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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.

Some producers are concerned with the condition of their winter wheat fields this spring. At the time of seeding last fall, some areas were dry and under no-till conditions it was difficult if not impossible to seed at the recommended seeding depth.

In the event a key farm operator is unable to operate the farm, Nebraska Extension has developed a Crop Operations Plan to help guide someone new to the operation to adequately and successfully operate the farm for the next couple months.

The truth is for many farmers and ranchers the physical act of social distancing may not be as big of a challenge as it is for our urban counterparts. Yes, it may be easier to stay six feet from the nearest person but that doesn’t mean that farmers and ranchers aren’t having to cope with uncertainty.

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 by providing $376 billion in relief for American workers and small businesses.

Planting soybean early is critical to maximizing yield. This has been found through numerous University and on-farm research studies in Nebraska and surrounding states. Planting is anticipated to begin for many growers in Nebraska the next few weeks. Based on formal research reports showing increased yields, we have recommended early soybean planting beginning mid- to late- April.

New for the 2020 growing season, Nebraska Extension presents “Streaming On-Farm Research,” a series of short live webinars for farmers and ag professionals. These events will occur weekly, on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Sessions will be 30 minutes, featuring 15 minutes of presentation, and 15 minutes of Q&A.

Winter wheat development is on schedule across Nebraska. This is a good thing since some level of freeze damage occurs almost every year after the wheat breaks dormancy.

Figure 1. Corn and soybean strip plots at South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) near Clay Center, Nebraska, 2019. Photo by Osler Ortez. Soybean and corn are the most commonly rotated crops in the Midwest, United States. Rotation benefits are well documented for both crops.

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.

Most children have a “Why” stage where they ask why to literally everything a person says. Sound familiar? Despite how frustrating that can be at times, answering those “whys” is really beneficial to the child’s curiosity. Do you know what is also really beneficial to the child? Asking THEM questions! Tables have turned and now it’s their turn to think hard for the answers.

However, we’re not completely off the hook because we have to put a little thought into our questions. To really expand our children’s thinking, we have to ask more high-level questions. A high-level question is never a yes-or-no question (“Do you have siblings?”). It isn’t a question that only has one answer (“How old are you?”). Nor is it a question that has an obvious answer (“How many wheels does that bicycle have?”). Answers to these kinds of questions can show the child understands language, pays attention, and can count or identify colors, numbers, and shapes, but the questions don’t push the child to think deeply. High-level questions are always ones that will foster unique answers from each child. If the question is effective, the child is usually excited to give you a very detailed explanation. Now, you don’t necessarily have to ask a question to encourage thinking because statements such as “Tell me about…” or “I wonder…” get the job done as well. Now that you know what a high-level question is, it is time to start trying them out.

So the next time you see a child playing in the mud and pretending sticks are something else, rather than asking “Are you using that stick as a utensil?”, say something like “Tell me about what you are making.” Try it out and see what kind of interesting conversations come out of it!

Source: Big Questions for Young Minds by Janis Strasser and Lisa Mufson Bresson

LA DONNA WERTH, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | THE LEARNING CHILD

Peer Reviewed by Leanne Manning, Extension Educator, The Learning Child, Lisa Poppe, Extension Educator, The Learning Child, and Lynn DeVries, Extension Educator, The Learning Child

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

Join Nebraska 4-H each Tuesday at 11:00 AM CT/10:00 AM MT as we go on-site to learn more about science, agriculture, technology, and more! Virtual Field Trips offer facility tours, educational experiences, and additional resources for teachers. Virtual Field Trips are perfect for youth in 9th-12th grades. Each session will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate.

Register now!

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

While Mother Nature decided to give us a taste of spring last weekend then pull it right back, the reminder that pasture green up is just around the corner shouldn’t be ignored. One of the earliest species we see greening up is cheatgrass (also called Downy brome, Bromus tectorum). This invasive species is found throughout Nebraska but is most prevalent on rangelands in the western portion of the state. Early spring is a good time to begin planning for cheatgrass management.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

The Domino Effect

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