By Jessica Groskopf, Glennis McClure, Linda Emanuel, and Jean Ann Fischer
Nebraska Extension Rural Wellness Team
You do not have to go far on social media to find farmers in tractors or families out with newborn calves with the hashtag “social distancing” and the caption “I’ll be engaging in social distancing this spring, like I do every year!”
Julie Peterson, Extension Entomologist at the West Central REC
Jeff Bradshaw, Extension Entomologist at the Panhandle REC
Bob Wright, Extension entomologist, Lincoln
Army cutworms have been spotted in Kansas and Nebraska crop fields in March. This is an important time to scout for this pest, particularly in wheat and alfalfa.
By Jackie Guzman Extension Educator – Learning Child
As parents, grandparents and other relatives and care-givers are home with children because schools are closed due to Covid-19, it is good to remember the importance of play to the growth and development of every child.
Play is a crucial part of a child’s development. It starts in infancy and should continue throughout his or her life. Playing with your child not only helps build a positive relationship and strengthen bonds with the child, but it has additional benefits as well.
By Aaron Berger Nebraska Extension Beef Educator
Unit cost of production is a ratio where costs in the numerator are divided by the units produced in the denominator.
There are five ways to reduce unit costs of production in a cow-calf enterprise.
Decrease costs while keeping production the same. An example of this would be to sell unneeded equipment or reduce equipment expense while keeping calf production the same. Costs decrease while production is maintained, decreasing unit cost of production.
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.
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.
