Local Interest
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
Nebraska Association of County Extension Boards (NACEB) members come from all walks of life, but they all have one thing in common: a passion for Nebraska Extension.
The NACEB held its annual meeting on February 4, recognizing Elaine Pile as its 2025 Outstanding Advocate. The NACEB consists of county extension board members from all 93 counties across the state that the University of Nebraska Extension serves.
“Elaine Pile is a tireless champion for Nebraska Extension. For 18 years, she's served on the Scotts Bluff/Morrill Counties Extension Board, often as secretary and treasurer. She dedicates her time and resources to attending other county board meetings and spreading the word about NACEB and its vital advocacy work,” said Brenda Corman, NACEB awards committee chair.
Pile was “very surprised” to receive the award and says her secret to success as an advocate is telling her story. “One of the things they (NACEB) stresses to us is to tell our story with extension.”
Manure Application Workshops scheduled in Scottsbluff
Nebraska Extension will hold two Land Application Trainings in Scottsbluff on March 18 and then on March 19 (Spanish) at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff. The workshops will focus on turning manure nutrients into better crop yields while protecting the environment.
“Our workshops have traditionally been focused on livestock producers because they’re required to attend manure training regularly, but we’ve made an effort to include the crop farmers that are often the recipients of the manure because the information we share is just as valuable to them and their bottom line,” said Leslie Johnson, Nebraska Extension’s Animal Manure Management Educator.
Sessions will focus on what fields should be chosen to utilize manure nutrients and other benefits. Participants will be given a scenario and asked at the end of each activity to determine whether the field will benefit from manure application or whether there are considerations that make the field less desirable for manure application. Participants will rank each field within the scenario based on the activities to determine a priority ranking for the entire scenario.
Nebraska Extension offers Calculating Annual Cow Costs in March
By Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Livestock Educator
The Nebraska Extension will host another “Calculating Annual Cow Costs” webinar course on March 24, 27, and 31, 2025.
“We had exceptional interest in the first Calculating Annual Cow Costs course. So, we decided to offer a second course in late March,” said Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Livestock Educator. “Knowing annual cow costs is the foundation for evaluating and making management decisions that can improve profitability for a cow-calf enterprise.”
Extension Educator goes from small business owner to strengthening rural communities
Rural communities, big and small, benefit from collaboration. Jamie Bright, Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educator in the Southern Panhandle, knows the importance of small towns and how they can flourish by working together.
In 2021, Bright joined the Nebraska Extension as its Rural Prosperity Nebraska (RPN) Extension Educator in the Southern Panhandle. RPN collaborates on statewide work. One of Bright’s first ongoing projects is hosting Rural Rendezvous, a statewide webinar where economic developers, chamber of commerce, city administrators, and others can learn about the state's programs, federal grants, and extension resources and see what other communities across the state are doing. The group meets once a month for discussion and a speaker.
Bright has also been involved in rural communities' creative districts. She helped Sidney and Scottsbluff become certified and is currently working with Oshkosh and Gering on the certification process.
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A course is being offered in Scottsbluff at the Panhandle Research Extension & Education Center on May 13, 2025 from 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Register 3 weeks prior to course date, $140 (all materials received at time of class), $150 (class manual mailed prior to class).
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New 4-H program will bring STEAM to area students
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
This winter, kindergarteners to middle schoolers in Scottsbluff and the surrounding area will benefit from a recently awarded Beyond School Bells, Think Make Create (TMC) Lab. The mobile trailer lab is designed to meet Nebraska’s rural Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) programs. The Nebraska Extension 4-H received a grant from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation for the trailer.
Nebraska Extension Zone 1 Building and Collaborating with Communities
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
The 11 counties in the Panhandle are all part of the University of Nebraska Extension Engagement Zone 1. The zones are umbrellas for extension programs, from 4-H to master gardeners and disaster education. Rob Eirich is the Zone 1 Coordinator and Extension Educator in Scottsbluff. He leads the multiple departments under Zone 1 and builds relationships with local leaders and elected officials. Extension is one of many organizations that collaborates with Career Connections of Western Nebraska, a program for developing and sustaining career paths in rural communities. “Career Connections of Western Nebraska is showing young people there are opportunities and internships regionally, as well as, careers pathways where they have the opportunity to come back and be successful,” Eirich said. “We're starting to see these young people look for ways to connect with businesses. It triggers that interest of I can do what I want to do here and looking at the opportunities to come back where we need them.”
