Category: Uncategorized

Crops, Irrigation, Livestock, Programming

Annie’s Inspired – A Three Hour Session for Farm Women Involved in Agriculture 

Brandy VanDeWalle

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Farm and ranch women are generating a cultural tide in American agriculture that is moving management, assets and opportunities to a new wave of farmers across the country. At Annie’s Project workshops, farm women become empowered to be better business partners or sole operators through networks and by managing and organizing critical information. Whether you are a woman working full-time in the operation or have off-farm employment, Annie’s Project is for you.

A new “short-course”, titled Annie’s Inspired will be held in four different locations in South Central Nebraska. This one-evening workshop is being repeated in Fillmore, Clay, Nuckolls and Thayer Counties, all running from 6-9:00 p.m. with a light meal included. Registration is $5 per participant and due one week prior to the respective program date. Program dates and locations include:

  • February 11th – Fillmore County Extension Office – Geneva
  • February 18th – Clay County Fairgrounds – Clay Center
  • February 25th – Compadres Mexican Restaurant – Hebron
  • March 4th – Nelson Senior Citizen/Community Center – Nelson

The workshop is designed to be discussion-based, bringing women together to learn from experts in human resources, basic crop production issues, and other topics of interest to the group. There will be plenty of time for questions, sharing, reacting and connecting with presenters and fellow participants. The learning environment will be relaxed and fun, providing a dynamic way to learn, grow and meet other farm and ranch women.

To register, the $5 fee is payable to University of Nebraska-Lincoln due 1 week prior to the workshops attending and can be sent to: Fillmore County Extension, 1340 G Street, Geneva, NE 68361. Statewide program sponsor includes Farm Credit Services of America.  Annie’s Project courses have successfully reached more than 9,000 farm and ranch women in 33 states. Linda, an Annie’s Project alumna says, “I took the class to gain a better understanding about agribusiness and how financial decisions impact our farm operation. I have a better understanding of balance sheets and the futures market…this class has improved communication with my spouse on concerns he works with on a daily basis.”

Course size is limited, so please register by calling the Fillmore or Clay County Extension office at 402.759.3712 or 402.762.3644 or for more information, go to: https://wia.unl.edu/anniesproject.  For more information contact Brandy VanDeWalle at 402.759.3712 or brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.

Crops, Irrigation, Livestock, Programming

Managing Agricultural Land for the 21st Century

Brandy VanDeWalle

Current and future landowners and tenants should make plans to attend a free land management workshop sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. “Managing Agricultural Land for the 21st Century” will cover current trends in cash rental rates, lease provisions, and crop and grazing land considerations.

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This meeting is being held in Geneva at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds on February 12, 2019.  Registration is at 9:15 a.m., program starting at 9:30 a.m., and ending by 3:00 p.m.  The meeting is free due to the generous contributions of the Farmers & Ranchers College donors. For an accurate meal count, please,  please register by calling (402) 759-3712 by February 5th.

Nebraska Extension Educators Allan Vyhnalek, Aaron Nygren, and Jim Jansen conduct research and outreach in land management, agronomy and beef production. They will address common agricultural landlord and tenant questions. What does an equitable rental rate look like for my land? How do I manage a farmland lease? What should I expect for communications between the landlord and tenant? What does a soil test tell me? I hear about organic or natural production; how does that vary from what my farmer is currently doing? If corn or soybeans are not making money, should something else be raised on my land? What are key pasture leasing considerations including stocking rates? Who is responsible for cedar tree removal from grazing land?

“Landlords and tenants often struggle with land management questions.” said Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator and workshop presenter. “Both are concerned with fair treatment but it can be difficult to keep up with the current trends. Our workshop will provide participants with up-to-date information so they can be confident about their lease arrangements.”

This program is free and open to the public with funding provided by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture under award number 2015-49200-24226.

For more information or assistance, please contact me at 402-759-3712 at Fillmore County Extension, Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator, Farm Succession, at 402-472-1771 or e-mail avyhnalek2@unl.edu, or contact Jim Jansen, Extension Economist for eastern Nebraska at 402-261-7572 or e-mail jjansen4@unl.edu.

Programming, Youth

This is 4-H

Brandy VanDeWalle

My colleague, Megan Burda in York County did a great job describing 4-H in one of her recent columns so I decided to share facts about 4-H in case you are unfamiliar or haven’t experience 4-H in many years, as it has changed and evolved with the times.4h_mark1

The 4-H Pledge – I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

Head, Heart, Hands, and Health are the four H’s that describe how youth are engaged in the 4-H program.  Using their heads they learn to manage many different things in their 4-H projects and life. Through their heart, they learn to relate to others and be caring to those around them and their projects.  With their hands, 4-Hers are able to work on various projects. By living healthy they are practicing being capable of caring for self and others.

How can being involved in 4-H foster youth’s success?  In 2002 the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development longitudinal study began and was then repeated annually for eight years.  There were more than 7,000 adolescents from across 42 states in the United States that participated in the study. The Tufts research team examined how structured-out-of-school time learning, leadership experiences, and adult mentoring that young people receive through 4-H plays a role in helping them achieve success.

4-Hers practice responsibility by being involved in a variety of different projects offered through the program.  The project areas are Animal Science, Communication and Expressive Arts, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Education and Earth Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences, Healthy Lifestyle Education, Leadership and Citizenship, Plant Science, and Plant Science and Technology.  If a youth chooses to participate in a Healthy Lifestyle Education project, they may learn the skill of meal planning for themselves and their family.  This skill could lead to them actually planning out healthy meals for themselves and their family members and may even include keeping a food budget for their family.

4-Hers practice responsibility by caring for animals daily in various animal science projects. 4-Hers make sure their animals have a safe place to be, have appropriate food and water, and that their animals are cared for and can be handled.  This takes much time and dedication by the 4-Her and their family and does not just happen one week out of the year at the county fair.  4-Hers in livestock projects take 4-H Livestock Quality Assurance to help prepare them for daily care and management.  They also work closely with their family members and veterinarian and participate in animal science contests throughout the year.

The Tufts research longitudinal study showed that compared to their peers, youth involved in 4-H programs excelled in several areas.

4-Hers are:

  • Nearly 4x more likely to make contribution to their communities.
  • About 2x more likely to be civically active.
  • Nearly 2x more likely to participate in science programs during out-of-school time, 2x more likely (Grade 10) and nearly 3x more likely (Grade 12) to take part in science program compared to girls in other out-of-school time activities.
  • Nearly 2x more likely to make healthier choices.

For information on how you can be involved in 4-H in Fillmore County, go to fillmore.unl.edu or for Clay County 4-H information, go to clay.unl.edu.

 Source: The Positive Development of Youth; Comprehensive Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University. 

Livestock, Programming

Cow/Calf College – January 14th

Brandy VanDeWalle

The annual Farmers and Ranchers Cow/Calf College “Partners in Progress – Beef Seminar” will be held at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and Great Plains Veterinary Education Center near Clay Center on January 14, 2019 with registration, coffee and donuts starting at 9:30 a.m. The program will run from 9:55 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Farmers and Ranchers College and will feature several outstanding speakers discussing issues and management strategies that can affect the profitability of all beef producers. There is no cost for the event and the public is invited. It does include a noon meal, which means that early registration is necessary to reserve materials and a meal.

close up photo of white and brown cattle
Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

The “Cow/Calf College” will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a welcome by Dr. Mark Boggess of USMARC and Dr. Dale Grotelueschen, Director of the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center. Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist will kick off the presentations with “To Graze or Not to Graze?  Factors that Affect Risk Nitrate Toxicity in Annual Forages”.  Mary is a cattle nutritionist with expertise in growing calf and cow nutrition, currently focusing on use of cover crops and crop residues as forage sources.

Rick Funston, Nebraska Extension Reproductive Physiologist will present “Increasing Production Efficiency”. Rick has been honored for his beef and heifer management work and has helped provide ranchers new market options and reduced feed costs. He has been a leader in the concept of fetal programming, a concept in the livestock industry based on the notion that the nutrient status of gestating cows has various long-term implications on their offspring.

Lunch is provided and will be handled with a rotation system featuring a session on: “Family Farm Stress” from Nebraska Extension Educator, Brandy VanDeWalle. As margins continue to tighten, there is an additional amount of stress on producers and their families. Strategies for handling stress and open communication among family members is important to address.  

The afternoon session will start with Amy Schmidt, Associate Professor with Biological Systems Engineering and Animal Science with “Top 3 Environmental Considerations During Short-Term Cow-Calf Confinement”. Amy’s extension interests include manure management, nutrient management and water quality. Her areas of research and professional interest include nutrients fate and transport, pathogen fate and transport and water quality.Logo

Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz, Production Animal Consultation will lead you through “Animal Husbandry Strategies to Improve One’s Efficiency”.  Back by popular demand, Dr. Kip is sure to entertain you while being right on target to address some of critical information on cattle health, antibiotic use and also inform participants on effective animal husbandry and stockmanship techniques. Dr. Kip spends his days working with farmers and ranchers and teaches people to better understand our animals.

All presenters will then pull everything together, give their final thoughts and considerations and provide a coffee-shop style panel discussion during which cattlemen can ask questions and get answers on questions that came to them during the day’s sessions. A chance for door prizes will be awarded to those that stay for the entire event.

Preregistration is preferred by January 8th, to the Nebraska Extension Office in Fillmore County or call (402) 759-3712 to assure a seat and lunch. Walk-ins are accepted, but may not get a lunch. You may also complete your registration online on fillmore.unl.edu or http://go.unl.edu/farmersrancherscollege.  Remember, your contact information is required to be on the U.S. MARC property, so pre-registration is helpful and will save you time at the door!

Programming

Extension Recap from 2018

Brandy VanDeWalle

During the holiday season is often a time to reflect on the year. I have many blessings in my life. First and foremost, I would like to thank my family for being understanding with me as I often travel to evening meetings and conferences that pull me away from home. Secondly, I am fortunate to have great colleagues that help me out and work as a team. I’d also like to thank you, my readers, extension supporters, 4-H volunteers and others who have helped in some capacity with an extension or 4-H program. Without amazing Nebraska Extension supporters, programs wouldn’t be as successful as they are.

thank you text on black and brown board
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While I’m not one to boast, I’d like to mention that Nebraska Extension is one of the leading Extension organizations in the country! Utilizing cutting-edge delivery methods and programming ideas, we focus on critical issues identified by Nebraskans through periodic needs assessments. Nebraska Extension is nationally-leading 4-H youth engagement by reaching 1 in 3 youth between the ages of 8-18 and we have extension faculty with national and international reputations. Finally, Nebraska Extension engages a large number of Nebraskans in Extension programming every year – in fact 443,041 in Fiscal Year 2018. These are great accomplishments to look at from a balcony view, but what are some key impacts locally for Clay and Fillmore Counties?

Let’s describe some key accomplishments in Clay County. Nebraska Extension in Clay County (and Fillmore County) reaches 1 out of 2 age-eligible youth. In 2018, the Clay County 4-H program reached 65% of youth in the county.  This was accomplished through the use of afterschool, school enrichment and traditional 4-H programs.“4-H involves so many different areas.  Through the numerous programs and workshops offered, our family has gained interests in areas we never would have explored” according to a Clay County 4-H Parent. Over 85 youth participated in Shooting Sports training including Archery, BB Gun, and Air Rifle. Clay County has 18 shooting sports leaders, 13 of which are certified. “The 4-H shooting sports program has helped me improve my accuracy in both archery and air rifle. Throughout my years of shooting sports, I’ve made friends with fellow 4-Hers and also with my instructors” according to a youth participant.

IMG_2323Fillmore County Extension completed its fifth year hosting a community garden and raised over 115 pounds of produce in 2018, which was donated to senior citizens. In 2018, a Fillmore County 4-H’er (and parent) in the Nebraska Beekeepers Association youth program engaged Fillmore County 4-H with honeybee production. With support from the Geneva City Council and Fillmore County Supervisors, Fillmore County 4-H’s now have a hive north of the Fillmore County Extension office. The Fillmore County 4-H Council provided funds to start the project which has been able to educate 4-H youth and adult audiences. During honey extraction time, youth from a local childcare center even had the chance to extract honey from the frames. Over 20 frames of honey were extracted for a total of 14 gallons of honey to sell. Proceeds go back into the production of beekeeping so the project will be sustainable for the future.

The Farmers and Ranchers College is a unique opportunity to educate agricultural producers in south central Nebraska. Approximately three hundred producers participated in the 2017-18 Farmers & Ranchers College programs. Producers attending these workshops managed over 155,000 acres and managed nearly 15,000 head of beef animals. Participants surveyed indicated an average of $6.00/acre of knowledge gained from participating for a potential impact of nearly $1 million. The seventeenth annual Partners in Progress- Beef Seminar featured a variety of industry, University and agricultural organization presenters. Ninety-five percent of participants surveyed were very satisfied or satisfied with the program quality and seventy-six percent indicated that previous programming improved their knowledge of making risk management decisions.

Of course, there are numerous more impacts and programming results to report, but these are some that I decided to include this this week’s post.

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

Crops, Irrigation, Programming

Successful Farmer Series

Brandy VanDeWalle

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.

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Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

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.

Crops, Irrigation, Livestock, Programming

Dr. Kohl Recap

Brandy VanDeWalle

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7c93Kicking 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.

In regards to energy economics, the U.S. is the world’s major energy producer. As there is a continued drive towards efficiency, there is also a push for electric vehicles. In fact, Kohl said that Germany and France plan to eliminate combustible engines by the year 2040 and by 2025, one fourth of cars in China will be electric. Since 80% of ag expenses are energy related, this will be a huge impact on the agricultural industry.

Dr. Kohl also stated that the 2020’s will be a decade with lots of change, not only with emerging technologies, but consumer trends, dietary trends and use of “big data”. In the Ag Commodity Super Cycle of 2007-2012, the approximate net farm income in constant dollars was $125,000 which allowed “anyone” to make it financially. From 2013-2017, during the agricultural economic reset, it was $35,000 forcing producers to tighten family living expenses and cost of production. (Data was taken from the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota.) He provided critical financial performance index for debt and risk and critical questions for critical conversations that should occur with one’s lender.

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With my background in leadership studies I found it interesting how more lenders are looking at the character of a client and the role that has in one’s success. Being an honest, ethical and trustworthy client is becoming more important and unfortunately there are character flaws of dishonesty being noticed such as using borrowed money for things not intended to be used for.  I like the adage, “It’s not the bad times that get you in trouble; it’s the good times.” With the past super-cycle, it was really easy for one to become complacent and want more things such as that camper or trip to Disney World, etc. but it’s not likely to resurface anytime soon.

Even with all of the challenges facing agriculture, he stated several reasons to be optimistic about agriculture. A diversified agri-entrepreneur can be successful with multiple income streams. Technology allows individuals to multi-task. Those young people who leave the farm/ranch to work in business or industry or on a different operation are better positioned to be successful because of the knowledge gained with a different point of view. Approximately 21% of American farms have no next generation coming back, so young people interested in farming have a chance to get involved. The younger generation is much more apt to collaborate and work as a team allowing them to help each other. Align yourself with positive people, know your purpose, picture where you plan to go, plan with a business & marketing plan and partner with the right people; doing all of that will help one accomplish more. His advice to young farmers is to invest in productive assets and live modestly. While past generations were independent in nature, future generations will be interdependent and work with people.

Contributions and support of area businesses allow Farmers & Ranchers College program participants to attend at no cost. For more information go.unl.edu/farmersrancherscollege.

Just a reminder of the other Farmers & Ranchers College programming:

2018-2019 Program Schedule

  • January 14, 2019** – “Partners In Progress Beef Seminar” Cow/Calf College at U.S. MARC near Clay Center, NE from 10-3:30 p.m., Registration at 9:30 a.m.
  • February 12, 2019** – “Managing Ag Land in the 21st Century” with Nebraska Extension Educators, Nebraska Extension at the Fillmore Co. Fairgrounds- Geneva, NE from 9:30- 3:00 p.m., Registration at 9:15 a.m.
  • March 14, 2019** – “Connecting Gate to Plate” with Michele Payn with Cause Matters, Corp., one of North America’s leading experts in connecting farm and food at Lazy Horse Vineyard near Ohiowa, NE with registration at 6:00 p.m. Light meal and program to follow.

 ** Programs are free; however registration is appreciated for a meal count. Please call the Fillmore Co. Extension Office at (402) 759-3712 one-week prior to the program to reserve your spot.