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Youth Crop Scouting Competition – Connecting Youth with Crops

Brandy VanDeWalle

Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings?  If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way!  Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the 11th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. Youth interested in crops can learn about crop growth & development and basic crop scouting principles. 

Don’t know a lot about crops?  Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production. You can have the agronomist meet with the youth a little during each meeting or outside of the meeting. This is one way to engage those youth interested in crops. 

This contest will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead, Nebraska on August 7, 2024. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 5-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first ten teams who sign up! 

            Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five 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, $250 for second, $100 for third place. The top two teams will be eligible for the regional competition held in Nebraska this year.

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 may 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. Register at: https://go.unl.edu/cropscoutingreg

Teams must be registered by July 15. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association, Ward Laboratories, the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Extension.

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Inspiring Rich Conversations Through Questions

Brandy VanDeWalle
Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

With the school year complete, hopefully, an opportunity to spend more time with your child exists. Reconnect and reflect on the school year and plan for the summer. Sarah Roberts and Jackie Steffen, Learning Child Extension Educators provided great tips on how to inspire conversations with your child by asking powerful questions which I’ve included in this week’s column. 

Questions are powerful tools, and they encourage children to think at a higher level. The types of questions you ask young children can affect the quality of your conversation with them. Some questions only elicit rote answers and, therefore, will not spark a meaningful conversation or connection. Others encourage thought-provoking conversations and ideas. Having intentional and meaningful conversations with young children is critical to providing an atmosphere of emotional security. Engaging with and listening to children helps them to feel valued and respected. They learn to feel safe talking with you and sharing thoughts and feelings that may be otherwise difficult to discuss.

Here Are Some Ways to Inspire Rich Conversations:

  • Try to ask more open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with one word. Instead of asking, “How was your day?” consider rephrasing and saying, “Tell me about the favorite parts of your day.”
  • Distractions are all around us. Take time to fully engage with young children and practice active listening in a one-on-one environment. That means removing electronics and getting down on their level. Giving children your full attention demonstrates that you respect them and what they have to say.
  • Make conversations a habit. The time of day that works best is different for everyone. Some might be able to connect deeply on the “to and from” activity/school commutes, others at bedtime or maybe around the table. Take notice of when your child feels the most comfortable opening up to you.
  • Do your homework. If your child is in school and you have access to daily announcements, lesson plans or newsletters, use that information to help spark conversations. Children can fail to mention exciting events unintentionally. They may be surprised with some pieces of information that you know about their day.
  • Finally, remember that conversations are a two-way street. If you ask too many questions, children can feel like they are being drilled. Do not just ask questions; open up and talk about YOUR day. Being authentic and modeling good communication with other adults in their school or home will encourage children to join in on conversations. Asking higher-level questions takes practice and time. Think about what information you want to share with your child and what you would like to know from them. Be genuine. If it is tough to talk to them, don’t worry. It is important to start practicing conversation skills, especially when children are young. Have fun and keep a sense of humor and wonder. Children will follow your lead.

    Here are a Few Open-Ended Questions to Get You Started:
  • If you were the family chef, what would you make today for breakfast (lunch, dinner)? Why?
  • If you could do anything today, what would it be?
  • What was your favorite part about the holidays this year?
  • This year has been hard for lots of people. Is there anything positive you experienced? What things do you wish you could change?
  • If you could ask me anything (teachers or parents), what would it be?

References: “Big Questions for Young Minds: Extending Children’s Thinking”  by Janis Strasser and Lisa Mufson Bresson

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Introductory Crop Scout Training

Brandy VanDeWalle

A May 21 Nebraska Extension training course is scheduled for industry representatives and corn and soybean growers wanting to learn how to better manage corn and soybean pests.

The introductory level crop scout training is designed for entry-level scouts who are working for crop consultants, industry agronomists or farm service centers in Nebraska and neighboring states.  The training is also ideal for growers who scout their own fields or are interested in improving productivity, as well as for students being employed by agribusinesses.

The course, which will be held in-person, is from 8:55 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. with registration at 8:30 a.m. at the University of Nebraska’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center, which is located at 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE 68033. Nebraska Extension Educator Aaron Nygren emphasizes that this is a hands-on, in-person experience for participants focusing on important crop scouting skills.   

Topics covered during the day include: 

  • Scouting Tips and Understanding Corn & Soybean Growth & Development
  • Crop Diseases & Quiz
  • Scouting Techniques – Soil, Tissue, Disease Samples & Drone Best Practices
  • Identifying Weeds – Morphology, Using a Key to Identify Weed Seedlings 
  • Corn & Soybean Insect Scouting, Identification, Management
  • Nutrient Deficiencies in Corn & Soybeans
  • Hands on Practice 

Some of the benefits past registrants stated the training provided included practical/working knowledge and better accuracy in field scouting.  Other participants appreciated the hands-on, practical format.  Past participants have consistently given the training high marks and state that the knowledge gained from attending improved their scouting skills.

Cost for the program is $100, which includes lunch, refreshment breaks, workshop materials and a 3 ring binder instruction manual. The take-home instruction manual includes a variety of reference materials that provide resources for crop scouting.  For those attending the daylong training that don’t want a copy of the instruction manual, the fee is $60. Attendees should preregister to reserve their seat and to ensure workshop materials are available the day of the training session.

Certified Crop Advisor continuing education credits are being applied for with 6 credits in pest management, 1 in crop management and .5 in fertility/nutrient management.

To register or for more information, go to https://enreec.unl.edu/fieldcropscouttraining, contact Nebraska Extension at (402) 624-8030, or e-mail Aaron Nygren at anygren2@unl.edu. Preregistration requested by May 17 for meal planning purposes.

(Source; IANR News)

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Celebrate Beef Month

Brandy VanDeWalle

As we enter the spring and summer months, nothing smells better than a delicious, juicy hamburger or steak on the grill and being able to barbecue outside with friends and family. It’s no surprise then that May is National Beef Month!  The beef industry is especially important to Nebraska’s economy. According to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska is first in commercial cattle slaughter, second in beef and veal exports, and second in commercial red meat production. According to the Nebraska Beef Council website, Nebraska has the top three beef cow counties in the U.S., including the nation’s No. 1 cow county – Cherry County, with nearly 166,000 cows. Custer County is No. 2 (100,000) and Holt County is No. 3 (99,000). Also among the top counties in the nation is Lincoln County at No. 12 (69,000).

The Nebraska Beef Council also reports that nearly 5 million head are finished and marketed in Nebraska, a state with a population of 1.9 million residents. January 2022 figures illustrate that Nebraska continues to have far more cattle than people. The 1.8 million cows combined with the nearly 5 million head that are annually fed in Nebraska total nearly 6.8 million cattle. That’s over 3.5 times more cattle than people in Nebraska!

So, why is Nebraska, the beef state?  It has a unique mix of natural resources and according to the Nebraska Beef Council, cattle turn grass from 24 million acres of rangeland and pasture, more than one-half of Nebraska’s land mass, into protein and many other products for humans. Land that is grazed allows more people to be fed than otherwise possible and more than one billion bushels of corn are produced in Nebraska, of which 40% is fed to livestock in the state.

Now that I have explained how and why the beef industry is important to Nebraska, let’s explore the health benefits of beef. Beef is a good source of zinc, iron, and protein and 29 cuts of beef meet the government labeling guidelines for being lean. In fact, a 3-ounce cooked serving of lean beef (which is about the size of a deck of cards) provides 10 essential nutrients and about half of the daily value of protein in about 170 calories. According to recent research from Purdue University, the cuts of beef considered lean can be included as a part of a heart-healthy diet to support cardiovascular health and has consistently demonstrated that the nutrients in beef promote health through life.

With May being beef month, I want to remind you that the 2024 Nebraska Beef Passport launches May 1 in locations across the state that are known for offering outstanding beef. This year’s participants include 32 restaurants and 19 meat processors. This is the 4th year of the program which encourages people to visit the featured locations and earn points towards prizes offered by the Nebraska Beef Council.  Check is out at nebeef.org.

If you would like more information on beef production, you can view our Nebraska Extension website beef.unl.edu. Our Extension experts have a variety of articles from beef nutrition to reproduction to lease information. If you would like recipes or tips for preparing beef, you can also check out Nebraska Extension’s food.unl.edu website. There are some great tips on saving money when purchasing beef and links to the Nebraska Beef Council’s website which has great recipes as well.

Enjoy some beef today! 

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4-H Helps Youth Thrive Series

Brandy VanDeWalle

The next several articles I will be sharing will focus on the 4-H Thrive Model which focuses on ensuring high-quality 4-H programs for youth and positive youth development. In the 4-H Thriving Model, this process of positive youth development is described by seven indicators of thriving: openness to challenge and discover, growth mindset, hopeful purpose, pro-social orientation, transcendent awareness, positive emotionality, and self-regulation through goal setting and management. This first article focuses on volunteers who are the heart of a high-quality 4-H program.

4-H Volunteers Help Youth Thrive   

Volunteers have been the long-time champions for the 4-H program, delivering 4-H experiences to youth across the nation for decades. Volunteers bring invaluable skills and resources to their role, dedicating hours to teaching youth new skills and helping them grow as leaders. It is certainly not difficult to visibly see a volunteer’s impact in this way.  

However, there are many other ways in which volunteers help youth thrive that are not as easy to visibly see. Volunteers, specifically 4-H club leaders, undoubtedly are a key part of the 4-H program and the impact on youth for years to come. But, how? This happens through developmental relationships, which are close connections through which young people discover who they are, cultivate abilities to shape their own lives and learn how to engage with and contribute to the world around them.   

Developmental relationships between youth and adults are important aspect of the 4-H program. Research shows that the relational quality between the 4-H leader, volunteer and member is connected to positive youth development. 4-H volunteers foster a developmental relationship with youth when they express care, challenge growth, provide, support, share power and expand possibilities.  

Some of the ways 4-H volunteers build a developmental relationship with youth is through a variety of visible approaches. Examples include, but are not limited to, showing youth they enjoyed spending time together, making youth feel known and valued, being someone, youth can trust and praising youth for their efforts and achievements. Implementing these approaches to having a developmental relationship with youth encourages youth to know their 4-H club leader cares about them and their success.  

Healthy developmental relationships grow over time to move past a mainly adult-driven relationship to shifting the power to the youth. In addition, as the relationship between the 4-H leader and the youth continues to grow and foster a deeper connection, the impact on the youth deepens as well.  

Thank you, 4-H volunteers, for creating 4-H experiences for youth to experience new skills and helping them grow as leaders, and ultimately finding their spark in life!  

This article was written by Jill Goedeken, Nebraska Extension Educator.

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Emergency Preparedness Workshop Series for Rural Families

Brandy VanDeWalle

An upcoming four-part extension workshop for women in agriculture will focus on emergency preparedness for rural families. The program will be a four-part series, held at numerous locations across Nebraska and Indiana. The series will focus on farm and ranch emergency management, first aid, fire protection and hazardous materials. Workshops will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Central time on March 5, 7, 12 and 14.

The program is a collaboration between extension women in agriculture programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Purdue University. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural occupations have high rates of work-related injuries and deaths. While not all emergencies result in bodily injury or death, they also may cost rural families in other ways.

“Women play a critical role in ensuring the safety of their homes and rural communities,” said Jessica Groskopf, director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program. “In many farm and ranch families, safety is an important topic, but it sometimes gets overlooked because it does not directly impact profitability.”

Each state’s workshop sites will be hosted by local extension personnel. Keynote speakers will be simulcast to each location, and each site will provide additional speakers and hands-on activities. Dinner will be included.

Groskopf said the program’s structure is intended to strengthen women’s networks in rural areas, which can provide opportunities for building trust and sharing information.“Connections are so important to rural women,” she said. “We have seen the benefits that come from knowing your peers, having a place to share difficulties, and mitigate the isolation that so many of us in agriculture often feel.”

The workshops seek to help participants initiate preventative practices, set up a plan to deal with emergencies before they occur and be more comfortable reacting to emergency situations. There is a registration fee of $50 per person before Tuesday, Feb. 20. The fee increases to $60 per person after Feb. 20. Participants should plan to attend each session. A virtual option is available for those unable to attend a workshop site, although in-person attendance is highly encouraged to better network with other attendees and interact with speakers. The virtual registration fee is $75 before Feb. 20, and $80 after Feb. 20. Registration may be completed on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website.

This project was supported by a grant from NCRCRD through funding from USDA NIFA Award #2022-51150-38141.  ​

Nebraska Workshop Sites

  • Beatrice — Beatrice Fire and Rescue, 300 S. Sixth St.
  • Concord — Haskell Ag Lab, 57905 866 Rd.
  • Grand Island — Raising Nebraska, 501 E. Fonner Park Rd., Suite 100
  • O‘Neill — Holt County Courthouse Annex, 128 N. Sixth St.
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Returning to the Farm

Brandy VanDeWalle

The Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present Returning to the Farm, a workshop series for families transitioning to bringing members back to the farm or ranch. It will begin with a two-day workshop in Kearney for multi-generational families on March 8 and 9 at the office of Nebraska Extension in Buffalo County, 1400 E 34th St.
 
The series assists families and agricultural operations with developing financial plans and successful working arrangements to meet their unique needs. It will guide families in developing estate and transition plans, setting personal and professional goals, and improving the communication process between family members.
 
“Returning to the Farm gives families the tools and resources to have a successful transition with more family members joining the business,” said extension educator Jessica Groskopf. “We really want to have two or three generations come to this together and take that time, as a family, to sit down, learn together, and start these important processes.”
 
Presenters will include extension experts as well as agribusiness and legal professionals. During the program, participants will:

  • Learn communication strategies
  • Set both personal and professional goals
  • Develop a farm or ranch transition plan
  • Identify estate planning issues and develop effective strategies for planning
  • Review financial feasibility and financial tools

The workshop fee is $75 per person on or before March 1. March 2, the fee increases to $85 per person. Registration includes dinner on March 8 and lunch on March 9. It also includes two follow-up workshops, to be held virtually. Hotel accommodations are not included.

(Source: Jessica Groskopf, Extension Educator) 

Crops, Livestock, Programming, Uncategorized

Manure Management Programming

Brandy VanDeWalle

Turning manure nutrients into better crop yields while protecting the environment will be the focus of seven Nebraska Extension workshops being held across the state this February and March. Leslie Johnson, UNL animal manure management coordinator has announced that these workshops have traditionally focused on livestock producers because they’re required to attend manure training regularly, but efforts have been made to include crop farmers that are often recipients of the manure because the information shared is just as valuable to them and their bottom line. The workshops will still meet the educational requirements for permitted livestock operations laid out by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy’s title 130.

 The news release also states that participants who attend the day-long (9 a.m.–4 p.m.) event will receive NDEE land application training certification. The initial land application training certification requires participation in the full-day program, which includes lunch. Attendance at the afternoon session will meet minimum needs for recertification, but participants who only need recertification may choose to attend the full event if they wish for no additional charge. Sessions will include an update on regulations and discussions on how to best use manure on cropland. Anyone is welcome regardless of the need for certification. Crop farmers and livestock operations will learn useful information to apply to their operations.

Sessions will focus on what fields should be chosen to best utilize manure nutrients and other benefits. Each session will be highly participant-led with limited seating. Participants will be given a scenario and asked to determine the priority ranking of each field within the scenario. This ranking will be done at the end of each activity focused on manure nutrients, transportation cost, soil health, water quality, as well as neighbors and odors. Regulations and record-keeping about manure storage and application will also be addressed during each session.

Sessions include:

  • Feb. 12 — Columbus
  • Feb. 13 — Geneva
  • Feb. 19 — Scottsbluff
  • Feb. 20 — Lexington
  • Feb. 29 — Norfolk
  • March 5 — West Point
  • March 6 — Ord

Because of participation limits in each session, registration is required. If registration numbers exceed expectations, more sessions may be added. To ensure your attendance, register online. The cost of the sessions will be $75 per operation requiring certification or $25 per person with no expectation of certification.

The workshops are sponsored by the Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Team, which is dedicated to helping livestock and crop producers better utilize manure resources for agronomic and environmental benefits. For additional information on the workshops and other resources for managing manure nutrients, visit UNL Water or contact Leslie Johnson at 402-584-3818.

Register now

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Pesticide Education Program & More

Brandy VanDeWalle

This week, I am sharing information with producers from a column recently written by my colleague, Jenny Rees. For those needing pesticide applicator training, chemigation and other crop programming, here are options shared by Jenny.  

Private Pesticide Applicator Training is for those who purchase and/or use restricted use pesticides on land you own/rent. Those desiring initial certification or recertification have the same options:

1-Attend a face to face training.
2-Take the online training at https://pested.unl.edu/certification-and-training 
3-Attend a Crop Production Clinic (need to stay the entire day) https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc

Commercial/Noncommercial Applicator Training is for those who apply pesticides on other people’s ground and receive a payment for those applications.

Initial certification involves purchasing the books in the categories you wish to be certified in. All need to be certified in the general standards (00) category in addition to the specific application category. You then have choices of walk-in testing, attending a training session, or taking the test at a computer center. Info. on the commercial/non-commercial tab at: https://pested.unl.edu/certification-and-training.

Recertification training for those with the Ag Pest Control-Plant category (01) is to attend our Crop Production Clinics. The closest to this area include Jan. 11 in Beatrice, Hastings on Jan. 17, and York on Jan. 19. Info at: https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc. Recertification for other categories can be found at: https://pested.unl.edu/certification-and-training.

Chemigation is for anyone who applies fertilizer and/or chemicals through water systems like pivots and subsurface drip irrigation. Options for initial and recertification include face-to-face meetings and online testing at: https://water.unl.edu/article/agricultural-irrigation/chemigation.

Dicamba and Paraquat training are offered by the manufacturing companies. Info. on dicamba training here:  https://nda.nebraska.gov/pesticide/dicamba.html.  Info. on paraquat training here (English & Spanish): https://campus.extension.org/login/index.php

Worker Protection Standard training materials can be found at https://www.pesticideresources.org/wps/full-library/#categories:training-materials. At this site, use the drop-down menu and select the “role” of those being trained. There are different training requirements for ‘workers’ vs. ‘handlers’.