Weekly News and Columns

Week of May 26, 2025

Cuming County Livestock Judging Contest

WHEN: Thursday, June 12^th 

WHERE: Wisner Jr Livestock Show Grounds in the WISNER RIVER PARK 

CHECK IN : 4:30 pm ; Start time 5:30 pm 

Awards will be given to the top three in Junior, Intermediate, and Senior divisions. 

Contest open to all counties! 

Contact Hunter Schroeder for questions 402-380-6250

-30-

SOURCE:  Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate

RELEASE DATE:  May 19, 2025

Stocker/Yearling Tour Set for June 17 in North Platte

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Cattle producers and beef industry professionals are invited to attend the 2025 Summer Stocker/Yearling Tour on Tuesday, June 17, in North Platte, Nebraska. The tour will focus on the theme of retained ownership, providing attendees with firsthand insights into pasture recovery, herd management, and profitability strategies.

The event begins with registration from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center (WCREEC), followed by a morning visit to Pawnee Springs Ranch to tour pastureland affected by wildfire, where attendees will observe pasture recovery and learn about adaptive grazing practices.

Following the morning tour, participants will return to WCREEC for lunch at 12:30 p.m., with a producer panel to follow from 1 to 1:45 p.m. The panel will feature local producers discussing retained ownership strategies and partnerships.

The afternoon concludes with a visit to FKW Farms and White Schroeder Wiseman Stocker Partnership, where attendees will see stocker/yearling management practices in action and participate in a group debrief.

Pre-registration is required by June 10. Register online at https://go.unl.edu/summerstockertour or call 308-268-3105. There is a $20 fee to attend, which includes lunch and materials. The event is sponsored by Merck Animal Health and hosted in collaboration with Nebraska Extension, local producers, and industry partners. 

The tour provides an opportunity to share insights into heifer and yearling development, grazing management, and value-added marketing. It also supports ongoing partnerships between producers and researchers at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, part of UNL’s statewide commitment to advancing Nebraska’s beef industry.

Natalie Jones | IANR Communications

###

CONTACT:

Brent Plugge, Livestock Systems Extension Educator, Nebraska Extension, 308-236-1235, brent.plugge@unl.edu 

Erin Laborie, Livestock Systems Extension Educator, Nebraska Extension, 308-268-3105, erin.laborie@unl.edu

Summer 4-H Workshop Schedule

The 2025 Cuming County 4-H Summer Workshop schedule is now available. The workshops are open to all youth, but 4-H youth will have priority when enrolling. Registration details can be found at cuming.unl.edu and all forms are due to the Extension Office with payment.

• Let’s Paint – Wednesday, June 11, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon (registration deadline, June 4^th)

Class details are listed on our website. Contact the Extension Office to register. Workshop space is limited.

 -30-

SOURCE: Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2025

YQCA Face-to-Face Training 

Cuming County Extension will be hosting a Face-to-Face training for 4-H youth ages 8-14 as of January 1 on Thursday, May 28^th at 1:00 p.m. at the Cuming County Fairgrounds. To attend and become certified for the year, youth must pre-register online at yqcaprogram.org and pay the $3.00 registration fee. Youth must also take the pre-test and post-test before a certificate is verified. Once you are on the website, click on “Instructor-based training and find the date. (Please note when searching for the training that the dates are not in any particular order). During this training, youth will learn about animal well-being, food safety and life skills. 

-30-

SOURCE: Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE:  April 14, 2025

4-H Enrollment Deadline Approaching 

June 15^th is the last day to drop or add 4-H projects for the year 2025. If you have not enrolled or re-enrolled in 4-H, you can do that by visiting v2.4honline.com. You can make changes to your enrollment until June 15^th. After that deadline, no changes can be made if you want to bring projects to the Cuming County Fair in 2025.

June 15^th is also the deadline for ALL 4-H livestock projects! Contact the Extension Office with any questions. 

-30-

SOURCE: Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE:  May 12, 2025

Adventure Day Camp Registration is Now Open!

4-H Adventure Day Camp will be held on Thursday June 5^th at Neligh Park in West Point. This is open to youth ages 8-11 years old. 4-H members will have priority when registering. 

Registration again this year will be completed online via Google Form. The deadline to register is Thursday, May 29^th, 4:00 p.m. Payment can be dropped off at the Cuming County Extension Office or mailed. All registrations, including payment, must be postmarked by the deadline. Please complete the registration by visiting this link: https://go.unl.edu/adventureday . Registration is also available on our website at cuming.unl.edu. 

-30-

SOURCE: Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE:  May 12, 2025

We Need YOU … to be a 4-H Adventure Day Camp Counselor! 

Take your summer to the next level by becoming a 4-H Adventure Day Camp Counselor. Each year, we ask for youth ages 14 and older to volunteer to help provide a fun and safe experience for youth ages 8-11 at the annual 4-H Adventure Day Camp. Counselors must enjoy working with youth, can lead games and engage with youth, help presenters, and have fun! 

Again, this year, we are planning a 4-H Adventure Day Camp Counselor training on Tuesday, June 3^rdfrom 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Neligh Park. This is an important part of becoming a 4-H camp counselor. 

There is no fee for volunteering to become a 4-H Adventure Day Counselor. Please let us know that you are interested and register as a counselor at https://go.unl.edu/adventureday  and. If you have any questions, please contact the Extension Office at 402-372-6006. 

-30-

SOURCE: Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE:  May 12, 2025

Cuming County 4-H Culinary Challenge & Cook-Off Contest

Entries for the Culinary Challenge and Cook-Off Contest are due Monday, June 23^rd, by 12:00 noon. All recipes will be uploaded to the google form. Registration is: https://go.unl.edu/culinaryandcookoff

The contests will be held on Thursday, June 26^th beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Wisner-Pilger High School. We will begin with the Culinary Challenge & Cook-Off Contest will follow. Ribbons will be awarded at the conclusion of the events. For more information on rules and scoresheets, please visit cuming.unl.edu. 

-30-

SOURCE; Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE:  May 26, 2025

Youth Crop Scouting Competition - Connecting Youth with Crops 

Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way! Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the 12^th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. Youth interested in crops can learn about crop growth & development and basic crop scouting principles.  

Don’t know a lot about crops? Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production. You can have the agronomist meet with youth a little during each meeting or outside of the meeting. This is one way to engage those youth interested in crops.  

This contest will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead, Nebraska on August 5, 2025. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 5-12^th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first ten teams who sign up!  

Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.  

Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place. The top two teams will be eligible for the regional competition held in Iowa this year. 

Teams will be expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields. This includes crop staging; looking for patterns of crop injury; disease, insect and weed seedling identification; etc. Other topics may include but are not limited to pesticide safety, nutrient disorders, and herbicide injury.  

More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth. Register at: https://go.unl.edu/cropscoutingreg 

Teams must be registered by July 15. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association, Ward Laboratories, the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Extension.  

-30-

SOURCE: Brandy VanDeWalle, Extension Educator 

RELEASE DATE:  May 26, 2025

Clover Kid Camp 

4-H Clover Kid Camp will be held on Thursday, July 17^th in the Dinklage Building at the Cuming County Fairgrounds. This camp is open to youth ages 5-7. 4-H youth will have priority when registering. Registration will be completed online and is due July 10^th. Payment is required to be dropped off or mailed to the Extension Office and be postmarked by the deadline. Registration link: https://go.unl.edu/cloverkidcamp

-30-

SOURCE: Melissa Hagemeister, Extension Associate 

RELEASE DATE:  April 14, 2025

Small Grain Forage Harvest 

As we work our way through spring, many small grains are maturing fast and nearing harvest windows. Are you ready to make the most out of these forage options?

Producers seeking hay should consider the animal being fed and feeding method before harvesting.  For young growing cattle, small grain hay should be cut in the boot stage or as soon as possible following heading to ensure higher protein and energy content. Mature cow and feedlot managers may consider delaying their forage harvest until the hard dough development stage to increase forage quantity; since these cattle can utilize lower quality forage than younger beef animals. Small grains with awns like rye, triticale, and wheat can be a concern at later maturities.  Grinding the hay, feeding in ration with additional moisture, or using an awnless (beardless) variety can reduce this risk.

No matter how you harvest, delaying can mean higher productivity. Nebraska studies have shown an 8 ton as harvested feed per acre increase between harvest at boot stage and soft dough on irrigated fields. The trade-off for delaying forage harvest was an 8% drop in crude protein content.

Another concern for silage harvesters is proper moisture when packing.  A statewide study looking at 17 Nebraska producers found the biggest loss of small grain silage quality was packing too wet despite almost all producers having wilted the crop before packing. Silage packed too wet had almost 3 times the energy loss that those packed at proper moisture content Shoot for 70-72% moisture for proper packing. Study survey data showed producers who harvested at boot, heading, or pollination stage and wilted for 16 to 24 hours appeared more likely to achieve target moisture levels.  

-30-

SOURCE: Ben Beckman, Extension Educator 

RELEASE DATE:  May 26, 2025

Planting Summer Annuals 

Now is the time to plant summer annuals especially due to welcome rains. Summer annuals are typically warm season grasses planted in western Nebraska prior to June 1st to provide grazing or harvested as feed for beef cattle.

Warm season species such as sudangrass, sudangrass x forage sorghum, teff, pearl millet, foxtail millet and forage sorghum (also named cane, sorgo or ‘feed sorghum’) can complement cool season plants.

Cool season forages peak their production in May and early June when summer temperatures rise; while summer annuals peak their production in July and August. So how do producers know which species among the seven types to plant? The answer depends upon their intended usage.

For example, if producers desire to extend their pastures due to drought; then sudangrass or pearl millet might be good choices. Both grow rapidly and have high leaf to stem ratios along with less fall grazing risk for prussic acid poisoning.

If producers are wanting more hay or green chop production, then sorghum-sudan hybrids or pearl millets might provide good yields when cut two or three times. On sandy soils, foxtail millet might be better for summer hay production; since it dries fast and does not regrow after cutting to preserve moisture for subsequent crops. Conversely, Japanese millet can tolerate wet soils and be cut for hay or grazing.

Cane hay has traditionally been grown for high tonnage, but it usually has lower feed value and dries slower than hybrid sorghums and millets. Teff provides excellent quality as a soft, leafy forage especially appealing for horses, but is lower tonnage compared to other summer annuals.

Nebraska Extension On-ranch forage research launched in 2024 near Arthur, Mullen, Hyannis, Thedford, and Valentine is comparing irrigated summer annuals such as forage corn; Group 5 forage soybeans; hybrid sweet sorghums; silage mixes, hybrid pearl millet and brown mid-rib forages. More information will be shared during UNL at-location field tours during the first week of August.

More information regarding planting summer annuals is available at: https://cropwatch.unl.edu

-30-

SOURCE:  Todd Whitney

RELEASE DATE:  May 26, 2026

Livestock Water on Pasture

As late spring and summer temperatures begin to heat up and cattle are on pasture, it’s important to make sure there is adequate water for livestock. How much do cattle need and where should it come from?

The water requirements for cattle depends on their size, class, and environmental conditions. High humidity and greater temperatures also increase water demand.  A study at the University of Georgia lists water requirements for days when the daily high temperature is 90°F. With these conditions, growing or lactating animals need two gallons of water per 100 pounds of body weight. This means a 1400 pound, lactating cow will need close to 28 gallons of water daily with 90°F daily highs. If the calves are 250 pounds, they will need about 5 gallons. Again, some of the water will come from grazed forage.   Make sure water tanks or water points are accessible for smaller calves.

Having fresh, clean water should also be a priority.  Whenever dry conditions occur or especially in later summer, water quality from water sources such as dugouts or ponds and dams may not be ideal.  The ability to have water close by should also be a goal, although sometimes it’s simply not possible.  More water locations can help meet the water demand but could also help grazing distribution too.  Cattle will receive some of their daily water requirements when they are consuming high moisture feedstuffs such as fresh forage when grazing pasture, silages, or green chopped feeds.  Feeds that are high-energy increase the water requirement.

Keep an eye on water this summer and make sure livestock have enough, good quality water available. 

-30-

SOUORCE:  Jerry Volesky

RELEASE DATE: May 26, 2025

Common Sense Farming and Ranching

Alfredo DiCostanzo, Beef Systems Extension Educator

University of Nebraska

Week of May 19, 2025

Screwworm eradication: a tale of modern politics

By now you all have heard or read that the border with Mexico was closed again on May 11 to imports of live cattle and other ungulates; https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/11/secretary-rollins-suspends-live-animal-imports-through-ports-entry-along-southern-border-effective).  We discussed the first border closure in this column in December of 2024.

We re grateful USDA Secretary Rollins took this step “to protect the livestock industry of the United States from this devastating pest.” Detection of New World screwworm (NWS) infestations in cattle were made as far north as the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca in southern Mexico, about 700 miles from the nearest US border.  By any measure and considering that there are at least four months of warm temperatures, high humidity and southerly breezes blowing from the Gulf of America left, it is not beyond the scope of possibility that the NWS blowfly could make it into the US this year. Transmission by infected wildlife is also a possibility.

In the December column, we spoke about efforts under way to eradicate this pest. Eradication is based on releasing sufficient sterile male flies to overwhelm the natural NWS blowfly population. Female blowflies mate once generally while males cover many females.

What is considered minimum sterile male blowfly release? In the late 1950’s in Florida, it was estimated that 50 million sterile male flies released weekly over 32 million acres led to eradication of NWS in that area. 

Data from the COPEG (The Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Cattle Screwworm; https://www.copeg.org) are not easily obtained as their website is not updated regularly. The latest update was made on January 11, 2025, wherein COPEG reported weekly production and delivery flights of 109 million sterile males and 26 flights. Even the most recent case statistics posted on their website (as of January 11, 2025) has only three cases reported in Mexico. The most recent case statistics map is provided by USDA APHIS (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm/outbreak-central-america) for March 28, 2025.  Although the source cited in the map is COPEG. This map reveals a larger number of cases in the southern states of Mexico bordering with Central America and the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca than COPEG website. (A report in a Mexican newspaper cites over 1,400 cases in these states; https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/empresas/suman-1-400-casos-gusano-barrenador-mexico-20250519-759617.html) 

Unfortunately, at a time when information should be more readily available, and many politicians and government officials declared that they will be transparent, information available to the public on this pest progresses slowly and inconsistently. 

In the meantime, various news outlets in the US and Mexico reported that the Mexican president described Secretary Rollins’s action to close the border unfair. What is lost in this emotional showdown is the fact that Mexico had imposed limitations on USDA aircraft flights to deliver sterile males in Mexican airspace. Mexico refused landing permits, applied duties on flight components, sterile flies, and sterile insect technique equipment, which negatively affected USDA efforts to eradicate this pest.

Long before the Internet and while color TV was being introduced, Mexico and the United States cooperated effectively in eradicating this pest once. Taking into consideration the advances in technology, communication, and flight, etc., this should not be a difficult international effort to undertake. Yet, emotions, at least on the surface, but likely other conflicting interests are creating complications in efforts to eradicate this pest. 

One might suspect that internal cattle market conditions in Mexico would influence politicians’ decisions to support eradication efforts. Yet, the feeder cattle market in Mexico has not suffered much. Feeder calves weighing from 400 to 440 lb sold for $261/cwt in Tamaulipas while the border was open in April; yet they only dropped $40/cwt since the announcement of the border closure.

Generally, 1.25 million head of feeder cattle are imported from Mexico with peak months during April and May. Data from USDA indicated that only 80,000 live feeders were imported in March 2025 while 117,000 feeders were imported during the same month in 2024. (Although the border was open in March of 2025, this reduction in number demonstrates the effect of more intense surveillance in 2025). Collectively, from November of 2023 to March of 2024, nearly 600,000 feeders were imported from Mexico while during the same period between 2024 and 2025, only 200,000 feeders crossed the border from Mexico.

Volatility is expected to remain in feeder cattle supply and prices for the rest of 2025.  Re-opening the border might take at least 60 days. At the same time, the prospect of heifer retention to expand the US beef cowherd is dependent on timely and sustained precipitation. Concurrently, US dairies committed too many cows to insemination with beef semen.  This all led to a decline in replacement heifer supply in dairies. These factors will support feeder calf prices reaching new highs.

#     #    #

Week of May 5, 2025

Beef: It’s what’s still for dinner!

Just like that: the first four months of 2025 are over. While we ponder where the time goes, and because May is beef month, it may be interesting to talk about the US and foreign consumer’s appetite for U.S. beef.

You may all remember concerns about inflation after the pandemic. The first reports referring to inflationary trends were forecasted in early 2021. Fears of inflation were substantiated. 

Inflation rate was 1.2% in 2021, and it increased to 4.7% in 2021. Then, in 2022, inflation increased to 8% followed by subsequent decreases to 4.1% and 2.9%, respectively, in 2023 and 2024. While news of inflation made us rethink how we might approach a purchase or an investment, some of us pondered what the effects of inflation would be on consumer’s appetite for beef.

A glance at price trends for ground beef, roasts, and steaks since 2019 may help the reader understand how well beef has performed despite economic concerns (please refer to the figure below; March of 2025 represents the retail beef price for the current year). The year 2019 was chosen as a reference point to prevent the effects of pandemic shutdowns and other concerns from affecting the analysis. 

Many experts suggest that the pandemic helped spark interest in beef consumption. The explanation given is that consumers had more time to spend at home preparing meals. Concurrently, expert analysis indicates that the desire by consumers to replicate the beef-eating experience they expected from dining out contributed to experimenting with preparing beef at home. 

Either way, retail beef prices for steaks, roasts and ground beef jumped over 7% to 11% between 2019 and 2020. In support of observations made above, the product posting the largest increase in price (reflective of consumer demand) were roasts.

Interestingly, using 2019 as the reference year, retail beef prices for all three beef products increased from 35% to 39% between 2019 and 2024. The March 2025 retail price for beef was $6, $8, and $11, respectively, for ground beef, roasts, and steaks, nearly 50% higher than what consumers were paying in 2019. 

Incidentally, consumers are paying more for beef while beef supply has not dwindled. As of March 2025, domestic, federally inspected beef production was at par with that of 2024. 

These figures demonstrate that, despite inflationary pressures, as far as the American consumer is concerned: beef is still what’s for dinner. 

Figure. Retail beef prices for ground beef, roasts, and steaks published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the years 2019 to 2024. Prices in place for 2025 represent the price reported by BLS for the month of March. Beef export value was reported from the USDA Economic Research Service for 2019 to 2024 and is expressed as billions of dollars.

Similarly, the appetite by foreign consumers for American beef has not waned (please refer to the figure below). In 2019, US beef exports were valued at $7.5 billion dollars. In 2024, this figure increased to $10.45 billion. 

Although we cannot assume that consumer’s appetite for American beef is endlessly refractory to economic conditions, this analysis serves to demonstrate how much the American and foreign consumer are willing to pay when seeking a wholesome and flavorful protein choice despite serious economic challenges. 

Recognizing that the consumer has access to other protein choices, many of them less expensive than beef, demonstrates the value of quality and flavor attributes associated with the experience of consuming American beef.

#     #    #

Week of April 21, 2025

Carcass grid pricing tradeoffs

Marketing cattle on a carcass grid is an increasingly attractive option for cattle feeders, particularly when fed cattle prices are high and continued interest by consumers for highly marbled beef.  Yet, a few fundamentals must be kept in mind when evaluating this marketing strategy. 

The simplest one to consider is the dressing percentage.  The price basis for all grid marketing arrangements is live price with an expectation that most cattle will dress around 63.5%. The simplest question to ask is what happens if we market cattle on a carcass grid (or simply as grade and yield) that dress lower than 63.5%? 

Using publication LM_CT158 from USDA (Nebraska Weekly Direct—Negotiated Purchases) for the week ending on April 12, 2025, the average weight and price of all steers traded live (FOB) or dressed (delivered) were 1,553 lb and $207.88 (dressing 63.1%) or 989 lb and $328.07 (dressing 63.8%).  During that week, if a cattle feeder sold a steer weighing 1,553 lb under a negotiated grid arrangement, which dressed out at 62.5%, then that feeder delivered 971 lb of carcass.  Using the base negotiated grid price of $328.07 for a reference, the feeder received $3,184 instead of $3,244 expected if their cattle would have dressed as the average of cattle traded on the negotiated grid.

Weight, level of intake, haircoat tag, degree of finish, time between last meal and harvest, and dietary concentration influence dressing percentage. Greater weight, degree of finish, dietary energy concentration and time between last meal and harvest all influence dressing percentage positively while intake and presence and abundance of haircoat tag influence dressing percentage negatively. 

Also, for cattle feeders marketing cattle on a carcass grid, most base price quotes are for cattle delivered to the plant.  Therefore, the additional cost of hauling cattle to the plant must be absorbed by the seller.  This will reduce gross revenue from $0.70 to $2.50/cwt of carcass.

Because of the high cost of purchasing replacement cattle, low feed costs, and attractive fed cattle prices, the incentive to feed cattle to heavier weights is difficult to ignore.  In addition to considerations to maintain cattle alive and healthy as they reach weights beyond 1,550 lb, the effects of heavier finishing weights on carcass quality and size must be evaluated. 

Simple assumptions were made to arrive at carcass grid pricing tradeoffs that might be used by cattle feeders considering marketing cattle on a carcass grid.  The original example selected used cattle weighing 989 lb, for the purpose of easy approximations, the carcass weight used was rounded to 1,000 lb. 

Other factors were kept constant to generate meaningful approximations. For example, the proportion of carcasses grading Select was maintained at 10% while the Choice-Select spread was permitted to fluctuate.  As carcasses from cattle harvested in the upper Midwest continue to top 85% Choice and Prime grades, setting the proportion of Select-grading carcasses at 10% is not detrimental to the simulation.  Under these conditions, a change in Choice-Select spread of $1/cwt represents a change in carcass revenue of $1/head.

Similarly, keeping premiums for carcasses achieving Certified Angus Beef (or similarly rewarded top 2/3 of USDA Choice-grading carcasses) at $6/cwt resulted in $6/head for every 10 points of CAB percentage achieved.  Using this same approach and holding Prime premiums at $20/cwt results in $2/head for every point of Prime percentage achieved. 

Lastly, discounts of $5/cwt or $15/cwt for carcasses reaching USDA Yield Grade (YG) 4 or USDA YG 5, respectively, resulted in changes of $5/head for each 10-point change in USDA YG 4 or $1.50/head for each 1-point change in USDA YG 5.

The effect of heavy carcass discounts on grid pricing was simulated using $15/cwt for carcasses 1,100 lb or heavier.  This discount had a $1.50/head effect for each percentage unit change in the proportion of carcasses weighing 1,100 lb or more.

When applying these tradeoffs to carcass weight sold, the effect of each of these factors can be illustrated.  For example, if two identical lots of cattle sell to the same packer on a given day, one of the loads delivers 15% of the weight from heavy carcasses while the other one delivers none.  Using the tradeoff applicable for carcass weight provided here would suggest that gross revenue of the lot with heavier carcasses will be $22.50/head less than the one with no heavy weight discounts.

Similarly, as Choice-Select spread climbed towards $20/cwt from $15, the effect of this on carcass pricing was a reduction in carcass revenue of $5/head. 

Alternatively, one can determine how much better the proportion of a set of premium carcasses should be relative to a set of discounted carcasses. For example, a lot of cattle yielding 20% in Prime carcass premiums ($40/head) is offset by 27% incidence of carcasses weighing 1,100 lb or heavier. 

These tradeoffs are by no means complete and applicable to all situations, particularly when considering that a greater proportion of heavyweight carcasses would skew these values negatively.  However, these tradeoffs represent a guide to quickly determine what effects feeding cattle to heavier weights would have on carcass revenue when marketing on a grid.

#     #    #

Rural Health

Hannah Guenther, Extension Educator

Week of May 26, 2025

How to Eat More Vegetables 

Vegetables. The moment you say it people begin to turn up their noses because their minds immediately think healthy, green, steamed, smelly, and unappetizing. When you say pizza on the other hand, people begin to have an entirely different reaction. But back to vegetables, this underrated food group plays a vital role in our diet filling our plates with vital vitamins and nutrients without an abundance of calories and fat. Do not let one bad serving of watery California blend vegetables from the cafeteria deter you from the endless possibilities’ vegetables have to offer! 

According to the Dietary Guidelines, Americans are eating far below the recommended amount of vegetables. Based on a 2000 calorie diet, we need to be eating 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day. This can seem like a daunting and nearly impossible task, but with a few minor adjustments you would be amazed how easy it is to eat more vegetables. Today I am going to share with you some easy ways to add more vegetables to your diet. 

1. Buy More Vegetables

You can’t eat more vegetables unless you buy more vegetables. A serving of vegetables includes any fresh, frozen, or canned vegetable. I love stocking my fridge with lettuce, carrots, and sugar snap peas. In my pantry, I always try to have canned corn and tomatoes. And my freezer always has a variety of frozen steam-able vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and peas. By stocking your fridge, pantry, and freezer, it makes it easy to include more vegetables in your diet.

2. Start your Day with Veggies 

Whether it’s a smoothie or eggs, start your day with some vegetables. Add spinach to your favorite smoothie recipe or peppers, asparagus, and broccoli to your eggs. Breakfast is a great way to get a serving of vegetables. 

3. Can I Add A Vegetable To That?

One of the easiest ways to eat more vegetables is to ask yourself, “Can I add a vegetable to that?” No, I’m not saying add carrots to your cookies, but when you are making a sandwich or even enjoying a burger – could you add a vegetable? Adding lettuce and tomato is an effortless way to get ½ cup of vegetables. 

4. Cheese Grater 

Sometimes you have to get creative with your vegetables. Enter the cheese grater. I like to add vegetables to meatballs, meatloaf, spaghetti sauces, and chili’s, but not without grating them first. By grating vegetables like zucchini and carrots they blend completely into dishes adding flavor and nutrients without affecting the integrity of the original recipe. 

5. Swap Your Snacks

Craving something crunchy? Swap your chips for some carrots, sugar snap peas, or cherry tomatoes. These are great portable vegetables that are perfect for snacking. They’ll satisfy your craving without adding unwanted fat and sodium to your diet. 

6. Try New Vegetables In New Ways

One of the biggest complaints I hear on the topic of vegetables is “I don’t like them” or “I only like…” I have the same response for adults and kids, you don’t know if you don’t like it until you try it. It is important even as adults to keep trying new vegetables in new ways. You may not like boiled brussel sprouts, but have you tried them on the grill? What about butternut squash? Make an effort to try new vegetables and to try preparing them in new ways. 

Lettuce all enjoy eating more vegetables. 

#     #    #

Week of May 12, 2025

Sun, Summer, and Food Poisoning 

Summer, sun, and food poisoning. One of these does not belong! With temperatures rising and dining moving outdoors, it makes it all the more challenging to make sure the food we are serving and enjoying is kept safe. There is nothing worse than being sick in the summer, so today is all about how to keep your food safe this summer with some simple food safety rules to protect you and your family.

Rule #1: Thou Shall Not Cross Contaminate

Cross contamination is the spreading of one pathogen to another surface or food. One of the easiest ways this can happen is by allowing raw food and cooked food to touch or share the same plate. Whenever you are grilling make sure that you bring out two plates, one for the raw protein and one for the cooked protein. This is a simple rule that will help keep your food safe. 

Rule #2: Thou Shall Use a Food Thermometer 

It is easy to look at a burger, steak, or brat on the grill and say “It’s done!” But in reality there is only one way to know your food is cooked to the correct internal temperature and that is by using a food thermometer. Poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165F, ground meats and pork 160F to 160F, and steaks and seafood to 145F. 

Rule #3: Wash thy hands and produce 

One of the easiest ways to protect yourselves and others from a foodborne illness is to wash your hands and your produce. Did you know that produce is the cause of more foodborne illnesses than protein? But think about it! We always cook our protein but for the most part our produce is always consumed raw! Wash all produce and use a scrub brush to remove any dirt from the exterior. 

Rule #4: Put Away Thy Leftovers 

You cannot talk food safety without talking about the DANGER ZONE. The danger zone is 41-135F and it is where bacteria grows, rapidly! It is important to keep food out of the danger zone to keep it safe to eat this means it is so important to put away your leftovers as quickly as possible! This can be a challenge at a barbeque, picnic, or birthday party. To help follow this food safety rule, make sure to put away all food prior to getting out dessert! This will ensure you are serving your guests a delicious meal without a side of microorganisms! 

These four food safety rules will keep you and your food safe this summer.

#     #     #

Week of April 28, 2025

Eat Beef

I know my last article was all about defending beans, Beef Month is around the corner. So, in order to be fair and give various protein sources their 15 minutes of fame, I thought I would dedicate some time and words to the protein source that not only supports our bodies but also our community. With a lot of misinformation clogging the airways about animal agriculture, I think it’s important to shed light on the truth of what comes with eating beef and some ways to enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

1. Protein 

A variety of foods have protein in them including quinoa, peanut butter, kale, and whole grain bread. Those abstaining from beef will say that they get their protein from other food sources, which is entirely possible, but the amount of food you have to eat to get the same 25g of protein found at 173 calories in a 3 oz. serving of beef is pretty eye opening. To reach that 25g of protein, you would have to eat 3 cups of quinoa or 6 ½ tbsp. of peanut butter at over 600 calories, 1 and 2/3 cups of black beans at 379 calories, or 1 1/3 cup of edamame at 250 calories. Beef is an amazing source of protein, and all cuts have less than 10 grams of total fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat. 

1. Vitamin and Minerals Breakdown

Not only does beef provide an impressive amount of protein, but it also contains a long list of vitamins and minerals vital to healthy body functions. The first mineral that it provides is one that many are lacking – Iron. Over 3 million Americans are iron deficient, and this can lead to feelings of fatigue, poor circulation and weakness. Beef also contains an impressive amount of Vitamin B12 that helps with cognitive and brain function and helps your body create energy to fuel your day. These are only 2 of the 10 essential vitamin and minerals that beef contains. 

1. Environmental Impact 

Right now, there is big push towards going green and caring for the environment. This is where many like to turn and point fingers to the agriculture industry. I saw something the other day that said the best thing you can do for the environment is to stop eating meat – I disagree. 30% of greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity and 26% come from transportation while only 9% comes from agriculture. Turning off the lights before you leave the house and walking to your meeting instead of driving would have a greater impact than avoiding eating meat. Farmers are truly the original environmentalists because their livelihood relies on the land and the environment, and they treat it as such. 

1. It’s What’s For Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 

Don’t let the saying fool you, beef can be enjoyed all day. For breakfast make green Chile egg cups. Crack 8 eggs in a large bowl and whisk together with salt, pepper, 1 can of diced green chiles, and ½ b browned hamburger (this is a great way to use up leftovers). Pour into muffin tins with liners and bake at 350 for 25 min or until eggs are set. For lunch enjoy a roast beef wrap by taking a whole wheat wrap and adding roast beef, romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, and blue cheese. Finally for dinner try one of my favorite 3 ingredient dishes are my beef teriyaki lettuce wraps. Start by browning up 1 lb of lean hamburger. Cook until no longer pink and drain any leftover fat. Add ½ cup teriyaki sauce and toss until completely combined. Serve in lettuce cups topped with sesame seeds. Pair with brown rice and stir fry vegetables to complete the meal! 

So, this May as you sit down to the table if beef is what is for dinner enjoy it knowing you are getting a great source of nutrition while supporting our community and local beef industry. And if you see a beef producer, make sure you tell them, thank moo. 

Resources: 

Beefitswhatsfordinner.com

epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions

#     #    #