Nebraska Extension in Dodge County

Local Interest

The Black Walnut Tree

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County 

Urban dwellers either praise or curse the black walnut (Juglans nigra). Some find the tree troublesome because of the nuts they drop, the juglone (a natural herbicide) secreted into the soil to kill nearby plants, and the increased number of squirrels in the neighborhood. Supporters of black walnut like the tree because it is native, well adapted to the precipitation and temperature variations of Midwest weather, is stately, grows valuable wood and nuts, and provides food for wildlife.

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Wooly Bear Caterpillars

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Educator in Dodge County

Does the woolly bear caterpillar forecast the weather?  Stories on websites, podcasts, blogs, newsfeeds, television, and radio like to add to the speculation, but could it be possible this furry caterpillar that rolls up into a ball when disturbed is just that—a furry caterpillar that rolls up into a ball when disturbed?!

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Cutting Back Plants in Fall

Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County

If you are a creature of tidiness, here is a thought to ponder. Cutting back the foliage of flowering perennials, ornamental grasses, and small shrubs is damaging to native bees that overwinter in the hollow stems of plants.  Moisture seeps down through the open ends, killing the eggs, larvae, and pupae of native bees that are set to emerge as adult bees come spring.

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Join our TEAM in Dodge County

Nebraska Extension has four excellent opportunities for full-time faculty positions located in Columbus, Schuyler, Fremont, and Lincoln, NE.  As active participants in the Nebraska Water and Cropping Systems (WICS) Team, the educators' primary responsibility is to develop and deliver educational programs and resources within a geographic area. To view details of the position and create an application, go to http://employment.unl.edu, requisition F_210170.

The attached document has the information you need to apply for this employement opportunity.  

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Fall's Fungi

Garden Update
Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension in Dodge County

This is the time of year when fungi become the topic of conversation. What most people find alarming is the speed with which conks, mushrooms, and puffballs develop. In some cases, it is literally overnight. What is visible are the sporulating structures—the part of fungi that produces the next generation.  A good way to think of this is plants make seeds to produce the next generation, fungi produce spores. These spore-producing structures are varied and fascinating, and most people who ask about them are wanting to eat them.

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Blooming Lilacs

Garden Update
Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County

It is not unusual for some plants to blossom out of season.  Magnolia, crabapple, lilac, and forsythia are notably spring-blooming plants, but stressful growing conditions can instigate a type of dormancy that pushes flowering to later in the season. Lilacs are a great example this year. 

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Nebraska Extension in Dodge County

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Unveiling of Historic Knorr-Holden Plot Signboard

Unveiling of Historic Knorr-Holden Plot Signboard

September 25, 2023
Started in 1912, the Knorr-Holden Plot near Scottsbluff is perhaps the world’s oldest irrigated continuous corn research plot. It was recently commemorated with a sign to mark its significance to both Nebraska history and agricultural research history in Nebraska.

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Nebraska Equine Extension to host a second “Race Nebraska” Seminar

Nebraska Equine Extension to host a second “Race Nebraska” Seminar

September 22, 2023
The passing of the Racetrack Gaming Act through a Nebraska 2020 ballot referendum has caused an expansion in horse racing. A series of educational seminars by Nebraska Extension’s equine program have been developed to help those interested in becoming more involved in the industry.

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Poll: Rural Nebraskans are increasingly pessimistic about present, future

Poll: Rural Nebraskans are increasingly pessimistic about present, future

September 18, 2023

Twenty-seven percent of respondents to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll indicated they are worse off than they were five years ago, up from 21% last year and 11% in 2021.

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Jansen discusses farmland valuations with RFD-TV

September 18, 2023

In Nebraska, ag land values are up about 14 percent over last year, mirroring a nationwide rise in ag real estate prices. Click through to watch Jim Jansen, an agricultural systems economist with Nebraska Extension, talk with RFD-TV about the impact of valuations.

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