Programming

Ag Leasing Program & Tax Course

Ag Land Leasing Workshop in Wilber
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability and Nebraska Extension will present a landlord/tenant cash rent workshop in Wilber for landowners and operators from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 6, at the office of Nebraska Extension in Saline County, 306 W. 3rd St.

The meeting, titled “Financial Strategies for Effective Agricultural Land Leasing and Management” will cover current Nebraska cash rental rates and land values, best practices for agricultural leases, and other contract considerations. The meeting will also include financial considerations for farm succession and transition and offer an opportunity for those in attendance to have their leasing questions answered.

Agricultural economists Anastasia Meyer and Jim Jansen will lead the presentation. Both are with the Center for Agricultural Profitability. Refreshments will be provided, sponsored by Farmers National Company.

The meeting is free to attend, but registration is required by Jan. 5 by calling Nebraska Extension in Saline County at 402-821-2151.

More information about cash rental rates, leasing and farm and ranch transition can be found on the Center for Agricultural Profitability’s website, https://cap.unl.edu.



Online Course Offers Tax Strategies for Farmers & Ranchers
A new educational opportunity is now available for agricultural producers looking to strengthen their financial management skills. The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program has launched a free online course, Tax Strategies for Farms and Ranches, open to participants beginning Dec. 1.

Designed as a self-paced learning experience, the course helps farmers and ranchers take a more proactive, informed approach to tax planning. It is geared toward both beginners and those wanting to sharpen their current tax management practices.

Participants will learn how to improve communication with their tax professionals, develop a dependable record-keeping system, and make better-informed decisions that focus not just on lowering tax bills but on maximizing after-tax income. Course materials draw from trusted agricultural tax resources, including USDA, RuralTax.org, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability.

“Taxes shouldn’t be something producers only think about once a year,” said Jessica Groskopf, Director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Program. “By taking a more strategic approach, producers can work more effectively with their tax professionals and make decisions that support the long-term success of their farm or ranch.”

The course is available at no cost but will only be offered from Dec. 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026. Those interested can enroll online at go.unl.edu/ae.

Crops, Youth

Youth Crop Scouting Competition Makes a Difference

Nebraska Extension strives to recruit the next generation of agronomy professionals by annually conducting the Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition. On August 5, 2025, held at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center, four teams were able to talk with Extension staff and scout field plots at the Research Center. This competition is a great experience for those wanting to work in many different fields of agriculture. This competition provides a fun competitive environment where teams can receive hands on learning about all aspects of crop scouting.

Receiving first place and a cash prize of $500 was Arlington FFA Chapter, team #1 with Aaron Fuchs, Wes Monke, Luke Sharp, and Ethan Hilgenkamp. Kali Agler was their sponsor. In second place and receiving $250 was the Colfax County 4-H team consisting of Justin Eisenmann, Josh Eisenmann Callen, Cody, & Daphne Jedlicka with Korbin Kudera and Justin Zoucha as their sponsors. Third place and receiving $100 was Johnson County 4-H consisting of Wesley Schmid, Cameron Werner, Sophia Schmid, and Levis Othmer with Jon Schmid as their coach. Also participating was Arlington FFA team #2 with Grant Monke, Logan Hilgenkamp and Brody Stark.

The Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition is a recent national winner of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Excellence in 4-H & Youth Programming award. The competition promotes youth engagement and career development while strengthening connections between students and the agricultural industry. A 2024 long-term evaluation revealed that over 80% of participants gained valuable career insights, improved their pest identification skills, and expressed increased confidence in agricultural practices. Furthermore, 27 former participants reported a heightened interest in agricultural careers and enrolling in programs at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL).     

Feedback from coaches and mentors highlights the program’s lasting impact. One coach shared, “This has been a great learning opportunity for students. They’ve developed relationships with industries in our community that helped us succeed and develop real-world skills. Three students secured jobs through the relationships they built, and two obtained summer jobs.” This testimony underscores how the program creates meaningful industry connections and real career pathways for students.

A regional competition will be held among Nebraska, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, & Minnesota teams hosted by Iowa State Extension on September 13, 2025. Participants from Colfax County 4-H and Arlington FFA will represent Nebraska this year.

The 2025 Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition was sponsored by the Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association and the Nebraska Soybean Board in collaboration with Nebraska Extension.

For more information on the Youth Crop Scouting Competition, contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu or go to https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth

Uncategorized

Nebraska LEAD Program

It is hard to believe it has been 17 years since I participated in the Nebraska LEAD program! Through this program, I met twenty-nine talented individuals with a passion of agriculture through the Nebraska LEAD program. To date, I remain friends with many of them and the networking opportunities have been tremendous. The in-state seminars challenged me to think outside of the box and remain an advocate for agriculture. I could go on and on about the excellent opportunities the LEAD program has provided, but I challenge you to experience it yourself!

Individuals passionate about agriculture, leadership and making a difference across Nebraska are encouraged to apply for the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) Program’s 44th cohort. Applications for this premier agricultural leadership development program are now being accepted through June 15, 2025.

For more than four decades, the Nebraska LEAD Program has identified and cultivated leaders for Nebraska’s agricultural industry and rural communities. Over the course of two years, Nebraska LEAD Fellows participate in a series of dynamic seminars, in-state and national study travel, and a life-changing international study experience — all designed to build critical leadership skills, broaden perspectives and strengthen participants’ ability to shape the future of agriculture and their communities.

“Nebraska agriculture needs visionary leaders who can not only navigate change but drive it — leaders who advocate fiercely for our industry and unite people toward a common purpose,” said Kurtis Harms, Nebraska LEAD Program Director. “The Nebraska LEAD Program offers an unparalleled opportunity for both personal growth and professional impact. Whether you farm, ranch, work in agribusiness or champion rural communities, if you’re passionate about leadership and ready to make a difference, Nebraska LEAD is your next step.”

Individuals involved in production agriculture, agribusiness or professions closely tied to the agricultural industry are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates are emerging leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to leadership and service.

Application packets can be requested online at lead.unl.edu. Those interested can also nominate individuals who exhibit high leadership potential to receive application information.

The deadline to submit applications for Nebraska LEAD Group 44 is June 15, 2025.

For more information about the Nebraska LEAD Program, including eligibility requirements and program details, visit lead.unl.edu.

Uncategorized

Progressive Agriculture Safety Day

Recognized as the largest rural safety and health education program for children in North America, Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® (PAF Safety Day) provides age-appropriate, hands-on educational lessons primarily designed for children ages 4 to 13 years old. Since the program’s start in 1995, more than 1.9 million individuals have been reached in 45 states, two U.S. territories, and nine Canadian provinces.  Trained PAF Safety Day Coordinators partner within their community, using one of the three delivery modes, to customize their PAF Safety Day selecting from more than 30 safety and health topics with hundreds of activities and demonstrations to meet the needs of the youth in their area.

Statistics from those impacted by a farm-related injury or death are sobering. Many know someone who was impacted by a farm accident that in many cases could have been prevented. Therefore, I feel so passionately about conducting the Annual Progressive Safety Day each year. The Progressive Agriculture Foundation provides safety and health information to rural communities that need it, which is why I’ve teamed up with them. The mission of Progressive Agriculture Days is simple – to provide education, training, and resources to make farm and ranch life safer and healthier for children and their communities. The vision is that “no child become ill, injured or die from farm, ranch and rural activities.”

Locally, since I have been involved with a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day in Geneva for nearly 20 years. We have grown from approximately 60 participants to nearly 100 youth from surrounding counties. This half-day event involves many volunteers and local sponsors to make the program what it is today. Every year, business staff or volunteers help teach the hands-on activities. In addition, area FFA chapters assist in delivery of sessions and guiding youth participants to each session.

Current 1st through 6th graders are invited to attend Progressive Agriculture Safety Day on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds in Geneva, NE.  Youth will participate in a variety of events designed to help them be aware of safety in potentially hazardous situations in and around rural and agricultural settings, including electricity, online safety, severe weather safety, lawn mower safety, sun safety, chemical look-alikes, impacts on mental health and a drug dog demonstration.  NE Extension hosts this event in Fillmore County, along with Shickley, Fillmore Central, Exeter-Milligan-Friend FFA chapters, 4-H, W.I.F.E. and Fillmore County Emergency Management. Early registration forms and $5 are due April 25th; forms can be downloaded at fillmore.unl.edu. After April 25th, registration is $10/youth. For more info or to register, call 402-759-3712 or email brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.

Crops, Youth

Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Update

A 13-year partnership with the NE Corn Board in the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge (IYCC), a youth on-farm research project has successfully engaged youth in agricultural, science-based learning. A long-term program evaluation shows that over 100 IYCC alumni have pursued agricultural or STEM careers, with nearly 300 youth participating. One Arlington FFA ag literacy video alone has nearly 1,000 views and 6 shares.

Latest evaluation results show that:

  • 100% of current IYCC participants enhanced their ability to 1) accurately identify pests, 2) understand crop scouting procedures, 3) set-up research plots, 4) determine profitability of practices and 5) evaluate new products/practices in the field.
  • “I enjoyed having a project last for a long duration and seeing the end results.” -Current Participant
  • As a result of this long-standing program, a former Innovative Youth Corn Challenge advisor reported that, “There have been numerous individuals that have gone into ag fields. Two have went to farming, one ag retail and one agronomy.”

As a result of this long-standing program, a former Innovative Youth Corn Challenge advisor reported that, “There have been numerous individuals that have gone into ag fields. Two have went to farming, one ag retail and one agronomy.”

The winning team from the 2024 growing season was the Arlington FFA Chapter from Washington County consisting of Haydn Hegemann, Brock Lauristen, Luke Sharp, Wes Monke, Aaron Fuchs, & Ethan Hilgenkamp with Kali Agler as the team sponsor. The team decided to look at TerraMar, intended for foliar use in row crops which is intended to deliver increased nutrient uptake and enhanced stress mitigation, optimizing plant health and contributing to enhanced yield.

They planted the plot with two populations of 25K plants/acre and 30K plants/acre. On their challenge plots, they tested an application of TerraMar and a foliar fertilizer applied at the V6 growth stage and a drone application of TerraMar at the VT growth stage. Yields were the following:

  • Check Plots with 25K plants/acre yielded 178 bu/ac and 188 bu/acre at 30k plants/acre.
  • Challenge plot with 25K plants/acre with foliar fertilizer and TerraMar at V6 yielded 188 bu/acre.
  • Challenge plot with 30K plants/acre with foliar fertilizer and TerraMar at V6 yielded 199 bu/acre.
  • Challenge plot with 25K plants/acre with a V6 foliar fertilizer and TerraMar application and VT application of TerraMar yielded 188 bu/acre.
  • Challenge plot with 30K plants/acre with a V6 foliar fertilizer and TerraMar application and VT application of TerraMar yielded 203 bu/acre.

Considering all factors, the V6 application was the most efficient due in large part to the fact that application using a ground rig is less expensive than requiring a drone post-spray application. The team concluded that TerraMar did contribute to the plant health of the corn crop, reduce stress via lower canopy temperatures, and overall increased yields at both medium and higher planting rates, but due to the increased cost, not economically feasible at this time.

The Ag Literacy Award and Extra Mile Award was also presented to the Arlington FFA Chapter. This program is for youth aged to 8-18 as of January 1st in 2024. Prizes for participation in this project include 1st place – $1,000, 2nd place – $500, 3rd place -$250, “Extra Mile” Award $250, Ag Literacy Award $250 and $50 for completion of the project.  

In 2025, there is a NEW opportunity to increase involvement for youth with this program!  There will be two pathways for youth to select. The first pathway will be the traditional, “innovative” pathway in which participants choose their own treatments and manage their plots on their own.  The second pathway will be the business/industry pathway; this will include youth working with an industry representative to create a treatment and assist in the implementation of the plot protocol. This new and exciting twist to the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge program enables youth who might not otherwise have physical access to cropland or industry connections. When youth sign-up, they will select which pathway they intend to take.

For more information about this program and to register in 2025, go to https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge. Registration is due April 1st.

Contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu or (402) 759-3712 for details about this program. This program is possible due to the generous support of the Nebraska Corn Board.

Crops, Programming

Crop Insurance, FarmBill & Weather!

The Farmers & Ranchers College continues to offer high-quality programming to area producers and agribusiness professionals for the 2024-25 season. The college started with its traditional program featuring Dr. David Kohl, which drew nearly 140 attendees! The Cow/Calf College also provided an in-depth, hands-on program with strong learner engagement. The final program of the season is coming up soon.

On February 21, 2025, the Farmers & Ranchers College will conclude with a comprehensive session covering crop revenue management and a 2025 weather outlook. Two nationally recognized experts will lead this program, which will be held at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds in Geneva, NE. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program starting promptly at 8:45 a.m. with Steve Johnson.

Steve Johnson served as the Farm Management Specialist in Central Iowa for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for 21 years, retiring in early 2021. He now consults with private industry, farm organizations, commodity groups, ag media, and other agriculture-related clients, focusing on crop marketing, government farm programs, crop insurance, and crop risk management strategies. Steve has presented at winter meetings, workshops, seminars, webinars, and conferences across the Corn Belt, delivering his “Managing Crop Revenue & Market Price Risk” program. His session will address both 2024 and 2025 crop supply/demand, crop price outlooks, and strategies to manage crop insurance decisions and create a written marketing plan to capture higher futures prices.

Steve’s topics will include:

  • Latest USDA reports, highlighting 2024 & 2025 crop supply/demand and cash price projections
  • Pre-harvest marketing strategies and seasonal futures price trends
  • Projections for 2024 net farm income, plus crop costs and returns for 2024 & 2025
  • Five strategies for managing tight margins
  • How to develop crop marketing plans with price and time targets for 2024 & 2025 crops
  • Crop risk management resources and websites

Dr. Eric Snodgrass will also provide a weather update and how it relates to your operation. Weather risk is an inherent challenge in agriculture, and successful crop planning relies on accurate forecasting and analysis. We often base our operations on weather averages and recent experiences, but each year brings new challenges. In his session, Eric will discuss how to use the wealth of available weather data to stay ahead of disruptive weather events. He will cover the limits of predictability, resources for monitoring long-range forecasts, lessons learned from the previous growing season, and the risk of severe storms, particularly high winds, hail, and tornadoes. He’ll also discuss the impact of major seasonal drivers like El Niño and La Niña, as well as the outlook for the next growing season in South America, which directly competes with our crops.

Eric Snodgrass is a Principal Atmospheric Scientist for Conduit, where he develops predictive and analytical software solutions to manage weather risk in global agriculture. He provides frequent weather updates on how high-impact weather events affect global agricultural productivity. His research, which uses machine learning to assess field-level weather impacts on yields, helps improve long-range weather predictions. Eric is a sought-after speaker, presenting at over 100 conferences annually to farmers, commodity traders, and other stakeholders.

Pre-registration is not required, but it is appreciated. To register, please call the Fillmore County Extension Office at 402-759-3712 or go online at: go.unl.edu/frcollege.

Uncategorized

What is NE Extension?

As I approach my twentieth year in Extension later this year, there is one question that many people commonly ask, “What exactly is Extension and what do you do?” While I have a quick answer to that question, there is so much more I’d like to tell them about the great work my colleagues do across the state. Nebraska Extension brings the University of Nebraska’s expertise and research in 8 key impact areas directly to Nebraskans from all walks of life in the state’s 93 counties. Nebraskans turn to Nebraska Extension to strengthen their families, inspire their communities, empower young people, conserve and protect natural resources, and advance their farms, ranches, and businesses.

Every county in Nebraska is served by talented and dedicated Extension faculty and staff. Each county has an educator focused on one of the 8 key areas with accountability to other counties in their specific discipline. This ensures that every county has access to a subject matter expert to provide clients the best answer to any question that might arise, and each county is provided relevant programming in that topical area.

 Annually, Extension faculty complete a yearly report capturing the most important, impactful work completed during that year. As a youth development educator, the statewide goals I aim to accomplish are as follows: “Youth will be prepared to make decisions for today and the future, thrive in their careers, and become competent & connected members of their communities.” In the next two columns, I will share some excerpts from my report to explain some programming you may or may not be aware.

In 2024, I spearheaded state programming that engaged 795 youth in STEM education with a focus on crop science through the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge (IYCC), Youth Crop Scouting Competition (YCSC), and Special Agronomy Project. These efforts generated nearly $13,000 in revenue. I directly taught or facilitated programming for 2,250 youth, contributing 4,518 teaching hours. Through collaboration with Clay and Fillmore County staff, we successfully reached 82% of youth in Clay County and 66% in Fillmore County.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6% growth in agronomy jobs, with 2,100 new positions expected by 2032. Girdziute et al. (2002) found that youth are often reluctant to pursue agricultural careers due to factors like gender, location, and the belief that agriculture lacks opportunities for personal fulfillment. This emphasizes the need for the ag industry to actively engage youth in the workforce.

A 13-year partnership with the NE Corn Board in the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge (IYCC),a youth on-farm research project has successfully engaged youth in agricultural, science-based learning. A long-term program evaluation shows that over 100 IYCC alumni have pursued agricultural or STEM careers, with nearly 300 youth participating. In the last growing season, 5 teams (43 youth) harvested corn plots, and 2 teams (18 youth) took part in a drone field day, using Tello EDU drones for crop scouting and agricultural literacy projects. Two FFA Chapters created impactful videos of their projects, which were featured in CropWatch, Nebraska Corn Board publications, Nebraska Farmer magazine, and social media. The Arlington FFA video alone has nearly 1,000 views and 6 shares. During the last growing season, 6 participants reported a combined total of 288 hours working on their corn challenge plots. With 43 youth participating, and assuming each spent an average of 48 hours, the total time invested by youth could reach up to 2,064 hours.

  • 100% of current IYCC participants (n=12) enhanced their ability to 1) accurately identify pests, 2) understand crop scouting procedures, 3) set-up research plots, 4) determine profitability of practices and 5) evaluate new products/practices in the field.
  • I enjoyed having a project last for a long duration and seeing the end results.” -Current Participant
  • “There have been numerous individuals that have gone into ag fields. Two have went to farming, one ag retail and one agronomy.” – Former Innovative Youth Corn Challenge advisor

Next week, I’ll share more of how I strive to accomplish this and other goals.

Livestock, Programming

Cow/Calf College

Cow/Calf College Features Livestock Risk Management Workshop

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability and Nebraska Extension will host a risk management workshop in Clay Center to update livestock producers on the latest insurance options and risk management planning strategies. It will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Jan. 21, at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, 844 Road 313.  

The workshop is sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Cow-Calf College program. Sign-in begins at 10 a.m. In the event of inclement weather, the workshop will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the same location.  

Attendees will learn strategies designed to reduce risk exposure to achieve a profitable outcome in uncertain times. Current issues facing the cattle industry will be discussed to help producers to make more informed decisions. The goal of this program is to provide producers with the tools and resources needed to navigate the volatile livestock market and better manage risk through the creation of a risk management plan. 

Topics will include managing drought risk with USDA’s Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Insurance and managing price risk with USDA’s Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). PRF is an annual sign-up due on Dec. 1. LRP can be purchased most business days. The Weaned Calf Risk Protection Program, new this year, will also be discussed.  

The workshop is free, and snacks will be provided. Registration is required by Jan. 15 by calling Nebraska Extension in Fillmore County at 402-759-3712.  

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2023-70027-40444. 

Programming

Nebraska Extension Succession Planning Series for Women In Agriculture

A multi-state extension workshop series for women in agriculture will offer strategies to evaluate and improve farm estate and transition plans. Leaving a Lasting Legacy for Midwestern Farm Women: A Succession Planning Series, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Central time on Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, and Feb. 11 at sites across Kansas, Nebraska, and Indiana. The series is being produced through a collaborative effort by extension programs at Kansas State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Purdue University.

Topics covered will include motivation for succession planning, communicating with family, the financial aspects of estate and transition plans, and the legal aspects of putting a plan in place. A keynote speaker will be simulcast to every workshop location during each meeting, with time for questions and a hands-on activity for participants. A meal will be provided on each date.

“Planning for what happens to your things when you’re gone can be daunting, but it’s so important, especially in agriculture, so that the transition to the next generation goes smoothly,” said Jessica Groskopf, director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program. “This series will help women learn best practices and new strategies to help the transition and estate planning processes so they can take that back to their farm or ranch and help lead the way in creating or reevaluating their plans.”

Groskopf said the program’s structure is intended to strengthen networks of women 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 mitigating the isolation that so many of us in agriculture often feel.”

Locally, the Fillmore County Extension office located at 1340 G Street in Geneva, NE will be one of the hosting sites. The registration fee for in-person attendance is $60 before Jan. 13 and increases to $75 on or after Jan. 13. A virtual option is available for $75. Participants are encouraged to attend all four sessions. More information and registration is available on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website, https://wia.unl.edu/succession25.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number2023-70027-40444.

Crops, Programming

Farmers & Ranchers College 

The Farmers & Ranchers College continues to provide high-quality programming to area producers and agribusiness professionals with 2024-25 programming. Farmers & Ranchers College will kick off with its traditional program featuring Dr. David Kohl. The committee will continue the annual Cow/Calf College in January and end with a crop insurance and weather program in February.

This year Farmers & Ranchers College will kick off December 3rd featuring Dr. David Kohl Registration will start at 12:45 p.m. and the program will start at 1:00 p.m. at the Opera House in Bruning, NE. The program is titled, “Economic Realities in the Agricultural Industry: The Pulse.”  What economic realities can we expect to see in the global and domestic agricultural industry?  Dr. Kohl keeps a pulse on trends and factors to be mindful of during the economic downturn. Some of these topics are land and machinery values, interest rates, concentration of agriculture, importance of cash flows, non-financial factors and much more.  

On the road ahead, the good doctor will draw upon his decades of experience as an educator and businessperson to present common financial and business practices that will proactively position your business regardless of the economic cycle.  Don’t miss this high energy session in preparation for 2025! 

Many to the area are very familiar with Dr. Kohl, but if you are not, here are some details about him. Dr. Dave Kohl is an academic Hall of Famer in the College of Agriculture at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.  Dr. Kohl has keen insight into the agriculture industry gained through extensive travel, research, and involvement in ag businesses.  He has traveled nearly 10 million miles; conducted more than 6,500 presentations; and published more than 2,250 articles in his career. Dr. Kohl’s wisdom and engagement with all levels of the industry provide a unique perspective into future trends.

In 2025, the Partners in Progress –Beef Seminar (Cow/Calf College) will be at U.S. Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center on January 21st. More details will follow as the date nears. Finally, in February, Farmers & Ranchers College will host a crop insurance and weather update.

Questions on the Farmers & Ranchers College can be directed to the Fillmore County Extension Office at (402) 759-3712. To participate and register, go to the website: go.unl.edu/frcollege.