Extension Update by Gary Zoubeck [February 28, 2013]

Coming Events

• Feb. 26 – Master Gardening Connect Session, 6:30 p.m., Extension Office, York
• Feb. 26-27 – Central Plains Irrigation Conference, Kearney Holiday Inn, Kearney, http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/irrigate/cpia.htm
• Feb. 28 – March 1 – Hunter Education Training, 4-H Building York
• March 5 – Master Gardening Connect Session, 6:30 p.m., Extension Office, York
• March 11 – Private Pesticide Training, 6:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
• March 11 – Chemigation Training, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
• March 12 – Master Gardening Connect Session, 6:30 p.m., Extension Office, York
• March 13 — UNL Crop Scout Training for Pest Mgr., 9:00 a.m., ARDC near Mead,  http://ardc.unl.edu/cmwp.shtml
• March 19 – Master Gardening Connect Session, 6:30 p.m., Extension Office, York
• March 22 – Ag After Hours, 5:00 -7:00 p.m., Cornerstone Ag Event Center, York
• March 27 – Farm Estate and Transition Planning Workshop, 9:00 to 3:30 p.m., York Country Club, Info at: http://york.unl.edu/web/york/crops-future. Call 402-362-5508 or email gary.zoubek@unl.edu to register.

Welcome Todd Whitney
I’d like to be one of the first to welcome Todd Whitney as the new Extension Educator in Hamilton County.  He will be starting March 1 in the Aurora Office.  Todd’s going to be a great addition to our UNL Team of Educators, so if you have a chance, stop by the office in Aurora and say hi!

I know Todd is really interested in agriculture, crop production, on-farm research, precision ag, as well as youth!  Welcome, Todd!

Crop Scout Training for Pest Managers Planned for March 13
This training is ideal for new employees preparing to take the CCA exam and serves as an excellent refresher course for experienced crop professionals.  Topics include: How Corn & Soybean Plants Grow/Develop; Soybean & Corn Insect Management; Nutrient Deficiencies; Identifying Weeds and Using Keys; and Crop Diseases & Quiz.  For more information or to register, go to:  http://ardc.unl.edu/2013MarchCropScoutTraining.pdf

Weed Resistance Management Workshops Planned 
Herbicide-resistant weeds are increasing in Nebraska. Uncontrolled horseweed, kochia, giant ragweed, and waterhemp are becoming an all too common sight in commodity crop production.

To help combat the issue, UNL Extension weed scientists will offer four workshops on new tools to battle weed resistance.  These “hands-on” workshops will cover these topics:  herbicide tolerant crops, how weed resistance develops, overview of weed resistance in the Midwest and Nebraska, and examples and practical solutions for major weed resistance cases in Nebraska.  Workshops will be held at: Norfolk on March 18 at the Lifelong Learning Center; Auburn on March 19 at the Nemaha County Fairgrounds;  Ogallala on March 20 at Valentino’s Pizza; and Alliance on March 21 at the Alliance Learning Center.

For more information, go to the CropWatch Website, http://cropwatch.unl.edu/, and click on the Weed Management Link in the center of the page.  Cost of the this workshop is $30 and includes several printed materials.  Preregistration is required and can be done from the CropWatch link.  Attendance will be limited to 30 people per site in order to facilitate the hands-on format of these workshops.

Planning for the Future – Farm Estate and Transition Planning Workshop
UNL Extension and several other sponsors are hosting an informational meeting titled “Planning for the Future”.  It will take place on Wednesday, March 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the York Country Club here in York.  This workshop offers a reliable, useful discussion of business, family, and tax issues involved in passing on the family farm or ranch and the legal tools that are used to address those issues.

Topics discussed include: determining goals, family dynamics and expectation in a business setting, financial viability, the transfer process, estate and gift tax, inheritance tax, efficient methods of transfer, probate, wills, trusts, titling, basis, long-term care, Medicaid, powers of attorney, and use of entities.

For more information, check out our webpage:  http://york.unl.edu/web/york/crops-future.  Then click on the Planning for the Future link.  There is no cost to attend thanks to several local sponsors who are sponsoring the breaks and noon meal.  To register, email me at gary.zoubek@unl.edu, or call me at 402-362-5508, or contact the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.

Ag After Hours Planned
It’s hard to believe that March is just around the corner!  That also means that spring is just around the corner, and our Annual Ag After Hours will be held on the Fairgrounds in the Cornerstone Ag Event Center.  I’d like to remind all those interested in agriculture to get the date on their calendars and plan to attend.  This year’s event will be Friday, March 22, from 5:00–7:00 p.m.

I hope to see you there. We’ll have lots of great food, some great prizes, and the funds from the event go to help sponsor scholarships for area youth!