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
March 9: Deadline: Enroll on 4-H Online For a Chance to Win a 4-H T-Shirt, v2.4honline.com
March 9: Face-To-Face YQCA Training, 6:30pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex Meeting Room, O’Neill, NE
March 10: Considerations of Causes of Low Pregnancy Rates in Young Beef Cows Webinar, 7:30pm, go.unl.edu/gd83
March 14: Nebraska State 4-H BB Gun Championships, 8:00am MDT – 6:00pm MDT, Kimball High School, Kimball, NE
March 14: Nebraska State 4-H Air Rifle Championships, 8am MDT – 6pm MDT, Kimball High School, Kimball, NE
March 17: Initial Commercial/Noncommercial Pesticide Training, 8:30am-5:00pm, Madison County Extension, Norfolk, NE
March 19: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Spencer, NE
March 21: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop, 8:030am-6:30 pm, Knox County Fairgrounds, Bloomfield, NE
March 21: Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Update, 8:30am-12:00pm, Knox County Fairgrounds, Bloomfield, NE
March 24: Recertification Commercial/Noncommercial Pesticide Training, 8:30am-5:00pm, Madison County Extension Office, Norfolk, NE
April 1: DUE: Holt County Market Beef & Second Year Bucket Calves ID Sheets, Holt County Extension Office
April 2: Private Pesticide Training, 10:00am, Community Building, Ainsworth, NE, https://pested.unl.edu/
April 8: Private Pesticide Training, 10:00am, Mid Plains Community College, Valentine, NE, pested.unl.edu
April 9: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Holt County Annex, O’Neill, NE, pested.unl.edu
Beyond Ready
How can you help your young person be beyond ready for what their future holds? How can you help them develop leadership, citizenship, and life skills, while having fun and meeting new friends? 4-H may have exactly what you are looking for.
4-H is a community of young people, ages 5-18 across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential working and learning in partnership with caring adults. 4-H isn’t just for rural youth. Today, 4-H serves youth in rural, urban, and suburban communities in every state across America.
Youth may take part in 4-H through a variety of ways: 4-H Clubs, out-of-school programming, school enrichment programs or as independent members. In Nebraska, 1 out of every 3 young people are taking part in 4-H and reaping the benefits.
What are some of the benefits of being in 4-H? 4-H’ers gain subject matter knowledge, while learning life skills. Life skills such as:
- critical thinking
- problem solving
- respecting self, others
- and the environment
What is so exciting about 4-H is the affiliation of 4-H to the University of Nebraska? Youth benefit from fun researched-based educational programs. There are over 150 projects for youth to choose from. Ranging from rockets to livestock, to home environment to computers, there is really something for everyone. Through these projects, youth gain valuable skills and knowledge to help them in their future.
Tufts University’s “Longitudinal Study of Positive Youth Development” conducted in 2021 showed that 4-H’ers are succeeding. Data shows that compared to their peers
4-H’ers are 2 times more likely to have the goal of being a leader; 3 times more likely to participate in community service and 2 times more likely to report living life with intentionality and purpose.
4-H is building a ready generation in a world of change and they are ready to help your young person to become Beyond Ready!
How do you sign up for 4-H? You can sign up online now to join 4-H. Just contact your local extension office for details.
Source: Rhonda Herrick - UNL Extension Educator (UNL for Families - March 2, 2026)
Prepare Now in Case of Drought
This winter has been open and dry across most of Nebraska and according to the Drought Monitor, many areas are increasing in their drought classification intensity. We are a few weeks away from another growing season and who knows how much moisture lies ahead. In this article, I’ll suggest some ways you can limit the forage problems drought could cause.
Drought is likely to be a problem again this summer, at least somewhere. Because hay can be costly when pastures are short, we need to consider ways to minimize damages if we receive less than average rainfall. Fortunately, early spring is a time you can take action that can minimize some of drought’s problems.
For starters, prepare a strategy for using any remaining hay. One of the better options is to feed hay a bit longer into spring before turning cows out to permanent pasture. I know this action is exactly opposite of my usual recommendation to graze more and feed less hay. But allowing pastures to accumulate a bit more growth before grazing begins will provide more total grazable forage if drought prevents much regrowth later on. Leftover hay also can be used later during the grazing season to give pastures more time to recover between grazings.
Another strategy is planting annual forages for pasture or hay. Some excellent choices are oats planted as early as possible or summer annual grasses like sudangrass, sorghum-sudan hybrids, and pearl millet planted once soils are good and warm. Late May or early June usually is best for these grasses. So, reserve some ground now for these drought-insurance grasses, before you plant everything to corn, beans and other crops. And don’t forget about possibly planting these grasses or even some fall cover crop forages into wheat stubble as a double crop after harvest.
If the rains don’t come, planning and acting now to reduce potential forage losses from drought will pay big dividends.
Source: Jerry Volesky - UNL Extension Range and Forage Specialist ( CropWatch - March 2, 2026)
Establishing Perennial Grasses
Are you considering establishing a new field of perennial forage grasses this spring or renovating an existing field? Seed selection, seedbed preparation, fertilization, methods of seeding, time and rate of seeding, and weed control are all an important part of the process.
For cool-season grasses such smooth brome, wheatgrasses, or orchardgrass, the planting period is typically mid-March into April. Planting in late April or May is suggested for warm-season grasses like big bluestem or switchgrass.
The seedbed for grasses should be firm, well-packed, and free of large clods with just enough loose surface soil for proper seed coverage. Good seed-to-soil contact is essential to maintain adequate moisture near the seeds. This moisture is necessary for germination and for the small root systems of young grass seedlings.
A companion crop such as oats with cool-season grasses can be used for seedling protection and to reduce soil erosion. Sandy soils or hilly sites are most likely to benefit from companion crops.
Grass seedlings grow slowly and compete poorly with weeds. The most frequent cause of seeding failure and slow establishment of warm- and cool-season grasses is poor weed control. If weeds are abundant, mowing can be used to reduce competition. Broadleaf weeds can be controlled in grass seedings using 2,4-D ester at a rate of 1 pt/A (4 lbs of acid equivalent/gal). Do not spray 2,4-D until grass seedlings have at least five leaves.
For more information on this topic, read the Extension NebGuide titled ‘Establishing Dryland Forage Grasses.’
Source: Jerry Volesky - UNL Extension Range and Forage Specialist (Beef Watch – March 1, 2026)
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.
News Release
Nebraska Extension to Host Webinar on Low Pregnancy Rates in Young Cows
Lincoln, Neb. - Low pregnancy rates in young cows can significantly impact herd replacement costs and long-term profitability for cow-calf producers. To address this challenge, Nebraska Extension will host a webinar, Considerations of Causes of Low Pregnancy Rates in Young Cows, on Tuesday, March 10.
The webinar will begin at 6:30pm Mountain time (7:30 p.m. Central) and focus on key biological and management factors that influence reproductive success in young cows.
Topics and presenters include:
- Heifer Development – Dr. Rick Funston and Dr. Kacie McCarthy
- Genetic Selection – Dr. Matt Spangler
- Nutrition for the Cow – Dr. Karla Wilke
- Infectious Diseases and Infertility – Dr. Brian Vander Ley and Dr. Matt Hille.
The first 40 minutes of the program will feature short presentations from each speaker, followed by a live questions-and answer session. Participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with Nebraska Extension specialists, veterinarians, and educators.
The webinar is open to cow-calf producers, veterinarians, and consultants. The goal of the program is to encourage discussion around low pregnancy rates in young cows and to provide research-based insights that can be applied in herd management decisions.
There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is requested. To register, email Aaron Berger at mailto:aberger2@unl.edu by Friday, March 6. A recording of the webinar will be made available to registered participants following the program.
If you would like to attend an in-person location to view the webinar and engage in discussion with other producers, the following locations will also host the webinar. Please RSVP by March 6.
- Buffalo County, Office Building, 1400 E 34th St., Kearney, Brent Plugge, 308-236-1235
- Holt County Courthouse Annex, 128 N 6th St., O’Neill, Bethany Johnston, 402-336-2760
- Nance County Office, 304 3rd St., Fullerton, Josie Crouch, 308-536-2691
- Sheridan County Office, 800 South Loofborrow St., Rushville, Brock Ortner, 308-327-2312
- Lincoln County Office, 402 W. State Farm Rd., Snyder Building, North Platte, Randy Saner,
- 308-532-2683
- Central Sandhills Area Office, Thomas County Courthouse, Thedford, TL Meyer, 308-645-2267.
For more information, contact Berger at 308-235-3122 or mailto:aberger2@unl.edu