Feed aggregator

First year results in a three-year study to determine cover crop decomposition and nitrogen release throughout the growing season.

Image Source: iStock-841351076

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children: “For preschoolers, field trips as simple as visiting the grocery store down the street or the post office a few blocks away offer interesting learning experiences. Trips such as these help children get to know the people and community in which they live.” Field trips are positively related to many areas of development, including social-emotional skills, by fostering positive relationship-building among students, teachers, and the people hosting the field trip. They also enhance and increase learning that takes place in the classroom and broaden learning to include aspects of a child’s community not encountered in an ordinary day. For children to reap these benefits, educators need to organize the trip to inspire questions, problem-solving, and observation. When these opportunities are provided with activities and discussion before and after the trip, field trips can contribute to children remembering concepts long term. We all know that Nebraska communities have a lot of opportunities to share with our children.

Virtual field trips may seem like a new idea to you and your family.  Covid transformed some of our learning experiences around and gave more opportunities for children to hear from community leaders in a new way. The Learning in the Heartland Project brought four different states together to develop new learning opportunities for children and their families.  If you are a parent looking for a fun thing to do on a rainy day or a preschool teacher with limited funds, Learning in the Heartland is for you!

Bring books to life with virtual field trips and activities. These short, exciting field trips help inspire questions, problem-solving, and observation to help children remember concepts longer. This program provides all caregivers, preschool teachers, and parents with books, virtual tours, art, and physical activities along with music. Children will learn more about community helpers and services and demonstrate an increased familiarity with doctors, police officers, firefighters, veterinarians, and greenhouse managers.

Topics and Books included in the Learning in the Heartland program are:

Fire Drill by Paul Dubois Jacobs and Jenifer Swender / Visiting a Fire Station

Patrolling Police Cars by Tony Mitton / Visiting a Police Station

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert / Visiting a Greenhouse

The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor by Stan and Jan Berenstain / Visiting a Doctor’s Office

Biscuit Visits the Doctor by Gina Bellisario / Visiting a Veterinarian Clinic

You will find:

• Teacher Outlines
• Virtual Field Trips
• Story Book Reading
• Physical Activity
• Hand On Activity
• Music
• Center Activity Ideas
• Family Letter

You can download all of the resources at: https://fitandhealthykids.unl.edu/learning-in-the-heartland

LISA POPPE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by LaDonna Werth, Sarah Roberts, and Lynn DeVries, Early Childhood Extension Educators

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

It's time to begin pest and weed control measures in alfalfa. Plus, tips to capitalize on fast spring growth with flash grazing.

Representatives from USDA FSA, NRCS and Risk Management Agency will present information on disaster assistance programs and resources available for farmers, ranchers and rural landowners.

For producers affected by the recent wildfires in western Nebraska, and drought impacts across the state, there are several organizations that offer assistance, from hay and forage for livestock to help with planting crops.

Ten primary counties and 16 contiguous counties have been designated as natural disaster areas to allow producers access to emergency loans for recovery efforts.

Fifteen delegates and five alternates have been selected to represent Nebraska at the 2022 National 4-H Congress. The delegates, who are receiving partial scholarships to attend National 4-H Congress, include:

• Jacie Wolfinger, Dawson County
• Matthew Bruns, Lincoln County
• Jaelin Wolfinger, Dawson County
• Carter Behnken, Washington County
• Lexi Johnson, Dawson County
• Paige Bunn, Dodge County
• Alexia Dick, Thayer County
• Ashley Abrahams, Dodge County
• Kylie Hansen, Lancaster County
• Madison Enstrom, Burt County
• Addison Luther, Dawson County
• Chelsea Potts, Cedar County
• Elizabeth Blume, Red Willow County
• Clare Bauman, Lancaster County

The alternates, who may attend National 4-H Congress at their own expense, include:

• Madison Hirshman, Howard County
• Adriana Hernandez, Washington County
• Aubree Siffring, Butler County
• Casey Wahlgren, Dawson County
• Jaden Russell, Adams County

National 4-H Congress is the premier leadership event for 4-H members ages 15 to 19. The event brings together youth from across the country and provides educational and cross-cultural experiences. The goal is to inspire youth to take on leadership roles and make meaningful impacts within their communities. The event is held each fall in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about National 4-H Congress, please visit 4h.unl.edu/congress. 

This webinar with Nebraska Extension Agricultural Economist Jessica Groskopf takes a closer look at farm and ranch balance sheets and help you answer questions about the financial health of your business.

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Today’s farms and ranches require decisions to be made throughout periods of elevated risk and uncertainty. Managing operational efficiency, grass banking, and destocking herds are all commonly used to stabilize returns during drought conditions and market extremes.

However, the compounding effects of extreme weather, market volatility, and rising input costs have re-focused attention on management alternatives that offer a broader set of resources to use when developing or implementing grazing management plans.

Spanish: 

To date, the TAPS Crowdsourcing Team has determined a series of pre-plant decisions, including hybrid company, seed variety, population density and pre-plant nitrogen amount, with some interesting results.

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Calving season is wrapping up and transitioning into breeding season. Like any other segment of beef production, breeding protocols require decisions and preparation to ensure we meet the goals of the operation.  

Spanish: 

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Protein is often the first limiting requirement when selecting diets and designing supplementation strategies for cows and growing cattle. Age and stage of production impact how much protein an animal requires. Understanding the different types of protein can help tailor supplements to meet protein requirements economically and effectively.               

Spanish: 

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Some spring calving herds are starting to gear up for the breeding season by utilizing either natural service, artificial insemination (AI), or a combination of both.  According to a recent NAHMS survey, 84.85% of operations utilize natural service only and 10.3% utilizing AI and exposure to bulls. The implementation of estrous synchronization has the potential to shorten your calving window, concentrates labor, allows for more uniform management of cows, and can create a more uniform calf crop.

Spanish: 

USDA/Flickr (Public Domain) Though savings accounts for farm youth are common, Roth IRAs are another great avenue for investing the money they earn through labor on the family farm.

There are five dates scheduled for free, in-person farm and ag law clinics in May. 

Soybean planting has begun in Nebraska, and corn planted was 10% as of April 24.

CropWatch file photo

Chimichurri originated from Argentina and Uruguay and is a popular fresh herb sauce that is most often served with grilled meats, fish, roasted vegetables, or eggs.

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food Processorhttps://food.unl.edu/recipes/documents/spanish/chimichurri-nep-spanish.pdfNotes: 

*White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be substituted.

https://food.unl.edu/recipes/documents/chimichurri-nep_0.pdfNewsletter/Program:  Nutrition Education Program Archive Link: https://food.unl.edu/nutrition-education-program-nepContact Info: Jean Ann FischerTaxonomy Term Description: 

The Nutrition Education Program (NEP) delivers evidence-based nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions through a combination of education strategies coupled with multi-level community changes that occur within the environment to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles.

This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP and Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of firmly packed fresh parsley, gently rubbed under cold running water, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar*
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Finely chop parsley and garlic, or pulse it in a food processor or blender. Place in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Stir in dried oregano, vegetable oil, and vinegar.
4. Add pepper and red pepper flakes, if desired.
5. Serve as a condiment with your favorite grilled or roasted vegetables, meats, or fish.
6. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1/4 of recipeCalories: 90Total Fat: 9Saturated Fat: 1.5Potassium: 2Total Sugars: 0Iron: 6Calcium: 2Fiber: 1Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 1Sodium: 5Cholesterol: 0Photo by Marusa Cernjul