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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Branding is the social event of the spring signaling the end of winter and the long hours of calving, and the beginning of greener pastures ahead. Friends and neighbors come from far and wide to help out and relive the cherished tradition.

As the US continues to limit the spread of COVID-19 by closing offices and promoting social distancing and working from home, agriculture does not stop. The work must go on. Although calves must be branded, not taking precautions can mean the difference between life and death for some loved ones.  

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The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is working to help alleviate the strain many businesses and individuals have under the current circumstances. This article gives information on guidelines announced for partnerships and Schedule C’s.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Many cow-calf producers in Nebraska have become accustomed to using distillers grains as a source of both protein and energy to help meet the nutritional needs of lactating cows from calving until green grass is available. Due to the ongoing distillers shortage, many producers are considering including corn silage in the ration to help alleviate some of the energy shortfall in their hay resources. However, concerns have been expressed that silage in the diet will result in diarrhea or scours in their calves.

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Personal protective equipment (PPE) may be in short supply, regionally or nationally, in the 2020 growing season. What can people in Ag industry do to prepare?

Figure 1. Location by county (shown by red fill) for soybean seeding rate studies through the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network from 1990 to 2019 based on the resultsfinder.unl.edu database. Counties with studies not currently in the database are noted by red lines and have been reported in CropWatch articles. The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network has shown that a seeding rate of 120,000 seeds per acre has performed well across counties, farms, and fields in Nebraska.

This year remember to be safe when handling treated seed and check the seed tag for specific handling and use directions.

Recently, two nutrient management tools produced by Nebraska Extension have been updated and are now available.

Applying a pre-emergence herbicide with multiple sites of action is particularly important in fields where herbicide-resistant weeds are present or suspected.

Friday, May 1, 2020

One of the ways that beef producers can be successful in their business is to identify what their competitive advantage is in relation to their competition.  What is it about your product, skills, reputation, business structure, location or service that sets you apart from others?  What gives you a “leg up” on the competition?

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April freeze nips alfalfa. Extent of damage varies based on numerous factors, but no management actions are recommended.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Heifer CONSULT (Collaborative, Online, Novel, Science-based, User-friendly, Learning, Tool) is designed to help beef cow-calf producers improve the reproductive success of their heifers and young cows.  If a producer is not satisfied with the current reproductive success of replacement heifers and/or first-calf heifers, this CONSULT will help identify problem areas and provide possible solutions. Please work closely with your veterinarian to create the best heifer development program for your herd.

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Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Continuing production in a pandemic situation requires that people in agriculture carefully consider how COVID-19 infections may impact the operations in which they work.Spanish: 

The last month has been a challenging time, to say the least. It feels like it was a hundred years ago that we could high five youth in an afterschool program, get a haircut, or buy toilet paper whenever we wanted. No doubt you have experienced feelings of confusion, grief, disappointment, and loss over the past month. We know that it is the same for the young people that we educate. Indeed, our world as changed.

As a leading youth development organization in the state, Nebraska 4-H Youth Development is offering a series of articles addressing the social-emotional well-being of young people. The articles are designed to help youth development professionals and parents in this challenging time. The series, Supporting Young People Through Change, will include five articles:

• Comfort in a Changing World
• Connecting in Changing Times
• Coping in Changing Times
• Creating Your Plan in Changing Times
• Contributing in a Changing World

Articles will be released weekly throughout April and early May. Visit the link below to access all the available articles, and stay tuned for new releases.

Supporting Young People Through Change

Figure 1. Snowpack on the Snowy Mountain Range that feeds the North Plate River system. The US Bureau of Reclamation monitors snowpack to estimate the amount of water in the North Platte Basin likely to be available this growing season. (Photo by Gary Stone) The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wyoming Area Office has released their forecast for spring snow melt runoff for the North Platte River drainage. The forecast calls for above average snow melt runoff.

Some of you may be wondering, in this rising wheat market “Why not place a long hedge or purchase a call option?”, while also holding unpriced grain either in the field or in the grain bin. These thoughts are often motivated by our beliefs of where commodity markets are headed. Currently, this could be due to market uncertainty stemming from COVID-19.

Monday, April 13, 2020 Una combinación indeseable de eventos de precipitación y ciclos de congelación y descongelación ha contribuido a algunas superficies muy lodosas en corrales de engorda en el invierno y la primavera del 2019 en Nebraska. Estas superficies lodosas contribuyen al bajo rendimiento de los animales, problemas de salud como el gabarro y problemas de olor para los vecinos a medida que las temperaturas aumentan. Este artículo aborda algunas preguntas comunes sobre opciones para el manejo de corrales de engorda lodosos.Spanish: Spanish

Friday, April 10, 2020 Cedar tree encroachment on pasture and rangelands is a tremendous challenge for farmers and ranchers in the state of Nebraska.Spanish: 

The first session is Thursday, April 16, 3 p.m. (central), and features Nathan Kauffman, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, presenting on COVID-19 Economic Developments and U.S. Agriculture.