Nebraska Extension in Morrill County

Local Interest

PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Strengthening family bonds with children during homebound times

By Jackie Guzman Extension Educator – Learning Child

As COVID-19 is changing our lives on a daily basis and with school closings, families are home together in often-times tight quarters. This can be very trying, even for the most patient individual.  This can also be an opportunity to strengthen our family bonds with children.

It is important to remember that families are the first teachers of their children.  Families help teach children how to socialize with the world outside and engage with others.  Families form the foundation for children to learn from in order to become great family members and citizens.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Alternative crops program at Panhandle Center investigates possibility for growing mint in western Nebraska

Dipak Santra, Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist

Mint is not grown commercially in Nebraska on a large scale yet – there are less than 500 acres – but a project at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff is aimed at providing answers about whether farmers could grow it here and which varieties might grow best.

A three-year project to identify the best mint varieties for western Nebraska began in 2018 and is scheduled to continue through the 2020 growing season. The project is funded by a Nebraska Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant, and is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Mahesh Pattabiraman, associate professor of organic chemistry at the University of Nebraska Kearney.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Healthy holiday food traditions

By Tammie Ostdiek
Extension Educator – Food, Nutrition and Health

Holidays can be filled with overindulgence. But it’s possible to avoid added calories and the pang of guilt – as well as adverse health effects – with some thoughtful planning and preparation.

Consider making little changes to create healthier meals, increase physical activity and feel your best during the busy holiday season. Here are some simple steps:

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: UNL partners with Panhandle farm to research hemp

Dave Ostdiek Communication/Technology Associate

The Panhandle Research and Extension Center has embarked on a partnership with a family farm corporation in Scotts Bluff County, Western Farms LLC, to conduct scientific research on growing industrial hemp for seed production in the Panhandle.

The public-private joint venture will take place in Scottsbluff and is titled “Evaluation of Hemp Seed Production in Greenhouse Environment in Western Nebraska.”

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: In more than 50 years, two Extension plant pathologists have been stationed in Scottsbluff

Robert M. Harveson, Extension Plant Pathologist
Panhandle R&E Center, Scottsbluff

The Panhandle Research and Extension Center (REC) was begun in 1910 with the establishment of the Scotts Bluff Experimental Substation.

Although the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) was not formally established until 1920, a decade later, plant pathology had a significant presence in western Nebraska even before the Substation in Scottsbluff was created.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: The value of grass in Nebraska

Nebraska has one of the highest summer pasture rental rates in the nation for cow-calf pairs or stocker/yearlings, on a price-per-pair-per-month or price-per-head basis. Prices remain historically quite strong, although they have moderated after the rapid run-up that occurred after 2014 and 2015. Reported pasture rental rates are documented in a survey published annually by Nebraska Extension titled “Nebraska Farm Real Estate Report,” which can be found at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Ag Economics website at agecon.unl.edu. This all points to the importance, for ranchers, of understanding good management of their pastures. A number of factors contribute to the strong pasture rental rates found in Nebraska, including these three:
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Annual forage options following irrigated winter wheat

Annual forage options following irrigated winter wheat

July 25, 2024
The “Engaging Agriculture” articles are written weekly by and for Engagement Zone 1 Nebraska Extension Educators, who cover the 11 counties in the Panhandle.‘

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New Format for Nebraska Soybean Management Field Days

New Format for Nebraska Soybean Management Field Days

July 24, 2024
The 2024 Soybean Management Field Days will take place August 13 to August 16. Hosted by the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) and Nebraska Extension, the field days offer a unique opportunity for farmers to learn about soybean production, the new Soybean Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) contest, and to network with fellow growers.

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SCAL field day set for Thursday, Aug. 8.

SCAL field day set for Thursday, Aug. 8.

July 24, 2024
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) field day is Thursday, Aug. 8.

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Heat keeps rains away during wheat harvest

Heat keeps rains away during wheat harvest

July 23, 2024
Amid the high temperatures in western Nebraska, wheat harvest has been going on. “We’re right in the middle of wheat harvest,” said Cody Creech, Nebraska Extension dryland cropping specialist at the UNL High Plains Ag Lab in Sidney. “The rest of the state has wrapped up, and we’ll be completing harvest this week.” Typical for most growers, weather has been a big factor in wheat yields. The yield reports in the Panhandle vary depending on whether the fields were hit by hail or not.

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