UNL Extension.
Last Tuesday proved to be a challenging night for many people across the state, with no exception to many in Fillmore County. Damaging winds and hail went across the county with most of the damage occurring in the northeast portion of Fillmore County. Windows and siding knocked out of houses in Exeter and structural damage on farmsteads will no doubt keep insurance companies busy. In addition to that, crops in that portion were severely damaged to completely gone. My heart goes out to those affected by the storm and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has two publications that detail how to evaluate from soybean or corn damaged by hail, therefore I decided to paraphrase some of it in this week’s column. First we’ll discuss corn. Hail affects corn yields in three ways: plant stand reduction, direct damage, and leaf defoliation. Any of this damage will reduce the plant’s ability to compete with weeds, but the greatest losses are caused by defoliation. First, one must know the corn growth stage to accurately estimate the amount of defoliation. Until the V6 growth stage, losses from leaf defoliation are usually minor with most loss occurring from stand reduction. At the V6 growth stage, the growing point breaks the soil surface.
If hail damage occurred, determine the yield loss due to stand reduction. Since it is difficult to distinguish living from dead tissue immediately after a storm, assessment should be delayed 7-10 days. Then take a stand count based on row spacing, etc. to see what stands you have. One must also determine the amount of leaf area removed. To do this, establish the stage of plant growth at time of the storm, estimate percent leaf defoliation, then use appropriate tables as found in Evaluating Hail Damage to Corn to predict yield reduction from defoliation. (Information is available in the NebGuide how to do all of this) Some management that should be addressed includes additional weed management with lack of crop canopy and close observation for future disease potential.
Hail-damaged soybeans must be assessed by stand reduction, leaf defoliation, similar to corn, but also stem damage and pod damage. Again early damage and stand losses will cause the biggest losses from weeds. Again, take a stand count 7 to 10 days after the storm to determine yield loss due to stand reduction; then use a chart to determine percent yield loss. Research has shown that leaf loss during vegetative states has little effect on yield. Defoliation loss is measured only in the reproductive stages. Stem damage is further divided into stem cutoff and stems bent or broken over. To determine the amount of stem damage, count the number of nodes above the cotyledonary node present at the date of loss. Estimate number of nodes that have been cut off from the number of those on a broken portion of a stem. Plants that are bruised but still standing do not count. To determine this loss, a table is given.
Growers can learn about the latest wheatvarieties and view many of them in the field at a June 12 wheat tour near Wilber. The event, sponsored by UNL Extension, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in a wheat variety plot hosted by Dennis Broz. Stephen Baenziger, UNL professor and wheat breeder, will discuss wheat variety options for southeast Nebraska and characteristics of wheat cultivars in the plot. There are 28 wheat varieties and experimentals in the plot, according to Teshome Regassa, UNL research assistant professor.
Guest speaker Ray Ward, soil scientist and owner of Ward Laboratories, Kearney, will provide the latest nutrient management information for wheat and a fresh soil pit will be dug on-site to better demonstrate soil health and soil carbon impacts of wheat in rotation with no-till farming. Stephen Wegulo, UNL extension plant pathologist, will discuss the spread of wheat diseases in southern Nebraska and the yield effects of foliar diseases of wheat and fungicide application strategies.
UNL Extension Educator Randy Pryor said many participants discover new knowledge and ideas and meet other farmers striving for high yielding wheat as part of a crop rotation scheme. Several area agribusinesses are sponsoring refreshments, including kolaches at the field site. For the directions and more information, call the Saline County Extension Office at (402) 821-2151.
I have received a couple of questions on how to take stand counts and with the storm damage and recent weather conditions decided to highlight some information from UNL’s CropWatch website on Time to Dig In and Assess Need for Replanting Corn written by Roger Elmore, Extension Cropping Systems Agronomist and others. First, let’s review how to take stand counts. In short, after you know your row width (inches), there are given numbers that correspond to row width you will need to measure and count the plants in a row and multiply that by 1000 to calculate plants/acre. For example, most corn in our area is planted into 30-inch rows. The row length in feet to equal 1/1000 of an acre is 17’5” so you would measure out 17’5” in a row, count the number of corn plants in that length and multiply is by 1000. This would tell you how many plants/acre you have in that row. Do this several times in the field.
After you have your average plant populations, calculate the losses from planting to final stands. University research trials suggest 4-7% is typical, but final stands are within 1-4% of seeding rates for top managers. If your attrition losses are 10% or more, examine what happened. Elmore and others suggest considering the following: seed viability, insect such as cutworms, wireworms and white grubs, diseases, compaction and soil crusting and cold soils. One should also scout for weed management issues. Scout weeds within two weeks of corn emergence to evaluate efficacy of burn down and pre-emergence herbicides. Early emerging weeds such as marestail should be controlled early on to avoid early-season competition.
After examining these factors, one must decide if replanting is necessary. For example, if plants have emerged but have variable heights or development, even though a yield reduction is possible, it’s not necessarily a reason to replant. Plant height differences may reflect lack of uniformity in emergence timing or other issue the plant faced. Replanting may however be necessary with reduced planting populations. The most important factor in deciding whether to replant is to calculate expected yield with the current stand versus what you could potentially have if you replanted. Finally, one must estimate the replanting costs of seed, fuel, additional pesticides and labor. Also, be sure to contact your crop insurance agent, Farm Service Agency and others with an interest in your crop.
The full CropWatch article provides more information and some useful tables to help you with your consideration of replanting.
As I write this, we just celebrated the Centennial of Cooperative Extension yesterday. On May 8, 2014 the Smith-Lever Act was passed which was introduced by Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia and Representative A. F. Lever of South Carolina to expand the vocational, agricultural, and home demonstration programs in rural America. It was designed to disseminate information from the land grant universities to the people. One hundred years later, we are still doing this, only through different methods and delivery systems.
In 2014, we celebrate the Smith-Lever Act, which established the Cooperative Extension Service, a unique educational partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the nation’s land-grant universities that extends research-based knowledge through a state-by-state network of extension educators.
All of this got me wondering what was extension like in Fillmore County
Snow storm from 1918 proved to make extension work difficult!
in the beginning so I looked at our archives and found some interesting information. The first reports I found were from 1918 with the first county agricultural agent being J.L. Thomas. Some of the projects he worked on were wheat smut control, soybean inoculation, poultry judging, hog cholera control and black leg control. April 1, 1918 was when the “Fillmore County Farm Bureau” (now known as Fillmore County Extension Board) began active work in Fillmore County.
An excerpt had the following:
“The county board of supervisors assigned to J.L. Thomas a large well lighted, well heated and well ventilated, as well as a well located room on the first floor of the court house, for his office. The farm bureau board at the time Mr. Thomas was selected made arrangements with him to employ his wife, Mary E. Hall Thomas, on half time as office assistant. At the first meeting of the board held on Monday night, April 8th, 1918 the agent was instructed to purchase needed office supplies and equipment.” Some of the emergency projects assigned to him were “testing of seed corn and finding a substitute for sugar which included, keeping of bees, catching of all new swarms, production of sugar cane, location of sorghum mills in the county and making and use of sorghum.”
Thinking back to what was happening in 1918, World War I ended in November 1918. When the U.S. entered WWI, food had become a weapon and no other country produced more food than the U.S. In order to have enough food to feed the allies, Americans were urged to conserve food and eliminate waste, thus the importance of finding sugar substitutes, etc. Also, life on most farms consisted of no electricity or indoor plumbing. Each family member had chores such as milking cows, harnessing horses, gathering eggs, etc. Farm families looked forward to the fun of school programs, trips to town, church gatherings and other social events.
Extension demonstration showing the use of tractors in farming.
In the 1918 narrative it describes that work began at a very busy time of year (planting) and continued until October when it was planned to hold meetings for the community, but at that time the Spanish Influenza caused public schools to be closed and all public gatherings be postponed for five weeks. Organizational work was one of the first things to occupy the county agent in the next year. Some of the first youth programs focused on pig, chicken and garden projects. Canning teams and a war bread team were organized.
Also interesting in the narrative was that “the domestic science department of the Milligan school canned ten bushels of peaches and three bushels of tomatoes and did not lose a quart of the peaches or tomatoes.” It was a dry year as many members appeared to have lost their gardens completely and the pig projects didn’t do as well as some died and some youth were too busy with work in the fields. “Fifty dollars in prizes was given to the project members by the County Fair Board. Six pigs, one calf, one crate of chicks and some garden products were entered by club members.”
As I found some of these interesting points, trying to imagine what it would have been like in 1918 intrigues me. Thinking of how much more travel time across the county was required to reach people and the difficulty of getting things organized and promoted compared to the ease of the Internet we now take for granted. While there were definitely many challenges, extension managed to overcome them, just as our current extension system evolves with new delivery modes and remains strongly committed to “the people”. For 100 years, the Smith-Lever Act has stimulated innovative research and vital educational programs for youth and adults through progressive information delivery systems that improved lives and shaped a nation.
However, the business operation can accomplish numerous goals by helping the young person get a solid start in the operation, keeping the farm/ranch in the family, and ensuring a comfortable retirement for all involved.
in our society. Whether you prefer conventional, organic, or other labeled products, all of them are produced by a farmer or rancher and provide you with a delicious, safe and nutritious product. Growing up on a farm and being a farmer’s daughter, I appreciate the hard work, dedication and risk involved in production agriculture. While I am not a farmer I work with farmers and have a great appreciation for them. My husband is an agricultural education instructor and FFA adviser and was also a raised on a farm.
nce management, crop growth & development and soil residue management.
Views from VanDeWalle 