By Gary Stone, Extension Educators, Panhandle Extension District
Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a concept to identify potential invasive species prior to or just as the establishment of the invasive is taking place. An Integrated Pest Management plan (IPM) can be developed to manage, contain and eradicate the invasive species before it can spread further. This will avoid costly, long-term control efforts.
Tammie Ostdiek has accepted an offer to serve as Extension Educator in Food, Nutrition and Health for Nebraska Extension, based in Morrill County.
Her acceptance was announced by Dr. Jack Whittier, Director of Research and Extension for the Panhandle. She is scheduled to begin her duties June 6, 2018, after completing her duties as a teacher in Goshen County, Wyo.
Nebraska Extension’s Tractor Safety & Hazardous Occupations Courses will be offered at Gering and Gordon in June 2018, as well as and 10 other Nebraska locations this year for teens 14 or 15 years of age who will work on a farm.
Federal law prohibits youth under 16 years old from using certain equipment on a farm unless parents or legal guardians own the farm. Certification received through a course provided by Nebraska Extension grants an exemption to the law, allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and work with certain mechanized equipment.
Scotts Bluff County 4-H will be holding the annual Fur & Feather Fun Day Saturday, June 9, 2018 at the Panhandle Research & Extension Center. All 4-H members and families are welcome!
The schedule looks like:
10:00am to noon Cooking contest and Skillathon
Noon to 2:00pm Rabbit Hopping and Showmanship Classes
Come test your skills and have some fun!
April 28 is the 4-H National Day of Service. Last year, 4-H groups in the Panhandle Extension District organized Dollars for Doughnuts to help raise funds for families affected by the Ash Hollow Fires. This year, Panhandle 4-Hers are focusing on Finders Keepers, a Panhandle-based children’s outreach organization that specializes in providing essentials to children and families in need, which often include families involved in foster care.
A special celebration of the legacy and future of 4-H is planned for April 14, 2018 at the Legacy of the Plains Museum west of Gering.
This free event will last from 2-5 p.m. at the museum and will feature the 4-H program’s strong ties to our Nebraska past, as well its bright future in rural and urban areas, especially in the Panhandle.
Hands-on activities and information of interest to both members and non-members will be featured, according to Jana Schwartz, 4-H assistant for Nebraska Extension in Scotts Bluff County. Platte Valley Companies is supporting the event as a sponsor.
