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Figure 1. Field peas are now being tested in Nebraska as a winter crop at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center.

Join us for a field day on October 25th at the Howard County Fairgrounds and discover how cedar mulch can be combined with manure to improve soil health.

Nebraska corn stocks in all positions on September 1, 2021 totaled 163 million bushels, down 28% from 2020, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Of the total, 47.5 million bushels are stored on farms, down 45% from a year ago. Off-farm stocks, at 116 million bushels, are down 17% from last year.

Commercial fertilizer and manure work together well, but only if you know how many nutrients you’re putting out in manure so that you can cut back some on commercial fertilizers and save that expense.

United Soybean Board When to send out the combine represents a critical decision every producer across the nation faces. At first glance, there seems to be a simple answer: “whenever the grain dries down enough, of course.” However, producers know the decision comes down to much more than just moisture.

Image Source: Canva

Being active after pregnancy provides many benefits for new mothers. One important consideration for women who have recently given birth is taking proper care of the core. As the baby grows during pregnancy, abdominal muscles stretch, the tissue connecting the muscles on either side of the abdomen thins and stretches, and the back muscles become shorter. After giving birth, these changes do not immediately return to their pre-pregnancy state so caring for the core muscles is important in avoiding injury.

Note: Some post-partum women may experience separation of the abdominal muscles, called diastasis recti. This condition should be diagnosed by a medical professional. Women with diastasis recti should consult with their doctor or physical therapist about the best movement program for them. All women should check with their doctor before beginning an exercise or movement plan.

A common tendency of women seeking to strengthen and condition their muscles after pregnancy is to do crunches or sit-ups. Crunches and sit-ups primarily work one type of abdominal muscle near the surface of the torso and may even create too much pressure in the abdomen. A better strategy is to begin with smaller movements that strengthen all abdominal muscles as well as the pelvic floor.

Certified fitness instructor and personal trainer Nicole Nichols shares a series of progressive exercises in a blog for the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The series allows time for the body to strengthen before moving to the next exercise.

However, caring for the core after pregnancy goes beyond exercise routines. Being conscious of movement and posture throughout the day will contribute to a stronger, more stable center while preventing injury. Continuing with movements like those used when you were pregnant will help your body transition.

• When picking baby up from the floor, kneel or squat down and hold baby close to the center of your body. Use your knees to lower and lift your body, keeping your back straight.

• When putting baby into the tub or car, bend your knees, keep your back straight, and stand or kneel close to the edge of the tub or the car.

• When working at a counter, sink, ironing board, etc., stand near the edge with your back straight and knees bent. Bend at the hips, rather than the spine, when reaching and moving.

• To vacuum, shift your weight from one foot to another, lunging out over the forward foot. Bend at the hips when reaching or moving to the side.

• To get up from a resting position on your back, turn to your side, then push yourself up to a sitting position.

The most important thing to keep in mind when being active after pregnancy is to allow your core the time it needs to regain strength. The abdominal muscles were continually stretched for nine months so taking several months to gradually build up to your pre-pregnancy style of movement is just fine!

References

Nichols, N. National Academy of Sports Medicine. “Progressive Exercises for Post-Pregnancy.”

https://blog.nasm.org/progressive-exercises-for-post-pregnancy

Pre-natal Exercise and Back Care Handbook. (2011). University of California San Francisco.

Click to access SDOBG0235.pdf

ERIN KAMPBELL, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | THE LEARNING CHILD

Peer Reviewed by Kara Kohel, Lisa Poppe, and Lynn DeVries Extension Educators, The Learning Child

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

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Corn condition is rated 70% good to excellent and 71% mature with 13% harvested. Soybean condition is rated 71% good to excellent and 87% dropping leaves with 17% harvested which is near the average. Winter wheat planting and emergence is running near averages, while sorghum maturity and harvest are running slightly above average.

Friday, October 1, 2021

There are times feed in the local area is scarce or expensive. This may happen during a time of drought or other natural or manmade disaster. With the help of UNL’s Feed Cost Cow-Q-Later it’s easy to make some comparisons among methods of feeding cows and with some additional information estimate comparison costs among feed sources, including transporting cows. With the current drought conditions in many parts of the Western US, we felt it was worth the effort to develop the tool and provide some commentary on what we found about those costs.

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Friday, October 1, 2021

With dry conditions in much of the western half of the United States, reports of livestock producers looking for fall and winter forage are accumulating. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crop Residue Exchange (http://cropresidueexchange.unl.edu) is a free online tool designed to link cattle producers to other producers with available grazing resources.

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Friday, October 1, 2021 Watch the Sept. 2, 2021 webinar, "Considerations When Developing Winter Cow Care Agreements," for a more in-depth look at creating good agreements for all parties.
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Friday, October 1, 2021

For many ranch operations multiple enterprises are a part of the overall business.  In addition to the cow-calf enterprise, land is owned, replacement heifers are developed, hay is harvested, and often, yearlings are wintered and grazed through the summer before being sold. Breaking the whole ranch into enterprises and identifying where value is being created and costs are occurring can show where opportunities exist to change and improve the profitability of the ranch business.

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Friday, October 1, 2021

Cornstalk residue is a tremendous resource for fall and winter grazing; however, this year care needs to be taken in grazing drought stressed cornstalks due to the potential of high nitrates in the feed.

Cattle prefer and will select the grain as well as leaves and husk first which tend to be lower in nitrates. Because drought stressed corn is smaller and stunted, it is more likely that cattle will eat lower into the stalk where nitrate levels may be high. Nitrates are usually more concentrated in the bottom third of the stalk in the corn plant.

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