Holt Boyd News Column for the Week of October 25, 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

October 12-29: Knowing, Growing, and Grazing Grass Webinar Series, Monday and Thursday evenings, 7:30pm – 8:45pm CT, https://go.unl.edu/knowing_grass

November 1: DUE: Holt County 4-H Shooting Sports Registration

November 5: ARC/PLC Program Election and Enrollment Meeting, 10:00am, Ainsworth Conference Center, 606 E. 4th St., Ainsworth, NE; Register: Brown County Extension – 402-387-2213, https://cap.unl.edu/farmprograms

November 9: Rural Nebraska Makers Virtual Series – Planning For Scale-Up, 7pm CT, https://go.unl.edu/rural

November 17: UNL Virtual Fencing Pitch and Panel Webinar Series – Virtual Fencing Research Updates, 7:00pm – 8:30pm, Register at https://go.unl.edu/26vf

November 19: UNL Virtual Fencing Pitch and Panel Webinar Series - Product Pitches and App Walkthroughs, 7:00pm – 8:30pm, Register at https://go.unl.edu/26vf

November 23: UNL Virtual Fencing Pitch and Panel Webinar Series – Producer Perspectives, 7:00pm – 8:30pm, Register at https://go.unl.edu/26vf

December 2: Understanding Financial Documents Workshop for Nebraska Farmers and Ranchers, 9:00am–12:00pm CT, O’Neill, NE (exact location TBD)

• Examples include small toys, pocket-sized games, plastic costume jewelry, glow sticks, tiny decks of cards, pencils, pencil toppers, fancy erasers, stickers (including reflective safety stickers), bookmarks, bottles of bubbles, whistles, coloring books, or small packages of crayons.

Promote physical activity.

• Use party games and trick-or-treat time as a way to fit in 60 minutes of physical activity for kids. You can encourage and pump up the enthusiasm for being more active by providing small and inexpensive toys that promote activity.
• Items could include a bouncy ball, jump rope, side walk chalk for a game of hopscotch or foursquare, or a beanbag for hacky sack.

Moderation is key.

• Halloween is a great time to discuss and demonstrate the importance of moderation. Keep track of children’s candy so they don’t go overboard in one sitting. Let them pick out a few treats on Halloween night and then let them have a few pieces each day after that.
• Show kids treats can fit into a healthy eating plan in small amounts. Combine a treat, such as fun-size candy, with a healthy snack like a piece of fruit. Be sure they eat the fruit first, so they don’t fill up on the candy.

Survive sweet treats at work.

• Snack- or fun-size candies are small and easy to eat, but eating several throughout the day can add up to extra calories. Keep the wrappers where you can see them, so they don’t accidentally pile up.
• If you can’t just eat a few treats at work, start bringing healthier alternatives with you. Stock your snack bag or desk drawer with fruit cups, dried fruit, lightly sweetened whole grain cereal, graham crackers, low-fat pudding cups, popcorn, or granola bars.
• Remember that friends or co-workers may also be struggling to stay motivated to make healthy changes. Lean on each other and be there when others need encouragement. This year, make an effort to bring healthier treat options to work.

Source: Lisa Franzen-Castle – Extension Nutrition Specialist (Food UNL – 2026)

Work With the Direction of the Lodging

When corn is lodged across the rows, harvesting from the downwind side of the field may improve gathering conditions.

When corn is lodged with the row, harvesting against the lean may help gathering chains pick up stalks. 

However, don't assume one direction is always better. Check actual gathering losses to determine whether harvesting in only one direction reduces losses enough to justify the additional time and travel.

It is difficult to see missed ears under heavy residue. When conducting loss estimates, make sure to physically shuffle your feed through the check area to locate any hidden ears beneath the residue.

Adjust the Corn Head

The corn head may need substantial changes when harvesting lodged corn. Depending on field conditions, the following changes may improve gathering efficiency and reduce grain loss:

• Lower the head: Operate the head as low as practical without picking up excessive rocks and soil.
• Flatten the header angle: When corn is lodged across the rows, a flatter header angle of approximately 20 degrees can help stalks rise over the snouts more easily, reducing resistance from gravity.
• Increase header angle when appropriate: When corn is lodged “with the row,” the steeper angle can help gathering chains or be more aggressive to grip the stalks.
• Reposition gathering chains: Adjust the chains on their sprockets so the lugs are directly across from one another allowing a more aggressive grip on the stalk.
• Adjust stripper plates: Open the plates slightly, if needed, to better accommodate stalk width and increase the taper from front to back.
• Remove ear-saver flaps: Removing these flaps from each row may allow smoother material flow under difficult harvesting conditions.
• Lower tall crop shields: When appropriate, lower the shields at the ends of the corn head.
• Consider powered spiral cones: These attachments can help move lodged stalks into the gathering area.
• Add weight to poly snouts: Additional weight may help poly divider snouts to remain beneath the canopy.
• Consider a corn reel: A corn reel may improve travel speed and productivity, but check field losses to determine whether it increases grain loss.

Fine-Tune the Combine for Lodged Corn

Slower harvest speeds may require additional combine adjustments to minimize grain loss and maintain grain quality. Consider the following settings:

• Fan speed: Reduce fan speed as needed to retain grain while still allowing lightweight, poor-quality kernels to be blown out.
• Rotor speed: Reduce rotor speed as needed to maintain grain quality.

Check kernel losses behind the combine and grain quality in the tank to determine whether further adjustments are necessary.

Corn head plugging is more common when harvesting lodged corn. If a plug develops, completely shut down the machine and wait for all moving parts to stop before leaving the cab. Take the key with you to prevent anyone from restarting the machine unexpectedly. Use the manufacturer's head cylinder stops when working around or underneath the head.

Harvested corn may also contain more foreign material and soil than normal, increasing the potential for grain storage problems. Monitor grain quality carefully before and during storage.

Severe Cases May Require a Grain Platform

In severe lodging situations, a grain platform may be an option for harvesting corn. However, expect reduced harvesting capacity because the entire corn plant must pass through the combine.

Additional adjustments may be necessary to accommodate the increased volume of plant material, including increasing concave clearance and fan speed. Always follow machine-specific recommendations. Be aware that harvesting corn with a grain platform may also increase the risk of damage to the platform.

Don’t Trust the Yield Monitor Without Checking It

Slower harvest speeds and frequent stopping and starting can affect yield monitor accuracy. If harvesting conditions differ significantly from normal, calibrate the yield monitor at a speed representative of actual harvesting conditions. Also, verify header-height calibration to ensure the system correctly recognizes when the combine is harvesting.

Interpret yield data collected under highly variable speeds and header positions with caution.

Grazing Corn on the Ground

Grazing cattle may be an option for recovering some of the grain left in fields with significant corn lodging. However, excessive amounts of corn on the ground can increase the risk of grain overload (acidosis) in cattle. Producers should estimate the amount of corn remaining before grazing and develop a management plan to control grain intake.

For guidance on estimating corn losses and managing grazing risks, see "Estimating Bushels of Corn on the Ground by Counting Ears Prior to Grazing with Cattle" from UNL Beef.

Alternative Methods for Recovering Downed Corn

When lodged corn cannot be recovered with a conventional corn head, alternative methods may help salvage some of the crop. A 2012 CropWatch article documented several approaches used by Nebraska growers, including:

Raking and combining: Use a V-rake to gather downed stalks and ears into windrows, then harvest with a combine equipped with a windrow pickup head. Slow operating speeds may be necessary, and dirt and heavy residue can increase plugging and equipment wear. One grower reported tying down the rake wheels to prevent them from riding over the stalks. Consult manufacturer guidance before attempting similar modifications, and be aware that this process can also damage rake teeth.

• Chopping and combining: Use a flail chopper to cut stalks and leaves, then rake the material and downed corn into windrows for collection with a combine equipped with a windrow pickup bean head.
• Chopping and baling for feed: After flail chopping, bale the plant material and corn for livestock feed. Test the nutrient content before feeding, as the material may contain substantially more grain than typical corn residue.
• Manual harvesting: Some growers have hired FFA chapters or other youth groups to manually recover corn from severely lodged fields where mechanical harvesting is difficult.

Source: Jenny Brhel - Former Extension Educator, Updated By: Amy Timmerman - Extension Educator (CropWatch - October 27, 2017; Updated: October 9, 2026)

Sixty weaned steer calves averaging 529 lb were randomly assigned to one of eight paddocks. Paddocks were then assigned to a strip grazing treatment, where forage was allocated by advancing the front fence either once (1X) or twice (2X) per week. Allocation amounts were adjusted throughout the 64-day grazing period based on visual estimates of post-grazing forage. Because forage crude protein averaged only 5%, both treatments also received supplemental protein tubs containing 24% crude protein.

Results and Implications

Increasing allocation frequency from once to twice weekly did not affect steer average daily gain, post-grazing biomass, or forage utilization. Across treatments, average daily gain was 0.45 lb/d, post-grazing biomass was approximately 2,722 lb/ac, and forage utilization averaged 59%.

However, increasing allocation frequency from once to twice weekly increased carrying capacity by 17%, from 5.8 to 6.8 AUM/ac, attributed to decreased trampling losses with more frequent allocation.

Although forage production on dryland acres in western Nebraska is likely to be considerably lower than the 6,800 lb/ac observed in this study, particularly under current drought conditions, the principle remains relevant: small improvements in carrying capacity can become meaningful when multiplied across a large acreage.

For example, assume a producer increases carrying capacity on swathed sorghum-sudangrass from 1.0 to 1.17 AUM/ac by switching from one to two allocations each week. Across a 320-acre field, that 0.17 AUM/ac increase represents approximately 54 additional AUM. In a year when hay is expensive and forage supplies are limited, those additional grazing days can have meaningful economic value.

Practically, twice weekly allocations are not a prescription for optimal swath grazing efficiency. Rather, this study compared a two-fold increase in allocation frequency, from once to twice a week, which improved carrying capacity by 17% due to decreased trampling losses. In this scenario, increasing frequency (i.e., twice weekly à daily à 12-h) eventually leads to diminishing returns to carrying capacity and labor. Thus, producers should allocate at a frequency that minimizes trampling losses without limiting animal intake or labor use disproportionate to the anticipated benefit.

What About Corn Residue?

Applying these findings directly to corn residue requires caution. Relatively little research has directly evaluated how allocation frequency affects carrying capacity when cattle graze corn residue. However, research on stocking rate and stocking density provides a useful framework for understanding why allocation may be beneficial.

This creates an important distinction between carrying capacity and stocking rate. Carrying capacity describes the number of animals an area can support for a given time, whereas stocking density describes how many animals are concentrated on a given area at a particular time.

Over a given time, cattle stocked at a lower density have greater opportunity to selectively graze the highest-quality components of corn residue, particularly grain, husk, and leaf. As stocking density increases, cattle have less opportunity to selectively graze these preferred components and consume a greater proportion of lower-quality material.

Regardless of stocking rate, the amount of residue allocated to cattle can influence diet quality throughout the grazing period. Under continuous grazing, cattle progressively remove the preferred grain, husk, and leaf. As these components become limiting, diet quality can decline, potentially reducing animal performance. In contrast, allocating a fresh portion of residue to cattle at regular intervals can provide more consistent access to preferred plant components throughout the grazing period.

Therefore, strip grazing corn residue may be less about forcing cattle to consume poor-quality residue and more about managing access to the higher-quality portion of the residue.

Putting It Into Practice

For producers facing limited forage supplies this fall, strategic strip grazing may be a worthwhile practice to delay drylot feeding and improve grazing efficiency. Strip grazing provides a relatively simple management tool for controlling cattle access to forage. More frequent allocations may reduce trampling and increase carrying capacity, but the additional labor must be weighed against the value of the forage saved.

In a drought year, those calculations become particularly important. A small improvement in carrying capacity across acres dedicated to annual forages can translate into substantial additional grazing capacity—and potentially fewer days of purchased or harvested feed.

Source: Brock Ortner - Nebraska Extension Livestock System Educator (BeefWatch - October 1, 2026)

News Release - Workshop to Help Ag Producers Understand Financial Documents

An upcoming workshop aims to help Nebraska farmers and ranchers strengthen their financial decision-making skills. Hosted by Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline, “Understanding Financial Documents” will run from 9:00am to 12:00noon on December 2 at the Holt County Annex Building, 128 N. 6^th Street, O’Neill, NE.

The workshop was developed and will be hosted by Dave Haupt, a financial analyst with the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Dave Goeller, a consultant with the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline. Goeller is a retired Nebraska Extension educator who spent his career working with farm families on transition planning.

The workshops will cover the fundamentals of the balance sheet, including how assets and liabilities determine a farm or ranch's net worth. Sessions will also walk through cash flow statements and income statements, showing producers how to project income and expenses while tracking them against actual results throughout the year.

Attendees will learn to calculate and interpret key financial ratios that measure an operation’s solvency, liquidity, repayment capacity, and profitability. Producers will also learn how trend analysis over multiple years can show whether an operation is building equity and liquidity or headed the other direction.

The workshop will include a session on goal setting for both the business and the family, and on why clear communication matters to both. Topics include how management teams can build consensus, divide responsibilities and work through conflicts or setbacks that come with running a farm or ranch together.

The workshops are free to attend. Register by calling the Nebraska Rural Response hotline at 800-464-0258. 

More financial management resources from the Center for Agricultural Profitability are available at https://cap.unl.edu/finance. The Rural Response Hotline’s website is https://farmhotline.com.

News Release - Nebraska Extension, FSA hosting meeting on ARC, PLC ahead of enrollment deadline

An upcoming meeting in Ainsworth will detail Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program election and enrollment considerations for farmers and agricultural professionals ahead of the approaching enrollment deadline. It will be held from 10 a.m. to noon November 5 at the Ainsworth Conference Center, 606 E. 4^th St.

ARC and PLC programs are administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency to help offset changes in either revenue or price for specific crops. The election and enrollment period for ARC and PLC for the 2026 crop year is now open through Dec. 11. The 2027 crop year period will be open from Nov. 2 through March 15. 

During the meeting, experts from Nebraska Extension and the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Nebraska State Office will discuss what producers need to know as they work with their local FSA office on 2026 program election decisions and detail important factors to consider before enrolling by Dec. 11.

The meeting is free to attend but registration is requested prior to the meeting. Register on the Center for Agricultural Profitability’s website, https://cap.unl.edu/farmprograms or by calling Nebraska Extension in Brown County at 402-387-2213.

News Release - 2026 UNL Virtual Fencing Pitch and Panel Webinar Series

Nebraska Extension will host a three-part virtual fencing webinar series Nov. 17, 19 and 23 to help beef cattle producers explore the technology, compare available systems, and learn from producers who have incorporated virtual fencing into their grazing management practices.

The 2026 UNL Virtual Fencing Pitch and Panel Webinar Series will be held online from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Central time each evening. The webinars are free to attend, and each session will conclude with a panel discussion.

The series will bring together University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers, virtual fencing companies, and livestock producers to discuss current research, available technologies, and practical experiences with virtual fencing.

The webinar schedule includes:

• Nov. 17 - Virtual Fencing Research Updates: Researchers will discuss cattle stress responses, separating groups within a pasture, rangeland grazing, strip grazing, and grazing move frequency. The session will also cover potential future cost-share programs for Nebraska producers.
• Nov. 19 - Product Pitches and App Walkthroughs: Representatives from Halter, Monil, Nofence and eShepherd (Gallagher) will provide an in-depth overview of their virtual fencing systems, including product features, platforms, and app demonstrations.
• Nov. 23 - Producer Perspectives: Livestock producers who have adopted virtual fencing will share their experiences, including benefits, challenges, lessons learned and what they wish they had known before implementing the technology.

The series is designed to help producers better understand how virtual fencing systems work, evaluate available options, and consider how the technology might fit into their grazing operations.

Attendance is free thanks to sponsorship support from Halter, Monil, Nofence and eShepherd (Gallagher).

Participants can register at https://go.unl.edu/26vf. Registered participants will receive instructions for accessing the webinars.

For more information, contact Marissa Eekhoff at meekhoff2@unl.edu or 402-472-5233, or Aaron Berger at aberger2@unl.edu or 308-235-3122.

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