Coming Events
March 6, 6:30 p.m. – MG Horticulture Connect Training, Extension Office, York, Topic: Herbaceous Perennial Management –Kim Todd, Landscape Design Professor
March 7, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Chemigation Training, 4-H Building, York
March 13, 6:30 p.m. – MG Horticulture Connect Training, Extension Office, York, Topic: Identifying and Managing Tree Diseases – Graham Herbst and Proper Use of Rain Barrels – Kelly Feehan, Extension Educator
March 13, 6:30 p.m. – Private Pesticide Applicator Training – 4-H Building, York
March 14, 9:00 a.m. – Crop Scout Training – ARDC, near Mead, http://ardc.unl.edu/training.shtml
March 19, 10:00 a.m. – Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network Informational Meeting, Polk Co. Fairground Exhibit Building, Osceola
March 19, 1:30 p.m. – Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network Informational Meeting, Seward Extension Office
March 20, 10:00 a.m. – Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network Informational Meeting, 4-H Building, York
March 20, 6:30 p.m. – MG Horticulture Connect Training, Extension Office, York, Topic: March 20 – Weed Management Lowell Sandell, Extension Educator
March 21, 6:30 p.m. – Landowner/Tenant Lease Workshop, 4-H Building, York
April 4, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Chemigation Training, 4-H Building, York
National Ag Week Open House
National Ag Week, is about recognizing and celebrating the abundance provided by agriculture in the United States. This year’s them is American Agriculture: Feeding the Future, Filling the Gaps.Â
I hope you’ll stop by the open house planned for Monday through Thursday, March 5-8, 2012 at the York USDA Service Center, 419 West 6th St., York, Nebraska. Informational displays will be provided by York County FSA, York County NRCS, Upper Big Blue NRD, UNL Extension in York County and Pheasants Forever. Refreshments will be served and door prizes will be awarded. The open house will run from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day March 5th – 8th.
Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute
Speaking of agriculture, I just received information about the annual Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) planned for July 9-13, 2012. NAYI is a great 5-day conference for high school juniors and seniors with a goal of getting them excited about agriculture! NAYI provides career development, education, leadership, experience and friends & fun! Participants will listen and interact with speakers from various sectors of the agriculture industry, learn about the many facets of agriculture and interact with friends who may influence you for a lifetime!
I have copies of the application form at our office or you can go on-line at www.agr.ne.gov/nayi. Applications are due April 15th, so get your completed now! Give me a call or email me if you have questions about this great leadership opportunity!
Chemigation and Pesticide Applicator Training Sessions Planned
Just a reminder to chemigation participants to bring your training manuals, work book and a calculator to the certification meeting plan for this Wednesday March 7th!
Also, my final private pesticide applicator training session of the season will be Tuesday on March 13th at 6:30 p.m. the 4-H Building here in York. If you need to be certified to apply restricted use pesticide or your card has expire, you’ll want to attend this final session or stop by and pickup a home study manual complete the questions and pay twice as much as attending the class.
Landowner/Tenant Lease Workshop Planned
This time of year we receive many questions about leases and land values, so we’ve scheduled a workshop designed to assist landowners, tenants and agri-business professionals with issues related to farmland ownership management, and leasing arrangements. This workshop is planned for Wednesday evening March 21st from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Topics include:Â Trend is farmland values and cash lease values, good lease communications, writing a good lease, and flexible cash leases.
The Nebraska Soybean Board is sponsoring the workshop, so there is no cost to attend and receive the handouts, but please call 402-362-5508 or email me at gzoubek1@unl.edu to reserve a spot and ensure adequate handouts will be prepared. This workshop is designed for both landlords and tenants, so reserve your spot today!
Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network Informational Meetings Planned
I’d like to encourage all area irrigators to a series of informational meetings about our NAWMN planned for Monday March 19th and 20th in our area. Meetings are planned for:
10:00 a.m. Monday March 19, 2012, Polk County Exhibit Building, Osceola
1:30 p.m. Monday March 19, 2012, Seward Extension Office, Seward
10:00 a.m. Tuesday March 20, 2012, 4-H Building, York
Dan Leininger, Water Conservationist, from the Upper Big Blue NRD Office and I will be on hand along with some current NAWMN participants to discuss the tools being used in the NAWMN which are ETgage or Atmometers and Watermark Sensors. We hope to share what we have learned about irrigation scheduling in Nebraska using ETgages and Watermark sensors and the NAWMN. Equipment and tools used will be demonstrated and on hand to view as well as cost share order forms for those interested in ordering equipment for the coming year.
We hope to also have a “Question & Answer†session with current producers using these tools!
For more information or questions you can contact Dan at 402-362-6601 or me at 402-362-5508.
With the price of fuel going up, we have had more interest than ever about these tools and learning how to save fuel without sacrificing yields. I hope you’ll be able to attend one of these meetings. Watch for more details in my next couple of columns.
Volunteers Needed
Each year many volunteers help the York County Fairboard and me with entering, judging and displaying thousands of exhibits in the Ag Hall. We have helpers in the Open Class area as well as in several 4-H Departments.
We’ve started making fairbook corrections and we could sure use a few more volunteers. if you’d have some a little time to volunteer for a couple of days, call me at 402-362-5508 or email me at gzoubek1@unl.edu.
We could use help in the Open Class Farm Products, Fine Arts, 4-H Engineering, Natural Resources as well as Plant Science areas. We take entries on the evening of Tuesday July 31 and the morning of Wednesday August 1st and judge/display them that afternoon!
I hope to hear from you soon!
Farm Transition/Estate Planning Mtg. – March 30
I received word from Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator in Platte County about a workshop designed Farm Transition/Estate Planning Meeting being sponsored by UNL Extension and Platte County Farm Bureau to be held on March 30. It will be held from 10:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Wunderlich’s Catering, Columbus.
Cost is only $10 per operation with generations encouraged to attend together.  Lunch and handouts are provided. Registration is required by March 27 to insure an accurate meal count. Call Platte County Extension at 402-563-4901 to register.
Thinking about how you plan to transition the farm is a key part of the morning discussion. How are you going to phase out of farming? Will you have a farm sale, pass the farm to the next generation, or will you consider helping a new farmer – non family member get started? Options for estate planning will be part of the program. Knowing how each option works, especially when considering tax consequences is key.
A highlight includes information about situations the presenters encountered while working with farm families. “Fair†isn’t always the same as “equal†and that subject is a key in establishing a smooth transition of property to the next generation. I encourage landowners that will be passing assets on to their children to attend this workshop. More importantly, anyone over 55 years old with control of Ag land assets should have a succession plan in place. This workshop will be invaluable for those needing to start work on that plan.
The key value to participants is that they will learn about the process of estate planning so that when they need to start, they become better consumers of legal information, which will save them time and money.
Speakers include: Dave Goeller, UNL Transition Specialist, and Joe Hawbaker, Ag Attorney from Omaha. Both have extensive experience in this area making several presentations a month on the topic.
Persons with questions should contact Allan Vyhnalek at UNL Extension in Platte County at 402-563-4901.
