Hartington will be hosting a farm transition workshop on Thursday, April 15, at the Hartington City Auditorium basement from 10:00 - 2:00. Please register online through a google docs form.
Local Interest
Enrollment for the 2021 4-H program year has opened for members, clover kids and volunteers. New and returning club members, as well as new and returning club leaders must enroll through 4HOnline. Use the new Pick-Your-Project resource guide to aid you in selecting your project areas for the 2021 year.
Proper stocking is a cornerstone of proper grazing management and a healthy pasture. While we might be aware of the importance of proper stocking, we may fail to properly adjust rates to match the current reality of our operation. Proper stocking depends on two factors, animal intake and pasture productivity. Changes to either of these factors requires an adjustment to occur.
A good bull is the cornerstone of any cow calf operation. Cows influence the genetic makeup of only one calf every year, but a bull has the opportunity to impact 20-50 calves depending on the breeding season. Making sure your bulls are able to locate and breed cows this breeding season is vital to success and a good way to test that is with a Breeding Soundness Exam, or BSE. Young bulls entering their first breeding season should have a BSE as well as older bulls that have had a health problem, injury, or scrotal damage due to extreme cold during the winter.
Greening spring pastures and growing cover crops are great opportunities for livestock to graze and get out of yards and dry lots. However, this is also the perfect set of conditions for a case of grass tetany. Grass tetany is the result of low levels of magnesium in an animal’s blood stream. This mineral imbalance can be brought on by diet due to low magnesium levels in lush, newly growing grass. With proper management, it doesn’t have to negatively impact your herd. Plan now to adjust grazing management or mineral supplementation for a tetany-free spring.
Were you expecting more from last year’s alfalfa yields? Did your plants get enough time to winterize in the fall or are you concerned about winter kill? Evaluating your alfalfa stand in the spring is key to planning management and setting expectations for this year. Look for a healthy tap root, in-tact basal buds, and 4 to 5 plants per square foot for established stands.
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Master Gardener tips for the Panhandle – Week of April 12, 2021
April 12, 2021
Here is the weekly crop of Master Gardener tips from Nebraska Extension in the Panhandle, relevant to local lawn and garden issues in the High Plains and consistent with research-based recommendations.
Faculty Spotlight: Mariah Newmyer
April 12, 2021
Meet Mariah Newmyer, a food, nutrition and health Extension educator at the West Central Research and Extension Center.
The Biggest Grower returns with summer learning, scholarship for high schoolers
April 7, 2021
Nebraska Extension and the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture will again be offering a student gardening competition this summer.
LOG N 4-H leadership camp set for May 25-26 at Halsey
April 6, 2021
Leadership Opportunities for Growth in Nebraska 4-H (LOG N Camp), which gives western Nebraska youth in grades 5 through 7 (current school year) an opportunity to gain leadership skills while meeting students from across the Panhandle, will take place May 25-26 at the State 4-H Camp at Halsey.