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Practice Tick Safety to Avoid Getting an Allergy to Red Meat

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 13:53
Monday, May 1, 2023

Spring is an appropriate time for tick education. Ticks may be active all year long if temperatures outside are above freezing, but May and June are the months when people pick up the most ticks. There are three tick species established in Nebraska that carry and spread diseases to humans and animals, including the lone star tick. Lone star ticks are widely distributed across the East, South and Central United States, extending across the southeastern portion of Nebraska (see figures at the end of the article).

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Opciones Para La Sincronización Del Estro en Esta Temporada De Cría

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 12:25
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 Una temporada de reproducción exitosa requiere planificación. La sincronización del estro es una herramienta que puede beneficiar a los productores de ganado si se usa correctamente.Spanish: Spanish

Nebraska – the Beef State

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 11:52
Monday, May 1, 2023

Each May we celebrate National Beef Month. One of the great things to enjoy in the Beef State is the moment in which producers and consumers come together over a juicy steak. As delicious and nutritious beef recipes are shared in local newspapers and across social media, it is a great reminder that the beef industry has a large impact on Nebraskans far and wide.

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USDA Farm Service Agency Offers Disaster Assistance to Nebraska Farmers, Livestock Producers Impacted by Drought

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 10:40
The counties highlighted in blue are now eligible to apply for 2023 LFP benefits on small grains, native pasture, improved pasture or forage sorghum due to severe drought status. Producers have until Dec. 1, 2023, to apply for FSA drought assistance loans for grazing losses on small grains, native pasture, improved pasture or forage sorghum.

Packing Small Grain Silage When It Is Too Wet Can Be a Costly Mistake

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 10:35
Monday, May 1, 2023

Small grains are an excellent choice as a double-cropped forage for a spring silage crop. However, making good quality small grain silage takes careful moisture management.

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Free Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for May

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 10:20
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 May or call to arrange a virtual/phone appointment.

Nebraska Hemp Acreage in 2022

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 10:09
Historical industrial hemp reports for Nebraska are available at USDA. Industrial hemp acreage in Nebraska was up 15% in 2022, according to USDA NASS.

PREEC Battles Growing Palmer Amaranth Problem

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 09:59
Palmer amaranth interference in a dry edible bean field. As sugarbeets and dry beans are highly susceptible to yield loss from Palmer amaranth, UNL researchers in the Panhandle are conducting 16 field trials this year to test six new herbicides and various management strategies to help western producers control the problematic weed.

Horn flies and Control Options

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Wed, 04/26/2023 - 09:51
Monday, May 1, 2023

Nebraska’s spring weather conditions have made it more difficult to predict the emergence of horn flies. If the current weather pattern continues, we should start to see horn fly emergence in the southeast part of the state in early May, reaching northern Nebraska by late May. If we experience an abrupt and sustained warm-up, horn fly numbers could reach or exceed the Economic Injury Level (EIL) statewide by the end of May. The EIL represents a fly population of 200 flies per animal that negatively impacts cattle production enough to warrant paying for a fly control measure.

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Garlic for Horn fly Control

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Tue, 04/25/2023 - 16:28
Monday, May 1, 2023

Many livestock producers have shown a strong interest in using garlic to reduce horn flies on pastured cattle. Garlic is commercially available in a pre-mix mineral or can be purchased and mixed by the producer in mineral or salt, normally at a concentration of 2% garlic.

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Insecticide Impregnated Ear Tags Available for 2023

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Tue, 04/25/2023 - 15:40
Monday, May 1, 2023

Insecticide-impregnated ear tags were first introduced in the late 1970s and have been used to reduce face fly and horn fly populations. Active ingredients in insecticide ear tags kill flies by direct contact. Small amounts of insecticide are released from the ear tag into the oils present on animal’s hair. The face, neck, topline and flanks receive the most product through natural grooming behavior. Interaction between cattle enhances the transfer of product between animals.

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Pasture Fly Resistance

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Tue, 04/25/2023 - 14:53
Monday, May 1, 2023

Regardless of your choice of livestock fly control product and application method, plan for resistance. For example, many horn fly populations in Nebraska exhibit a level of resistance to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides.

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Keeping Stress in Check – Strategies and Tools that May Help

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Tue, 04/25/2023 - 14:11
Monday, May 1, 2023

The weather impacts producers right and left. A storm can come up suddenly and be short-term, whereas a drought can build and persist long-term. Stress can be similar in nature. We can have acute, stressful moments when we get into town too late to pick up that important part to fix equipment before chores the next day.  Stress can become chronic when one bad thing happens after the other. Many have experienced the effects of drought, first with not enough rain for pasture and forage production leaving us short and having to spend extra money to find additional hay or forage.

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Sizing and Siting a Shade Structure

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Fri, 04/21/2023 - 16:25
Monday, May 1, 2023

With winter reluctantly fading in the rear-view mirror, those hot days of late spring and summer are not very far off for cattle operations here in the Central Plains.  It’s certainly not too soon to take another look at the role that shade can play in limiting heat stress in cattle.  Consider the recently published findings of two studies overseen by Dr. Terry Mader (now retired UNL feedlot environment extension specialist).

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Zoonotic Disease Risks during Calving Season

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Fri, 04/21/2023 - 15:57
Monday, May 1, 2023

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), zoonotic diseases are pathogens that can be spread from animals to humans, leading to illness.  The CDC reported 59 zoonotic outbreaks in 2017, causing over 1500 illnesses and three reported deaths.  There are several different germs that have the potential to be zoonotic, with some more prevalent than others.  The disease lists can be categorized in different ways, such as route of transmission, type of pathogen, or production season.  While it is important to familiarize yourself with all potential areas

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USDA Announces Grassland Conservation Reserve Program Signup for 2023

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Fri, 04/21/2023 - 10:28
Farmers and ranchers have until May 26 to sign up for the Grassland CRP through their local USDA Service Center.

Farm Transition: Beginning Conversations About Finances

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Fri, 04/21/2023 - 09:59
Nebraska Extension Educator Jessica Groskopf outlines what types of conversations should be had around finances during the transition process in this Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar. One of the hardest things to do is talk about finances — Nebraska Extension Educator and Economist Jessica Groskopf helps farm owners and heir generations begin the discussion to plan a successful transition in this new webinar.

Vegetable Biryani

Latest Updates from food.unl.edu - Fri, 04/21/2023 - 09:49

Biryani is a mixed rice dish that is popular in many parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It is a flavorful dish made with basmati rice, spices, nuts, and a variety of meats or vegetables.

Source:

This recipe was created in collaboration with Community Crops and Yazidi Project. 

Nutrition Software Used: ESHA Food ProcessorNotes: 

*Baharat is a widely used spice blend in Middle Eastern cuisine. It includes black pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, paprika, and cloves. Make your own blend by following this recipe.

Newsletter/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:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil (divided)
  • 1 cup carrots, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup baking potatoes, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, peeled and diced (about 2 small potatoes)
  • ½ cup peanuts, unsalted
  • ½ cup chopped almonds
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 1 cup basmati rice, uncooked
  • 1 cup vermicelli noodles, uncooked
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 2 Tablespoons Baharat spices*
  • 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered (optional)

Directions:

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and potatoes and sauté for 10 min, or until soft. Move sautéed vegetables into a large bowl.
  3. Return the skillet to medium heat and toast the peanuts, almonds, and raisins for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent them from burning. Remove from skillet and add to the large bowl with sautéed vegetables.
  4. Return the skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add rice and vermicelli noodles and sauté for 5 minutes, or until toasted and lightly brown.
  5. Add the vegetable and nut mixture, raisins, peas, Baharat spices, and salt (if desired) to the rice mixture and mix to combine. Add water and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook covered for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
  6. Serve with quartered hard-boiled eggs, if desired.
  7. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Category:  Main Dishes Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: 1 cupCalories: 320Total Fat: 12Saturated Fat: 1.5Potassium: 6Total Sugars: 9Iron: 10Vitamin D: 0Calcium: 4Protein: 9Fiber: 5Added Sugars: 0Total Carbohydrates: 46Sodium: 30Cholesterol: 0Photo by Marusa Jonas