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Image by Carolina Córdova Following eight successful events that stand to impact nearly 13 million acres of U.S. farmland, preparations are underway by the UNL Soil Health Team to deliver another year of sustainable ag research and innovation insights.

Registration is open for the 2024 Local Food and Healthy Farms Conference, which takes place Jan. 25-27 at the River’s Edge Conference Center in Columbus, Neb.

For over 40 years, the Nebraska Sustainable Ag Society’s (NSAS) annual conference has been a mainstay event for farmers to connect and share knowledge. For the third year, the conference is a collaborative partnership with University of Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Specialty Crop Growers to provide the most dynamic and comprehensive farming and local food systems conference in the state.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

This checklist is not comprehensive, but is a place to start for preparing for winter weather in a cattle yard. 

Click here for a printable .pdf checklist. 

Facilities

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Thursday, December 21, 2023 The interdisciplinary Center for Agricultural Profitability is based in the Department of Agricultural Economics. It facilitates faculty research, conducts extension outreach related to agricultural profitability and farm and ranch management and trains undergraduate and graduate students — all to support informed decision-making in agriculture. Spanish: 

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Livestock production has long been a cornerstone of American agriculture. That is certainly true in Nebraska, which is known as the beef state. During the Global Climate Summit earlier this month, world leaders recommended reducing worldwide meat consumption in order to help mitigate agriculture’s environmental impacts. But the research paints a more complicated story. Greg Ibach, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins RFD-TV to discuss. 

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

A Husker research team has received $5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research more sustainable dairy and beef production.

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Nebraska Extension is hosting hands-on Calving Workshops at Sidney and Curtis, Nebraska in January featuring Becky Funk, DVM and Extension Specialist, and Lindsay Waechter-Mead, DVM and Extension Educator. Topics will include calving equipment and proper use, techniques for managing dystocia, when to call for help, and hands-on demonstration and training using a life-size model cow and calf.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Dr. Mitch Stephenson, associate professor and range management specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln stationed at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center in Scottsbluff received the 2023 Nebraska Range & Conservation Endowment from the Nebraska Cattlemen. The endowment honors professors or instructors who are providing cutting-edge research and/or student instruction in a range management and conservation-related areas.

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USDA map for hardiness zones in Nebraska. The new hardiness zone map for Nebraska has shifted the southern-most regions into a new zone — a refinement to the map due to a nearly doubled amount of available weather station data for the region.

For every degree of cold stress a cow faces, they increase their energy requirements by 1%. It's important to provide shelter and adjust feed to help cattle meet these energy requirements and avoid body condition loss. Extension educators provide recommendations on preventing body condition loss in cattle during low temperatures and ways to safely feed heat-damaged hay and silage.

Historical results for the national USDA NASS pollination survey are available at USDA. The survey was sent to 15,500 operations nationally and collected information on acres pollinated, colonies used, and dollars spent for a variety of different crops.

Historical potato production reports for Nebraska are available at USDA. Russet potato production in Nebraska is up 29% from last year, according to USDA NASS's latest report.

Historical small grains data for Nebraska is available at USDA. County-level estimates for 2023 small grain acreage, yield and production are now available on the Quick Stats online database.

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. Nebraskans can attend one of the three dates scheduled for free, in-person farm and ag law clinics in January 2024, or call to arrange a virtual/phone appointment.

This chart demonstrates the setbacks for applying manure in Nebraska. Producers applying manure during the winter should target level ground, well away from ditches or water bodies. (UNL Water image) Manure application during winter can be a difficult management decision. Consider these points when making winter manure application decisions about where, when and how to apply manure.

To help prevent farm foreclosures, USDA will cover approximately $80 million in delinquencies for an estimated 210 borrowers whose qualifying guaranteed loans were flagged for liquidation as of Nov. 30, 2023. USDA will also provide approximately $128 million for an estimated 1,120 borrowers with currently outstanding direct Emergency Loans as of Nov. 30, 2023. Borrowers can submit requests in person at their local FSA office or by sending in a direct request via the assistance portals on farmers.gov by Dec. 31, 2023.

Activities like gathering, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distributing locally and regionally produced food, including specialty crops and grains for eating will be considered for the USDA grant funds. Designated for Nebraska food and farm businesses, the funds will support expanded capacity for food crops for activities that happen post-harvest and prior to the arrival at a retail market.

Todd Scholz, vice president of research and members services of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, discusses what’s new in the pulse crop arena. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) USDA recently announced its expanded revenue protection for dry pea production in Nebraska, which is set to begin with the 2024 crop year.