Holt Boyd News Column for the Week of February 8, 2026

Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - LaDonna Werth
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - Amy Timmerman
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt, Boyd, Garfield, Loup, & Wheeler Counties - Bethany Johnston
Nebraska Extension Educator - Brown, Rock, & Keya Paha Counties - Brittany Spieker
Nebraska 4-H Assistant - Holt & Boyd Counties - Debra Walnofer

February 9: In-Person Calving College, 7:30pm-8:45pm, Valentine, NE. Register by Jan. 12: https://cvent.me/GOYAra, More info: go.unl.edu/calving_college

February 10: Recertification Commercial/Noncommercial Pesticide Training, 8:30am-5:00pm, Madison County Extension, Norfolk, NE

February 11: In-Person Calving College, 7:30pm-8:45pm, Valentine, NE. Register by Jan. 12: https://cvent.me/GOYAra, More info: go.unl.edu/calving_college

February 12: Nitrogen Certification Training, 9:00am, Plainview Public Library, Plainview, NE 

February 12: Nitrogen Certification Training, 2:00pm, Lower Elkhorn NRD Office, Norfolk, NE

February 13: Private Pesticide Training, 9:30am, Boyd County Courthouse, Butte, NE 

February 16: Agricultural Land Management Quarterly, 12:00pm-1:00pm, Zoom: https://unl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gPeh4XJlTYyrdAIAsRZM7A, jjansen4@unl.edu

February 17: Private Pesticide Training, 10:00am, Holt County Annex Building, O’Neill, NE 

February 17: Private Pesticide Training, 3:00pm, American Legion, Neligh, NE 

February 18: Private Pesticide Training, 10:00am, American Legion, Neligh, NE 

February 18: Private Pesticide Training, 3:00pm, Holt County Annex Building, O’Neill, NE 

February 19: Private Pesticide Training, 1:00pm, Pierce County Courthouse Extension Meeting Room, Pierce, NE 

February 19: Private Pesticide Training, 6:00pm, Pierce County Courthouse Extension Meeting Room, Pierce, NE

February 20: Private Pesticide Training, 9:30am, Holt County Annex Meeting Room, O’Neill, NE 

February 21: Buffalo County Shooting Sports 4-H Club Air Gun Invite, 7:00am, Buffalo County Extension, Kearney, NE, Contact: Contact: Jason Oman, (308) 870-0911, jasonoman@hotmail.com

February 23: Face-To-Face YQCA Training, 7:00-8:30pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex Meeting Room, O’Neill, NE 

February 25: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, New Community Building, Bassett, NE

February 28: Holt County Market Beef and Second Year Bucket Calf Weigh-In, 9:00-11:00am, Atkinson Sale Barn, Atkinson, NE 

February 28-March 16: Holt County Market Beef and Second Year Bucket Calf Weigh-On-Your-Own Days

February 28: 2026 Nebraska State Three-Position CMP Championships, 7:00am MST, Burkholder Building, Alliance, NE, Contact: Bryant Quick, (308) 760-8713, bryantquick1@gmail.com

February 28: Pierce County Shooting Sports 4-H Club 36th Annual BB Gun; Air Rifle and Air Pistol Shoot, 8:15am CST, Pierce County Fairgrounds Pavillion, Pierce, NE, Contact: Jen or David Thomsen, (402) 329-4504, djgunsnroses@hotmail.com

• Encourage and support children’s curiosity. A safe and supportive environment intrigues children’s curiosity. Childproof your home and provide a variety of interesting and safe materials to increase exploration. Introduce materials gradually to engage and stimulate children’s curiosity and learning, and avoid overwhelming or overstimulating them. Understand children’s temperaments and styles of curiosity. For instance, some children explore by touching, smelling, climbing, and tasting, while others explore with their minds. Pay extra attention, offer assurance and be patient to help children who are reluctant to explore. Encourage children to try again or look for alternatives to explore when things don’t turn out the way they want.
• Explore curiosity together with enthusiasm. Children enjoy sharing the excitement of discovery so get involved in the process with them. This learning experience helps children build confidence and self-esteem for optimal exploration. Be careful how you respond to children’s questions and curiosity. If you don’t know the answer, let children know and help them think about how to find the answers together. Be aware of your child’s interests and listen carefully to provide a learning environment suited for their wondering and creative thinking. Exploring curiosity with your children can be fun and enriching as you introduce the world’s wonders. 

Source: Nina Chen, Ph.D., CFLE, former Human Development Specialist, Jackson County, University of Missouri Extension 

Reference: Perry, B. 2001. Curiosity: The Fuel of Development. http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/curiosity.htm (accessed November 2, 2009).

Since the previous article was published, inquiries have come forward regarding the allocation of base acres by commodity. Specifically, how crop-specific base acres stack up to the number of acres planted to the crop. The purpose of this article is to explore base acre-to-planted-acre relationships by commodity and discuss issues related to updating base acres.

What are base acres and how did they come about?
Base acres are a fixed number determined by historical planting data, typically tied to specific commodity programs managed by the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). For many farm programs, but not all, base acres are utilized in determining farm program payments. More base acres on a farm traditionally result in larger farm program payments. No base acres can result in no payment.

Base acres were created under the Food Security Act of 1985, commonly referred to as the 1985 Farm Bill. When farmers enrolled in commodity programs, those acres were assigned a base. No participation resulted in no base acres. Covered commodities are wheat, oats, barley, corn, grain sorghum, long grain rice, medium/short grain rice, temperate japonica rice, seed cotton, dry peas, lentils, large and small chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts, sunflower seed, canola, flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed, safflower, crambe, and sesame seed.

In 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established, setting the rules for global trade. To comply with WTO standards, subsidies provided to farmers must be “decoupled” from current prices and production to keep subsidies from distorting international trade. U.S. farm program reforms in the 1996 FAIR Act relied upon the base acre system to meet new WTO standards.

Who controls the base acre allocation decision?
Base acres are associated with the land itself, meaning decisions about updating them are made by the landowner. The USDA has occasionally allowed farm owners to update the crops associated with their base acres. The Agricultural Act of 2014 was the last time farm owners could update base acres by reallocating base among covered commodities grown during the 2009-2012 period. Updating base acre crop-type allocation can pose challenges for tenant farmers, as base acre updates may represent a significant risk management decision that lies outside their control.

What is the issue with base acre by crop?
The historical evolution of base acre policy implies that the base acres of today do not necessarily reflect crops currently planted. While the discrepancy between base acres and planted acres is easy to spot, efforts to align base to planted crops are more complicated.

If program payments are meant to provide commodity price stability, then payments should be more closely tied to the crops farmers are planting. But we know that base acre policy was driven by global trade policy to minimize trade-distorting subsidies.

The historical evolution of base acre policy has resulted in some regions where farmers may be receiving a payment from a crop with base that they are not planting. For example, think of receiving a peanut payment - a crop with a high historical payment record - and planting soybeans. Farmers under this scenario would likely not be in favor of seeing changes to base acre policy as payments would likely decline. Landowners with valuable base acres are unlikely to give them up.

Farmers may be receiving little to no payment from base acres under crops they are not growing. For example, think of a farm with barley base that is growing corn. Farmers under this scenario would likely agree with updating base acre policy. Landlords may prefer to allocate base acres towards crops with higher historical payments.

These two scenarios illustrate conflicting incentives to align base acre crop assignments with a farm’s planting history.

What is the current base acre allocation by commodity in Nebraska?
In 2014, farm owners had the opportunity to update the allocation of base acres by commodity. Farm owners could either (A) retain their current base acre allocations or (B) update their base to reflect their planting history from 2009-12.

The allocation of Nebraska’s base acres by crop is presented in Table 1. Out of the 22 covered commodities, Nebraska only has base acres under ten commodities. Sixty-five percent of Nebraska’s 15.89 million base acres are allocated to corn, 19% to soybeans, 12% to wheat, 3% to grain sorghum, and 1% combined to barley, chickpeas, dry peas, oats, safflower, and sunflower.

Table 1. 2024 Nebraska Base Acres By Commodity

What would we expect the base acre allocation to be?
There are important differences in the current base acre allocation and the recent planting history. Table 2 shows the average planting and prevent-plant history by covered commodity in Nebraska from 2019 to 2023, according to USDA FSA.

Table 2. 2019-2023 Average Number of Acres Planted 
and Prevent Planted per Covered Commodity in Nebraska

Table 2 reveals that if 2019-2023 planted acres were reflective of base acres, the percentage of corn, grain sorghum, and wheat base in Nebraska would decrease, shifting largely to soybeans and some to oats.

The discrepancy in the percentage of base acres currently allocated to each commodity and the percentage of acres planted to a covered commodity can be attributed to a couple of reasons.

First, planting patterns have shifted since the last base acre allocation option in 2014. Using USDA NASS planted acre data, corn acres have grown from 9.15 million to 10.3 million acres. Soybean acres have increased from 4.8 million to 5 million acres per year. Wheat acres have declined from 1.7 million, to 960,000 acres. Table 3 below shows covered commodities that have more than 100,000 planted acres in 2025.

Table 3. 2009-2024 Covered Commodity with 100,000
acres or more of Planted Acres in Nebraska, in 1,000’s.

The second cause of this divergence is how the base acre allocation was handled in 2014. As discussed earlier, the authority to update base acres rests with the landowner and updating was voluntary. Some farm owners simply did not know or care to update their base acre crop allocation.

The payment outlook was likely an important factor in many farm owners’ base acre allocation decision, perhaps because they perceived larger payments from crops they were no longer growing. In other words, farm owners opted to retain their existing base acre crop allocation because of higher projected payouts.

Another factor may have been if the farm owner received a portion of the payment. For landowners who rent out their land using a cash lease arrangement, there is little direct incentive to update base acres since commodity program payments go entirely to the cash-rent tenant. An indirect incentive exists through the tenant.

Greater anticipated payments from commodities could drive up the rental rates cash-rent tenants are willing to pay. In contrast, crop-share landowners have a direct financial stake in the decision, as they receive a portion of commodity program payments. Farm owners who rent their land via crop-share arrangements would be more invested in the base acre allocation decision.

Looking ahead, under the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, farms may be eligible to increase base acres beginning in the 2026 crop year. If a farm’s 2019–2023 average planted and prevented-planted acres of covered commodities exceed its current base acres, additional base can be added. New base acres will be allocated to crops based on 2019-2023 planting history. However, the total expansion is capped at 30 million acres nationwide. If applications exceed that amount, the new base will be prorated across all eligible farms, meaning the final base acres allocated may fall short of a farm’s historical planting levels.

Base acre policy must determine whether its primary purpose is risk management or income reallocation. If viewed as a risk management instrument, base acres should be more closely tied to current or recent planted acreage, aligning program support with actual production risk. Alternatively, if designed as an income reallocation mechanism, policy should continue to allow farm owners flexibility in reallocating base acres toward crops with higher expected payment rates.

At present, trade distorting effects under WTO appear limited, even non-existent. Leading to a policy discussion focus on domestic distributional and efficiency objectives.

Source: Jessica Groskopf, Cory Walters, Anastasia Meyer (CropWatch – December 19, 2025)

tend to eat more, and gain 5-10% more when fed distillers and that extra rate of gain is valuable at today’s prices. In addition, your supplemental protein costs should be lower as feeding 20% or more in most finishing diets should displace needs for expensive supplemental protein (including urea).

More data is needed with growing cattle, but the value is likely 125 to 130% the value of supplementing corn in growing diets, with a fair Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) estimated to be 125 to 130% of corn, or a TDN in a growing diet of about 105%. Interestingly, there is no difference between dry, modified, or wet distillers when used in a forage-based diet in terms of energy content. There may be concerns with mixing in dry distillers in a forage-based diet unless your forages are wet like silage.

Again, all distillers are a good intermediate protein supplement that contains 30 to 35% protein from most conventional ethanol plants. Some new distillers byproduct feeds are becoming common in some areas that may run lower in fat, lower in protein, or in some cases, higher in protein. As always, watch the sulfur content, particularly if feeding finishing cattle and feeding large amounts or inclusions greater than 40% of the diet (on a Dry Matter (DM) basis, probably 50 to 60% on an as-fed basis).

Predicting the future always comes with uncertainty, but distillers has been priced competitively to corn for much of the past 12 months. As normal, prices are generally lower in the summer and increase in the winter, although prices have remained competitive these past few fall/winter months.

With increasing use of biofuels, there is an expected increase in the availability of soy protein products. It is reasonable to expect that the additional soy protein products may displace distillers grains use in pig and poultry diets, thereby increasing the availability of distillers grains available for beef systems. This is occurring concomitantly with decreased cattle numbers, particularly in feedlots and to the south. We expect greater opportunities to utilize distillers grains at higher inclusions may be realized in the next few years.

Understanding the actual feeding value to cattle from the previous research comparing feeding distillers grains to its alternatives should allow for good decision making and perhaps a return to feeding more distillers in diets than in recent years.

Summary Points:

1. Given recent pricing and potential trends, there may be greater opportunities again for use of distillers that is priced competitively to other protein and energy sources.
2. Sharpen your pencil to price distillers on a Dry Matter basis, and then as either an energy (TDN) or protein source. Of course, delivered price is critical to know as well as accounting for moisture when considering both cost per ton of DM, and how to store before feeding.
3. The biological response has not changed for use in forage systems (cows or backgrounding cattle) in that the TDN is likely 105 to 108%, and consistently 30% greater than supplementing corn grain as an energy in forage-based backgrounding programs.
4. While removing some of the fat (and maybe protein) impacts the value today compared to a decade ago, using distillers in feedlot diets may be economically beneficial and optimum inclusions may be greater than in recent years, so understanding the value relative to price will be very important for decision making.
5. More information to come on storing wet or modified distillers as opportunities arise for inexpensive distillers. Storage for smaller operations allows for better planning and ensuring adequate feed supplies when needed.

Source: Galen Erickson, Nebraska Extension Beef Feedlot Specialist, Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist, Jim MacDonald – Animal Science Professor (UNL Beef – February 1, 2026)

News Release 

“Calving College” Coming to Atkinson on Feb. 11

Following an overwhelmingly positive response last year, Nebraska Extension is pleased to bring back the “Calving College” series for 2026. This program offers practical, research-based guidance for farmers, ranchers, and veterinary professionals working to ensure a successful calving season.

Local ranchers can join two ways. The first way is to sign up for 3 webinars that include the hands-on workshop (cost is $80, sign up online). The second option is to only attend the hands-on workshop in Atkinson on Feb. 11 (cost is $20 at the door).

The hands-on, in-person workshop will be held at the West Holt FFA Ag Room, 1000 N. Main St in Atkinson, starting at 6 pm CT on February 11. Led by veterinarians, Dr. Becky Funk and Dr. Lindsay Waechter-Mead, participants can practice their skills using a life-sized cow and calf model. Participants can “see” inside the model cow, as the vets can place the calf with a leg back, backwards, etc, giving tips as participants pull the calf. This unique opportunity will provide practical experience in a supportive environment, ensuring participants leave with confidence and competence. If producers decide to only attend this workshop in Atkinson, walk-ins are welcome, and you will be charged $20 at the door.

Webinar participants will receive a notebook of Nebraska Extension resources and access to the recorded webinars to view at your convenience. A computer and internet connection will be needed to participate in the webinar series. The calving webinars will take place January 19, January 26, and February 2, 2026, from 7:30–8:45 p.m. CT, and will be complemented by hands-on, in-person workshops. For $80, you can attend the webinars and a hands-on workshop.

For more information about the Calving College webinar series and workshop, please contact Dr. Lindsay Waechter-Meat at 308-633-0158 or lindsay.waechter-mead@unl.edu, or sign up for the webinars online at https://go.unl.edu/calving.

News Release 

Nebraska Extension Launches Six-Part Webinar Series on Controlling Invasive Weeds and Pests in Pastures

Nebraska Extension will offer a six-part webinar series in February 2026 designed to equip ranchers, landowners, and natural resource professionals with the latest research and management strategies for tackling invasive weeds, woody encroachment, and pasture pests.

“Controlling Invasive Weeds & Pests in Pastures” will be held over three weeks, with webinars taking place on Mondays and Thursdays - Feb. 9, 12, 16, 19, 23 and 26 - from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. MT (7:30 to 8:45 p.m. CT).

The series brings together Nebraska Extension specialists and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to address several of the most pressing challenges in pasture and rangeland management.

Topics & Speakers include:

• Understanding regulations regarding pesticide application in pastures and noxious weed laws in Nebraska - Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
• Learn common invasive broadleaf weeds, herbicide options and the critical aspect of timing for control. Dr. Nevin Lawrence will discuss research results and how these apply to land managers.
• Woody encroachment on pastures is clear to see. Presenters Ben Beckman and Bethany Johnston will cover when control methods work best on cedars and troublesome shrubs.
• Invasive winter annuals like cheatgrass can wreck native range. Dr. Mitch Stephenson will discuss recent research in the Panhandle that is providing data on the effectiveness of herbicide options.
• What is that? New weeds to watch for will be the topic Gary Stone discusses early detection, and rapid response is key to control problem plants.
• Grasshopper populations can cause significant forage losses on pastures. Dave Boxler will discuss when treatment is warranted and restrictions for insecticide applications.

Registration is $75 per person and includes a mailed packet of key reference materials: the 2025 UNL Guide to Weed Management, Weeds of the Great Plains, and a booklet of NebGuides and Extension Circulars focused on invasive species. Webinars will be recorded.

Registration closes Jan. 26 to ensure participants receive their materials before the first webinar.

Those interested may register at https://go.unl.edu/PasturePests .

For more information, contact your local Nebraska Extension office or visit extension.unl.edu.

News Release

Workshops Aim to Boost Crop Yields by Improving Manure Management

LINCOLN, NE - Turning manure nutrients into improved crop yields while protecting water and soil quality will be the focus of seven Nebraska Extension workshops scheduled across the state in February and March.

“Our workshops focus on choosing the best possible field for manure application and therefore are useful for any crop farmer utilizing manure, even though they have traditionally been attended by livestock producers,” said Leslie Johnson, Nebraska Extension’s Animal Manure Management Extension Educator. “The workshops will still meet the educational requirements for permitted livestock operations laid out by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment’s Title 130.”

The day-long sessions, held from 9:00am to 4:00pm local time, provide DWEE Land Application Training certification. Participants must attend the full program, which includes lunch, to earn certification. Sessions will cover regulatory updates and strategies for using manure effectively on cropland. While certification is available, anyone may attend, including crop farmers and smaller livestock operators seeking practical guidance for their operations.

Hands-on activities will help participants evaluate which fields are best suited for manure application. Each session will present a scenario in which attendees assess potential fields and determine whether manure use would be beneficial or if certain limitations make the site less desirable. Participants will then rank fields by priority based on factors such as nutrient value, transportation cost, soil health, water quality, neighbor proximity, and odor concerns. Regulations and record-keeping requirements for manure storage and application will also be covered.

Workshop dates and locations:

· Gothenburg – Feb. 9
· Ainsworth – Feb. 24
· Broken Bow – Feb. 25
· Bridgeport – Feb. 27
· Norfolk – March 4
· West Point – March 5
· Aurora – March 17

Because seating is limited and meals are provided, advance registration is required at least one week before each event. Additional sessions may be added if demand is high. Registration is available at water.unl.edu/lat.

The cost is $100 per operation requiring certification - typically larger livestock facilities - or $25 per person for attendees not seeking certification, including smaller livestock producers, crop farmers, NRCS staff, and landlords.

The workshops are sponsored by Nebraska Extension’s Animal Manure Management Team, which works to help livestock and crop producers maximize the agronomic and environmental benefits of manure. For more information, visit manure.unl.edu or contact Leslie Johnson at 402-584-3818 or ljohnson13@nebraska.edu.

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