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Making a decision on when to graze winter annuals such rye, winter wheat or triticale in the spring should depend on plant growth — ideally, the best time to graze is when the plants are about five to six inches tall. Extension educators introduce a new webinar series for producers interested in adding an annual forage rotation to their operation, plus insights on grazing spring cereal grains and options for thin alfalfa stands.

Twenty-two adult volunteers, one 4-H member, and a family of volunteers are being recognized with 2024 Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Awards.

The Johnson and Harbin families from Burt County are receiving the Multi-Generation Family of Volunteers Award. Additional family members include:

• Norman and Sally Johnson
• Johnnie and Melinda Johnson
• Jennie and Stewart Harbin
• Will and Stephanie Johnson 
  
  

This award recognizes a family with at least three generations of active 4-H volunteers.

Marissa Staben, 4-H member in Cass County, is receiving the Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award. This award recognizes a 4-H member, ages 14-18, who has made a meaningful impact on their local 4-H community.

Eleven individuals are receiving Emerging Adult Volunteer Awards. These awards recognize current volunteers who have served less than three years in their local 4-H community. One individual is recognized for each Nebraska Extension Engagement Zone. Recipients include:

• Briana Robertson, Box Butte County
• Jacey Andersen, Thomas County
• Blair Caraway, Dawson County
• Tigh Renken, Gosper and Phelps County
• Janelle Nielsen, Dakota County
• Jennifer Wood, Nance County
• Kerry Huntley, Washington County
• Kearah Perreault, Lancaster County
• Makinna Peterson, Thayer County 
• Cailyn Winkelman, Nemaha County 

Eleven individuals are receiving Outstanding Adult Volunteer Awards. These awards recognize current volunteers who have served more than four years in their local 4-H community. One individual is recognized for each Nebraska Extension Engagement Zone. Recipients include:

• Julie Schommer, Dawes County
• Rhonda Cherry, Cherry County
• Amanda Lott, Lincoln County
• Pam Hamilton, Hitchcock County
• Lisa Bousquet, Dakota County
• Jeff Krivohlavek, Seward County 
• Ann Gillentine, Saunders County
• Marsha Prior, Lancaster County
• Tom Person, Jefferson County
• Dana Baltensperger, Nemaha County 

The Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Awards honor individuals who are making meaningful and lasting contributions to their local 4-H communities. 

“4-H Volunteers are truly integral for creating intentional and positive experiences for youth statewide. Their volunteer efforts enable youth to improve decision making skills, build leadership skills and help prepare youth to be ready for future careers. These volunteers generously give their time, energy, and creativity to help develop the next generation of leaders, and we are thrilled to be able to recognize their contributions," said Jill A. Goedeken, Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Extension Educator. 

Recipients will be celebrated during a recognition ceremony at the 2024 Nebraska State Fair.

For more information about the Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Awards, please visit 4h.unl.edu/volunteer-recognition. 

This Nebraska Extension article highlights the impact of factors such as plant genetics and improved production practices to fertilizer consumption in Nebraska over numerous decades.

This webinar series will provide service members, veterans and military spouses with critical USDA Beginning Farming and Ranching Program information that will better position attendees to enter farming or ranching careers.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Corn planted in Nebraska was 2% as of April 14.

Soil Management Extension Educator Katja Koehler-Cole shares important information that may help producers target an optimum termination date.

Next week's forecast includes a risk of severe weather on Monday, followed by cooler temperatures and a possible frost Friday and Saturday across the state.

The heartbeat of rural communities is their leadership. Recognizing this vital aspect of community wellbeing, Rural Prosperity Nebraska invites leaders of rural Nebraska to join in a new series of virtual gatherings aimed at fortifying community leadership development.

Following the success of the Leadership Chautauqua held in Kearney last fall, where over 100 community leaders converged for a day of enlightenment and collaboration, Rural Prosperity Nebraska is forging ahead with the next step in leadership development with three Zoom discussions throughout April.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (from left) talks to UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, UNL Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett, and Mike Boehm, vice chancellor for UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, on March 28. (Photo by Ryan Soderlin, University of Nebraska Omaha) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Nebraska in late March to discuss the future of agriculture with farmers, ag business owners, agricultural industry leaders, and University of Nebraska administrators and students.

Numerous Nebraska businesses have received assistance from USDA's Rural Energy for America Program so far this year to establish clean energy facilities and increase domestic fertilizer production. Learn more about these initiatives below. Three Nebraska businesses are among the award recipients of USDA's renewable energy program, which helps fund projects that will lower energy costs, generate new income and create jobs for the ag industry.

The April 16 Data Users' Meeting will include USDA updates followed by an open forum session with questions and comments. Free to the public with a virtual attendance option, the Data Users' Meeting is held to share recent and pending statistical program changes with the public and to solicit input on these and other programs important to agriculture.

This webinar on pasture lease considerations features discussion by Anastasia Meyer, extension agricultural economist, UNL Center for Agricultural Profitability; and Aaron Berger, livestock systems educator, Nebraska Extension. This Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar reviews lease provisions that producers should have in pasture leases, as well as information about beef cow share agreements.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Calf prices are encouraging cow-calf producers to increase cow inventories to have more calves to sell. Consider the following points when evaluating growing the cowherd.

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Nebraska Extension Educator John Thomas, right, discusses a tractor's engine with a student before the driving exam. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) The annual event will provide the training and testing necessary for Nebraska youth who require certification to perform duties on a farm, including a Hands-on Safety Day, and tractor and equipment safety training.

Extension insights on the year-to-year variability in corn yield response to irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates throughout seven years of the TAPS sprinkler irrigated corn competition.

Coal char is applied to a cattle pen for research. After a snowfall, coal ash-applied pens dried quicker than the control pens, which was beneficial for cattle health. A byproduct of processing sugarbeets, coal char has the potential to optimize soil nutrients and increase crop yields. In this article, UNL researchers share results of a study on incorporating coal char amendments into corn and dry bean cropland.

Though the farm finance and ag law clinics are offered monthly at sites across Nebraska, remote sessions are another option — call the number below to arrange a one-on-one meeting via phone or virtual platform. There are two dates left in April for producers who are interested in receiving free legal and financial services — April 25 in Norfolk and April 26 in Greeley.

Though the startup costs can seem daunting, drones can help producers save time and reduce costs on numerous tasks involved in managing livestock. This week, extension educators weigh in on the pros and cons of drone use for livestock, and considerations for drought-damaged pastures and controlling winter annual weeds in alfalfa.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Oat planting continues to surge ahead of average pace this year, and the winter wheat crop conditions showed slight improvement following recent precipitation.

The new Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool, which provides critical phosphorus and potassium soil test values, will soon include a research-based phosphorus or potassium rate response information to assist farmers in selecting the minimum fertilizer rate expected to produce maximal crop yield.. The new web-based tool represents a significant advancement in soil testing for phosphorus and potassium and nutrient management, and will potentially save farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.