University of Nebraska Extension - Holt/Boyd News Column for the Week of May 5, 2024

NEBRASKA EXTENSION NEWS COLUMN

NEBRASKA EXTENSION EDUCATOR - HOLT/BOYD COUNTIES - LaDonna Werth
NEBRASKA EXTENSION EDUCATOR - HOLT/BOYD COUNTIES - Amy Timmerman
NEBRASKA EXTENSION EDUCATOR - BROWN/ROCK/KEYA PAHA COUNTIES - Hannah Smith
NEBRASKA 4-H ASSISTANT - HOLT/BOYD COUNTIES - Debra Walnofer

FOR WEEK OF: MAY 5, 2024

May 13: DUE: Boyd County 4-H Communications Event Entries

May 13: Holt County Shooting Sports Practice, .22 Rifle, Muzzleloader, SB Pistol, Shotgun, 5:00pm, Holt County Fairgrounds

May 18: Holt County Shooting Sports Practice – BB Gun, Air Rifle, Archery, Shotgun .22 Rifle, Muzzleloader, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm, Holt County Fairgrounds

May 18: Holt County 4-H Shooting Sports Club Meeting, 3:00pm, Holt County Fairgrounds

May 20 Boyd County 4-H Communications Event - 7:00pm, Boyd County Courthouse, Butte

May 22: In-Person Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and Beef Quality Assurance Transportation (BQAT), 4:00pm-6:00pm, Bassett City Building, https://bqa.unl.edu/training-events

May 27: DUE: 2024 Holt County Shooting Sports Invitational Registration, https://forms.gle/dCC5tc7hrdQN9iUU6

May 28-29: Tractor Safety Training, Certification Day 1 8:00am-4:30pm, Certification Day 2 8:00am-3:00pm, Cuming County Fairgrounds, West Point, NE, https://web.cvent.com/event/91b217d1-4370-4688-9d80-e5e8ca58b334/summary

May 29: Animal Science Discovery Days, 9:00am-3:00pm, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

May 31: DUE: Registration for Heavy Equipment Career Exploration, https://go.unl.edu/heavyequipment

June 1: Holt County 4-H Invitational Shoot, 8:00am-2:00pm, Holt County Fairgrounds, Chambers, NE, https://go.unl.edu/y943

June 1: DUE: State Horse Show Entries, by 5:00pm, https://nhorse.fairwire.com

June 6: Boyd County 4-H Rabbit Tattooing, 1:00pm, Boyd County Courthouse

June 7: Tractor Safety Training (Driving Only), 8:00am-3:00pm, AKRS Equipment, O’Neill, NE, https://web.cvent.com/event/91b217d1-4370-4688-9d80-e5e8ca58b334/summary

June 11-12: Tractor Safety Training, Certification Day 1 8:00am-4:30pm, Certification Day 2 8:00am-3:00pm, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Grand Island, NE, https://web.cvent.com/event/91b217d1-4370-4688-9d80-e5e8ca58b334/summary

June 7-21: 2024 Online Horticulture Identification Contest, http://go.unl.edu/online4hhortcontest

June 11-12: Tractor Safety Training, Certification Day 1 8:00am-4:30pm, Certification Day 2 8:00am-3:00pm, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Grand Island, NE, https://web.cvent.com/event/91b217d1-4370-4688-9d80-e5e8ca58b334/summary

June 13: Heavy Equipment Career Exploration, 8:15am-2:00pm, Hastings, NE

June 14: Holt County 4-H Rabbit Tattooing, 9:00am-4:00pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex

June 17-18: Premiere Communication Event, Lincoln, NE, https://4h.unl.edu/premier-communication-event

June 23-28: 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships, Grand Island, NE, https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports/national

Benefits of Getting Outdoors

From strolling through a city park to a day spent hiking in the wilderness, exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of metal health issues and even increase in empathy and cooperation.

When in urban environments or the office all day, a person can experience sensory overload, resulting in tension and mental fatigue. Studies have shown that the mind and body relax in a natural setting. This increases feelings of pleasure and can help with concentration and the ability to focus more effectively.

Being outdoors can also have relaxing effects on the mind. Nature can provide a mental break by allowing a person to temporarily escape the demands of everyday life. It can also boost creativity and problem-solving abilities.

Nature can also improve a person’s physical wellness.  Getting out into nature can encourage one to walk, bike, hike, or kayak more often. People typically engage in regular physical activity when in nature. Simply, stepping outside can aid in keeping a healthy weight or even lose weight by increasing activity levels.

Studies have also shown that being in nature has a positive effect on our bodies by reducing cortisol levels, muscle tension, and demands on our cardiovascular systems by lowering heart rate and blood pressure. The great outdoors can also help you increase your vitamin D level, which is important for your bones, blood cells, and immune system.

Improved mental health is another benefit of being in nature.  Nature can help decrease anxiety levels and can help lessen stress and feelings of anger.  Regular access to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of depression and improved concentration and attention.

Daily exposure to natural light helps regulate sleep/wake cycles, therefore being outside can improve sleep patterns.

Whether it is a park in the neighborhood, enjoying outdoor activities in the backyard or exploring vast landscapes of national forests and grasslands, there are benefits to be had by just stepping outside.  Making a habit of spending regular time outdoors, especially in nature, can greatly boost physical and mental wellbeing in turn leading to a healthier lifestyle.

Source: Kimberly Cook - UNL Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development (UNL For Families – May 6, 2024)

Does it Pay to Fertilize Cool-season Pasture?

Does it pay to fertilize cool-season pastures? That is a question that has been recently asked. The answer is, it depends. Depending on the cool-season mixture, things like bromegrass or western wheatgrass may all have somewhat different responses to fertilizer.

According to university research on sub-irrigated grazed hay meadows, a suggested fertilizer application of 70 lbs. of N, 25 lbs. of P and 20 lbs. of S per acre resulted in an average grass increase of about three quarters of a ton per acre. So, a $150 potential hay value increase only requires $56 per acre of fertilizer investment plus application costs. Thus, this would be a 3:1 ROI ratio (return on investment).

Nebraska grazing research has shown that, in general, you get one pound of additional calf or yearling gain for every pound of nitrogen fertilizer applied, provided that the amount applied is within UNL general recommendations, which are based on the potential amount of extra grass growth expected. This is affected mostly by moisture.

Some things to look at before deciding:

  • Cost of fertilizer for your pasture.
  • Pasture production and how much it can support.
  • Expected cattle prices.
  • Your own historical margins.

Knowing these things can help producers to make an informed decision on whether fertilizing is worth it. In some parts of the state where they have received a fair amount of moisture and given the current futures market and basis, as well as the other factors previously mentioned, it might be a very effective strategy to invest in and help producers capture some additional gains. For others, it just may not be feasible for their current situation.

Source: Shannon Sand - Agricultural Economics Extension Educator (CropWatch – April 29, 2024)

Spring Turnout to Pasture

The time for turnout to our primary summer pastures is coming soon. A couple of important questions are what date to turnout, and which pastures should be first.

The driving factors on the amount of grass growth at a specific date varies each year depending on spring temperatures and precipitation. This spring, March and April temperatures have been above normal and there are some areas in eastern Nebraska that have some level of drought. For areas that had drought last year, or are dry this year, delaying turnout, if possible, is recommended. This will allow the grass plants to maximize growth given the current soil moisture conditions, and result in greater season-long production.

For mixed cool- and warm-season native grass pastures, it is important to allow the cool-season grasses to reach at least a 3- to 4-leaf stage. Initial grass growth in the spring comes from energy reserves stored in the roots and crowns of the grass plant. Grazing too soon could cause a depletion of those reserves and reduce production because there was not enough leaf area present to adequately begin producing energy from photosynthesis.

When grazing multiple native grass pastures in a rotation, it is beneficial to change the sequence or order of grazing for the set of pastures. This change in the time of grazing each year benefits the overall health and vigor of the grasses. For producers who have both native range and introduced grass pasture such as smooth bromegrass or crested wheatgrass, grazing the introduced grass pastures first is a great approach to use that resource and allows for a later turn-out on the native pastures.

Source: Jerry Volesky - Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Specialist (CropWatch – April 29, 2024)

News Release
First Interstate Bank awarded FIB Foundation Grant of $2500 to Holt County 4-H Foundation. Grant helps create hundreds of opportunities for the Youth of Holt County!

First Interstate Bank has awarded a FIB Foundation Grant of $2500 to Holt County 4-H Foundation. FIB Foundation Grants are awarded each year to support non-profit organizations in the communities the Bank serves. The Holt County 4-H Foundation is a non-profit organization incorporated in March 1993 to encourage and obtain charitable gifts to aid in the continuation and advancement of the Holt County 4-H program and activities. The Foundation seeks to ensure that our youth and their leaders have opportunities to benefit from the 4-H experience. 4-H empowers young people to be true leaders. True leaders who have confidence; know how to work well with others; can endure through challenges; and will stick to a job until it gets done. In 4-H, true leaders aren't born–they are grown. The 4-H experience is proven to grow true leaders with life skills like confidence, independence, resilience, and compassion.

The Holt County 4-H Foundation supports the growth of young people by providing grants for individuals, clubs, and 4-H volunteers for camps, learning activities, opportunities, and even trips/travel. A recent example of one of these amazing opportunities the Holt County 4-H Foundation help make happen: Miya Carey was one of the thirteen Nebraska 4-H'ers who was selected to travel and participate in the 102nd National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, GA, held November 24-28, 2023. National 4-H Congress is the premier leadership event for 4-H members between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age. Nebraska delegates are selected for the trip to the National 4-H Congress by submitting an Achievement Application for state competition.

Every year at the end of the 4-H season youth are given the option to complete their 4-H Achievement Application. The Nebraska 4-H Achievement Application is a standard application form used for the selection of county and state award winners, including Nebraska delegates to National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference, as well as Nebraska 4-H Foundation scholarship award recipients. A selection committee screens the applications. In the selection process, significant accomplishments in your 4-H experience, leadership, community involvement, and career spark are given more consideration than the number of 4-H projects completed. “Every year I am excited to complete my Achievement Application because it highlights my past 4-H season accomplishments and allows me the opportunity for more 4-H experiences,” said Carey. “This past year I submitted my application to the state level and was fortunate enough to receive interviews for both the National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference. After interviewing I was notified that I was one of Nebraska's youth that was selected to attend the National 4-H Congress and was also an alternate for the National 4-H Conference.”

“Upon being selected I submitted an application to the Holt County 4-H Council and Holt County 4-H Foundation for their scholarship programs to help cover the costs of my trip to Atlanta. Through generous donations and support these two entities were able to provide me with funding to cover all my expenses and provided me with an opportunity of a lifetime.”

This year’s National 4-H Congress conference theme “Unforgettable Past, Innovative Future” focused on leadership, citizenship, global awareness, and inclusion. Nebraska 4-H members joined youth from across the nation which brought together over 800 young people from across the country. Youth participated in service-learning projects; international education, including an international night; and a variety of workshops to expand their skills, while being inspired to make an impact on their club, community, and country.

“Prior to departing for Atlanta the Nebraska group held zoom meetings so we could get to know the other youth who we would be traveling to Atlanta with. There were opportunities within our group to lead our Nebraska state meetings, and also an opportunity to carry the Nebraska flag in the opening ceremonies at Atlanta. We had to submit an email if we were interested in either of these positions. After submitting our interest we had to give reasons why we thought we were the one for the job and our group of Nebraska peers voted on the positions. I was fortunate enough and honored to be selected to represent our state of Nebraska by carrying the Nebraska flag in Atlanta.”

“While in Atlanta we participated in various community service projects. I was selected to go to Piedmont Park where we moved mulch and cleaned up leaves in the dog park. The parks in Atlanta were beautiful and well maintained,” shared Miya. “I was able to work with 4-H’ers from across the nation.”

“My favorite part of this experience was attending the night of culture. There were different booths set up with Italian, Chinese, plus Egyptian food, and so much more. The 4-H members from Puerto Rico shared with us a dance native to their territory.”

The group, made up of high school students and a few college freshmen, attended numerous educational workshops, cultural events, and completed service-learning projects while in Atlanta. Attendees heard nationally known speakers, including Amberly Snyder, motivational speaker and barrel racer; Dan Clark, New York Times Best Selling Author; Chris Boleman, CEO & President of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; and Dr. Dionne Toombs, Associate Director for Programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture; among others. 

Highlights of the five-day trip included a tour of Atlanta, visits to the Atlanta History Center, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke, the College Football Hall of Fame, and other attractions. Youths were accompanied by Nebraska 4-H Extension Educator, Dawn Lindsley, and Martin Wiese, a 4-H volunteer from Dodge County.

“This is definitely an experience I will not forget. At 4-H Congress I learned a lot about leadership skills and team building. I met youth from all over the world and created life long friendships. I would encourage all 4-H members to complete their Achievement Applications. Your involvement in 4-H programs can open the door to many opportunities,” explained Miya. For more information on the National 4-H Congress, please visit 4h.unl.edu/congress.

Picture: Jay Addison giving check to Chairmen of the Holt County 4-H Foundation, Gene Kelly. In the middle Miya Carey, a Holt County 4-H’er who has been given opportunities to grow as a leader through the Holt County 4-H Foundation Grant Scholarships.