Feed aggregator

Nebraska Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program training helps keep people, animals, plants and non-targets safe. Statewide training runs January through April.

New, state-of-the-art digital manuals, or FlipBooks, are now available for Nebraska commercial/noncommercial applicators seeking initial certification to use restricted use pesticides (RUPs).

Results from the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Producers variety test show yields ranging from 87.23 to 129.75 bu/ac. Mike Baker, chair of the Nebraska Sorghum Board, conducted the trial and discusses this year's conditions.

Figure 1. Grain sorghum variety trial at the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center near Grant, Nebraska, summer 2019.

Figure 1. Thistle caterpillar feeding will be one topic covered at the Confronting Cropping Challenges meetings. (Photo by Aaron Nygren) Farmers in northeast Nebraska will have an opportunity to learn from cropping issues they may have faced in 2019, make plans for 2020, and renew their private pesticide applicator license at the Confronting Cropping Challenges programs Dec. 16-20.

Photo source, Lynn DeVries

As I sit in the warmth and quiet of my home, I see the posts, advertisements, and the excitement of Black Friday shopping. And it starts, the traveling, special programs, shopping, parties and holiday gatherings.  It can take a toll on us all, especially our young children.

Children are even more sensitive to disruptions in their routines. However fun the activity or event may be, parents may observe more displays of behaviors or moodiness from their children during the holidays. Structured routines help children to feel safe and predict what is happening around them. Children learn how to control themselves and their surroundings when they live in a structured, secure, and loving environment. This feeling of security fosters healthy social and emotional regulation in young children.

Tips for a healthy holiday:

Sleep well

A regular schedule will help children sleep better at night and they are less resistive to transitioning to going to bed. Parents can help by sticking to routines and bedtimes that are as consistent as possible during the holidays. Perhaps reading a bedtime story to children after bath time.

Regular meal times

It is best if children eat at predictable times to avoid those “hangry” moments.  Offer a healthy breakfast and small healthy snacks between meals. Eating at the table instead of in front of the television, will reduce overeating, as children can focus on how hungry or full they feel. I recommend family style meals where caregivers sit with and eat the same foods as children.  When children are ready, allow them to serve themselves. They will be more likely to try new foods if given choices.

Traveling

For those long car or airplane trips, bring along a comfort item like a stuffed animal or a busy bag of books, paper and crayons. Mornings seem to be better for children, consider traveling in the morning, and making stops for meals at regular times. I recommend scheduling extra time on road trips to stop and allow children a break from their car safety seats.

Active times

If children are home from school or childcare over the holidays, remember to keep them active.  Build in time for outdoor activities so children can be physically active. If the weather doesn’t allow outdoor time each day, be sure some indoor time allows for physical activity.  Have an indoor paper snowball fight, or build a fort with blankets. Planning out a specific time each day during winter break for an activity will become part of their routine while children are at home.

Limit Screen time

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states, “Today’s children are spending an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices. To help kids make wise media choices, parents should develop a Family Media Use Plan for everyone in their family.”

I recommend focusing on laps instead of apps. Instead of reaching for a digital “babysitter,” offer more of your time and attention.  What might be seen as attention getting behaviors, could simply be your child’s attempt at wanting more connection with you.

 Photo source, Lynn DeVries

Screen time recommendations:

• For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they’re seeing.
• For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.

Check out this Media time plan and calculator by the American Academy of Pediatrics, to help you set your own family guidelines.

Transition back to school

As the holiday break ends, if you did stray from routines, help your child adjust by gradually getting back on schedule to similar meal, and bedtime schedules that they will have at childcare or school.

In closing, my wish for you is that you have a safe, happy and healthy holiday with your family. Take time to enjoy the little things and laugh together.

LYNN DEVRIES, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | THE LEARNING CHILD

Peer Reviewed by Leanne Manning, , Lisa Poppe, and LaDonna Werth, Extension Educators, The Learning Child

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

  

The new North Central Nebraska Women in Ag program for female agriculture landowners, farmers, ranchers will meet Dec. 16 in Valentine.

The 2020 Crop Production Budgets for Nebraska are now available to aid producers understand and plan for the financial health of their crops operations. There are 80 budgets for 15 crops, available in both PDF and Excel formats.

Finding, hiring, and retaining quality employees are major challenges for Nebraska agricultural businesses. In December Nebraska Extension will host seminars to help ag employers learn practices to help motivate and empower their employees.

Nebraska's corn harvest was 96% complete, near 99% for both last year and the five-year average. Sorghum harvest was 97% done, near 99% for both last year and the average.

Figure 1. Fusarium head blight (Photo by Stephen A. Harrison, Louisiana State University)

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 Grazing crop residues is a great way to reduce winter feed costs. However, producers may run into one major issue with crop land – how does one keep cattle contained especially if the fence is only to be temporary? Spanish: 

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Nebraska Extension will be hosting a risk management workshop for cattle producers on Monday, December 9, 2019 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT at the Tumbleweed Cafe meeting room. Cattle producers will learn strategies designed to reduce risk exposure to achieve a profitable outcome in uncertain times. Topics covered during the workshop include marketing tools available to protect against unfavorable price declines, programs for protecting against weather related forage losses, and current issues facing the cattle industry. 

Spanish: