Nebraska Extension Scotts Bluff County

Local Interest

Medusahead Grass – invasive species that may come to western Nebraska-Panhandle Perspective

By Gary Stone, Extension Educator, Panhandle R&E Center, Scottsbluff

Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a concept to identify potential invasive species prior to or just as the invasive is becoming established. An integrated pest management plan can be developed to manage, contain and eradicate the invasive species before it can spread further, avoiding costly, long-term control efforts.

Two invasive grasses, Ventenata and Medusahead, have been identified in parts of Wyoming. Both are slowly spreading east. While neither have been identified in Nebraska, it’s important to be aware of what these grasses look like, how they spread and be ready to deal with them should they show up in Nebraska.

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Worried that the emerald ash borer is in your ash tree?

      Are you wondering if the emerald ash borer (EAB) is here, in your yard, perhaps in your community in western Nebraska? Have neighbors or other persons told you it is already here?

      EAB was found in an Omaha park and in Cass County in June 2016. But it has not been confirmed nor identified in western Nebraska by the Nebraska Forest Service or the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Any reports that EAB is in western Nebraska are not correct, according to Rachel Allison, western forest health specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service.

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Weird things cattle eat and it is perfectly OK

Karla H. Jenkins, Cow/calf, Range Management Specialist
Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff

Any Google search will reveal plenty of articles on how cattle are bad for the environment. Some will say they emit too many greenhouse gases, while others will lament that they compete with humans for food resources. However, consumers may be surprised to learn that cattle are actually able to eat many things that are actually considered waste and are not allowed in the human consumption markets.

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4-H Youth Livestock Projects and the VFD Regulation

Effective January 1, 2017, all livestock producers that use antibiotic medicated feeds to prevent, treat or control animal health issues will be required to get a written order or Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) from a Veterinarian to purchase and feed these feeds.  The regulation will only affect antibiotics administered in feed or water for livestock.

Antibiotics are important to both human medicine and animal health, to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance in both areas; producer must follow the FDA Approved Labels.  These labels determine what animal health issues can be treated with that specific antibiotic, dosage and proper administration.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Cultivating cultural competence in children

        If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships-the ability of all people, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

        The first step to cultivate human relationships starts at home. Children tend to exhibit the behaviors and attitudes that they observe at home.

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Nebraska’s Natural Resource Districts honor Paul C. Hay and Randy Pryor with Water Conservation Award

Nebraska’s Natural Resource Districts honor Paul C. Hay and Randy Pryor with Water Conservation Award

October 4, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. —Nebraska’s Natural Resource Districts have awarded the Outstanding Water Conservation of the Year Award to Paul C. Hay (posthumous), Emeritus Extension Educator, alongside Randy Pryor, also an Emeritus Extension Educator. The two long-time educators were nominated by the Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District (NRD) for their nearly 40 years of service to agricultural sustainability in Southeast Nebraska.

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4-H service project will update courthouse garden in 2025

4-H service project will update courthouse garden in 2025

October 4, 2024
The Scotts Bluff County Court House garden in Gering will be undergoing an update in the spring of 2025. Spearheading the update will be the Nebraska Master Gardeners of Scotts Bluff County with funds from A Watchable Wildlife Grant, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, or Keno Funds.

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Nebraska Soil Health School: An Accomplishment of Goals Through Collaboration

Nebraska Soil Health School: An Accomplishment of Goals Through Collaboration

October 4, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. —The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) team led by Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor and extension specialist at UNL’s Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC), accomplished another successful series of Nebraska Soil Health Schools hosted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and UNL.

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70th Annual Nebraska State Range Judging Contest Held in Chase County

70th Annual Nebraska State Range Judging Contest Held in Chase County

September 27, 2024

IMPERIAL, Neb. — Chase County hosted the 70th Annual Nebraska State Range Judging Contest, marking a milestone for one of the state’s longest-running educational contests. Organized by the Nebraska Range Judging Committee and local partners from the NRD, NRCS, and Nebraska Extension, six area contests culminated in a state contest aimed at promoting range management and conservation practices among Nebraska’s youth.

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