NEBRASKA EXTENSION NEWS COLUMN
NEBRASKA EXTENSION EDUCATOR - HOLT/BOYD COUNTIES - LaDonna Werth
NEBRASKA EXTENSION EDUCATOR - HOLT/BOYD COUNTIES - Amy Timmerman
NEBRASKA EXTENSION EDUCATOR - BROWN/ROCK/KEYA PAHA COUNTIES - Hannah Smith
NEBRASKA 4-H ASSISTANT - HOLT/BOYD COUNTIES - Debra Walnofer
FOR WEEK OF: March 3, 2024
March 5: Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families Workshops, 5:30-8:30pm, O'Neill, https://wia.unl.edu/prep
March 6: Commercial/Noncommercial Pesticide Recertification Training, 8:30am, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O’Neill, NE. Register at https://pested.unl.edu/
March 7: Chemigation Training, 9:30am, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O’Neill, NE
March 7: Chemigation Training, 9:30am, Antelope County Courthouse Basement Meeting Room, Neligh, NE
March 7: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O’Neill NE - Pre-Register at 402.336.2760 or emailing atimmerman2@unl.edu
March 7: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Antelope County Courthouse Meeting Room, Neligh, NE
March 7: Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families Workshops, 5:30-8:30pm, O'Neill, https://wia.unl.edu/prep
March 12: Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families Workshops, 5:30-8:30pm, O'Neill, https://wia.unl.edu/prep
March 12: Face-to-Face YQCA Training, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Boyd County High School, Spencer, NE; Register: https://yqcaprogram.org/login/index.php
March 14: Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families Workshops, 5:30-8:30pm, O'Neill, https://wia.unl.edu/prep
March 14: Private Pesticide Training, 12:30pm, Internal Design, Springview, NE - Pre-Register at 402.336.2760 or emailing atimmerman2@unl.edu
March 15: DUE: Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Registration, https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge
March 16: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Update Session, Ogallala, NE. Ogallala Update workshop brochure - https://go.unl.edu/n47m
March 26: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Spencer, NE- Pre-Register at 402.336.2760 or emailing atimmerman2@unl.edu
March 28: Private Pesticide Training, 10:00am, Middle Niobrara NRD, Valentine, NE - Pre-Register at 402.336.2760 or emailing atimmerman2@unl.edu
April 2: Private Pesticide Training, 9:30am, Lutheran Church, Ainsworth, NE- Pre-Register at 402.336.2760 or emailing atimmerman2@unl.edu
April 5: DUE: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop Registration, Boone County Fairgrounds, Albion, NE. Registration and more information at: https://go.unl.edu/oc3t
April 10: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O’Neill, NE - Pre-Register at 402.336.2760 or emailing atimmerman2@unl.edu
April 13-14: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop, Boone County Fairgrounds, Albion, NE
News Release
Learn, Launch, Interact Event to Kick Off 2024 TAPS Competitions
The Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program will begin its eighth year by hosting its annual Kickoff Event. The evening will follow the similar “Learn, Launch, Interact” theme as previous years. Attendees will learn about John Deere's See and Spray technology, as well as studies at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center, launching the upcoming farm management competitions, and engaging with partners, sponsors, other participants and facilitators.
The 2024 Kickoff Event will begin at 5 p.m. CST Thursday, March 21, in Gothenburg, Nebraska.
The event will be held at the Gothenburg Water Utilization Learning Center just south of Gothenburg's I-80 interchange. John Deere will be on site with their See and Spray technology for a demonstration of their innovative smart spray product that allows growers to target weeds, rather than do a broadcast spray treatment. Bayer Crop Science will also present on the studies that are being facilitated onsite to further advance sustainability, efficiency and profitability.
Following these learning opportunities, a dinner meal will be served, and the event will conclude with the TAPS Launch, signaling the start of a brand-new TAPS competition season.
As with previous years, this event is when competitors are acquainted with the interactive website, acquire their competition credentials, learn to view and access their farm pages, and learn more about each of the management decisions they will be making, as well as any new rule changes.
People in attendance will also have the opportunity to interact with representatives from a number of companies. A wide variety of technology is offered to TAPS competitors to better inform production and marketing decisions, as they compete for most profitable, efficient, and highest yielding farm.
The 2024 TAPS program is set to include sprinkler corn and continuous corn competitions facilitated at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, Nebraska, as well as the sorghum competition, which will be facilitated at the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center in Grant, Nebraska. A new soybean competition is being added in 2024, facilitated at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) near Mead, Nebraska.
The TAPS team invites anyone interested in learning more about the TAPS program to attend the Kickoff Event on March 21. The event is completely free and open to the public, though we do ask that everyone wanting to attend register online at taps.unl.edu/2024-learn-launch-interact-event by Wednesday, March 13 for planning purposes.