Preparing for Farm and Ranch Succession: How You Select a Lawyer
Remember: You don’t have to hire the first lawyer you consult. You need to have a lawyer you trust. Consider recommendations from friends, family and other ag professionals in the community to see who they’d recommend, or find recommendations in your area on websites like legalmatch.com or lawyers.com.
Insights on how to prepare for a meeting with an attorney, including questions that can help producers decide who will best represent their family's interests.
Terminating a Verbal Farmland Lease in Nebraska
Regardless of the type of lease — written, verbal, or even multiple year — the landlord should have clear communication with the tenant. You can avoid any miscommunication or pitfalls by sending a termination notice before Sept. 1, even for written leases.
The most common legal issue associated with verbal farm leases is how a lease may legally be terminated. In this article, Nebraska Extension shares recommendations and deadlines for clearly communicating lease changes or termination.
Growing Results: Western Corn Rootworm Control
Nebraska On-Farm Research Network photo
Nebraska farmers are conducting on-farm research to investigate alternative control strategies for controlling western bean rootworm.
Nebraska 2023 Farm Real Estate Value and Cash Rent
Historical farm real estate values for Nebraska are available at USDA. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication)
Nebraska's farm real estate value for 2023 averaged $4,240 per acre, up $490 per acre (up 13%) from last year.
Pasture and Forage Minute: Kernel Processing for Silage, Hay Harvest and Storage Considerations
Uncertain forecasts make harvest decisions difficult for hay producers, but it's important to keep in mind that the more hay is worked, the more leaf shatter occurs and the lower quality we end up with — especially for alfalfa.
Nebraska Extension Educator Ben Beckman reviews methods of kernel processing for quality corn silage and reducing hay loss during storage, as well as considerations for producers encountering adverse weather during hay harvest.
Irrigation Scheduling Application to Conserve Water Resources
UNL researchers are collaborating on the development of a new irrigation scheduling application to optimize the utilization of water resources and predict the accurate amount and time of irrigation water that is required for crops.
Estimated Crop Water Use for Aug. 7-13
The crop water use report is updated weekly. Visit PHREC AgLab for more information.
Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone shares his expectations for crop water use and reservoir levels throughout August.Crop Progress: Nebraska Wheat Harvest at 87% Complete
Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA.
As of Aug. 6, winter wheat harvest in Nebraska was nearly back to average pace, and 3% of corn had entered the dent stage.
2022 Nebraska Farm Production Expenditures Up 16%
The total expenditures per farm or ranch in Nebraska averaged $644,018 in 2022, up 18 from 2021. The livestock expense category was the leading expenditure, at $151,242 per operation, 6.61 times the national average.
Livestock expenses were the largest expense category, which increased 3% from 2021, but feed expenses represented the most dramatic difference, increasing 52% from the prior year.
This Week on N Field: Scouting Western Bean Cutworm
Learn how to identify western bean cutworm eggs and larvae, and how to determine the economic threshold for insecticide applications in the latest N Field Observations.
Nebraska Approves Pass-through Entity Tax Bill
The benefit to forming a pass-though entity is a federal tax deduction for the state tax paid; however, the entity will need to make estimated tax payments (even if it is a farming partnership), starting Jan. 1, 2024, if they decided to make this election. (Center for Ag Profitability photo)
Whether or not the pass-through entity tax bill could benefit you will depend on your profitability level, current structure, the size of your operation, and more. Read this Center for Ag Profitability analysis to make an informed decision about the new tax option.
West Central to Host 19th Annual Water and Crops Field Day
Producers, industry representatives and researchers are invited to attend the field day in North Platte, which will feature the latest technologies and practices in agriculture.
This free field day will feature producer and industry panels on covers crops and USDA's Climate Smart Initiatives, and field tours and demos on irrigation sensing tools, cover crops, western bean cutworm and drones in pesticide application.
Ag Land Management Webinar to Offer the Latest on Cash Rents, Lease arrangements for 2023
Offered since 2019, the Land Management Quarterly webinars address common management issues for Nebraska landowners, ag operators and related stakeholders interested in the latest insight on trends in real estate, managing ag land and solutions for addressing challenges in the upcoming growing season.
The August webinar will cover recent findings from the 2023 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Report, including updates on average cash rental rates and land values and trends in flexible cash lease arrangements.
Pasture and Forage Minute: Corn Silage Harvest and Storage, Rejuvenating Thin Alfalfa
Target silage storage moisture content should be 65%-70% moisture, as drier silage can overheat and spoil, and higher moisture content may cause loss of nutrients.
Extension educators share recommendations on strategies for silage harvest and storage, and ways to improve thinning alfalfa fields without a complete reseeding.
TAPS Corn Fields Battered by Hail for First Time in Competition History
Photos taken July 24 following the storm. Left shows one of the popcorn competition plots and at right is one of the sprinkler corn competition plots. (Photos by Krystle Rhoades)
The TAPS team estimated there was approximately 35%-50% leaf defoliation and consequently, corn yield loss is currently anticipated to be 17%-31%.
Weekly Weather Update: Aug. 3, 2023
In the last week, numerous areas in the eastern half of the state received upwards of five inches of rain, relieving severe drought conditions in several counties — particularly in central Nebraska.
2023 Corn Yield Forecasts as of Aug. 2
There continues to be a high probability of near-average yields for most irrigated sites in the Corn Belt, while expectations for rainfed corn sites are diverse across the region.
Although at Low Levels, Soybean Aphids are in Nebraska
With soybean aphid infestations, preserving natural enemies should always be a goal under an integrated pest management approach, and treating only when pest populations reach economic or treatment thresholds to let them do their work.
Soybean Aphid Scouting and Management
Soybean aphids typically concentrate at the very top of the plant, but they will move onto stems and within the canopy as populations grow and/or the plant reaches mid- to late reproductive stages.
Soybean aphids in Nebraska usually reach the economic threshold and require treatment in late July through August. Treatment during this time is usually enough to keep aphid populations from resurging before they leave fields for the season.
Nebraska Extension Provides Nebraska Corn and Soybean Clinics Aug. 29 at North Platte and Aug. 31 at Mead
Content for the upcoming Corn and Soybean Production Clinics will be tailored to each location, to better represent the diversity of crop production concerns across the state.
See a "growing season" all in one place, with hands-on interaction and field demos that will address corn and soybean production concerns for growers across Nebraska.