Extension Update by Gary Zoubeck [March 7, 2013]

Coming Events

• March 11 – Chemigation Training, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
• March 11 – Private Pesticide Training, 6:30 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 14 – Farmers & Ranch College -Keeping Your Farm in the Family for the Next Generation, 6:00 p.m., Evening With Friends Restaurant, Milligan
• 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.

Final Reminder about Pesticide and Chemigation Certification
I just want to remind area producers that are interested in becoming certified for chemigation or need to be certified to apply restricted use pesticides that I’m hosting sessions next Monday, March 11, at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the 4-H Building here in York.

If you’d like the study material for the Chemigation Certification, stop by our office or give us a call at 402-362-5508.  After attending the chemigation presentations, participants will be asked to take a 50 questions quiz, so a little brushing up is a good idea.

Give me a call if you have any questions about these two trainings.

Crop Scout Training for Pest Managers Planned for March 13
Just another reminder of the Crop Scout Training planned for March 13 at the ARDC.  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 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 and 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 at 402-362-5508 or contact the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258. 

Keeping the Family in the Family Farm
I just shared some info about transition planning; and wanted to share another opportunity you have.  The final Farmers & Ranch College session for the season will also addresses this subject.  It’s planned for March 14 at 6:00 p.m. at “The Evening with Friends” Restaurant in Milligan. It will begin with a meal with the program to follow featuring Dr. Ron Hanson, Neal E. Harlan Professor of Agribusiness, Ag Economics Dept., at UNL.

Brandy indicates that “The entire process for mapping out a succession plan to transfer the eventual ownership of a family farm from one generation (parents) to the next generation (their adult children) can be an overwhelming task for many families.  Where does this process even begin?  Who makes the final decisions?  Can you be fair to everyone involved?  What if there is not good communications within the family?  How do you keep emotions and personal jealousies from taking over and preventing good decision making?  These are the issues that confront any farm family in determining a succession plan which allows for this successful transfer of farm ownership.

Dr. Hanson’s presentation will outline the necessary steps to implement as well as achieve a successful succession plan that hopefully avoids potential misunderstandings between various family members. This lack of clarity and failure to explain specifics by parents when communicating their wishes to their children is often a frequent cause of family conflict/disputes.  Ideas will be shared to work through these emotional and stressful issues in a positive manner.  Parents must embrace a vision for passing on their farm that is shared by all family members involved for this succession process to achieve a successful transition of ownership to their adult children and to insure the next generation of young farm producers.”

For more information or to pre-register for meal count, call (402) 759-3712 or email Brandy at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.

Agri-Business 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!   You can check out all the sponsors/details at: http://york.unl.edu/web/york/crops-future.  Just click on the appropriate link!

Still Time to Dormant Seed
Did you have turf areas that did not green up last fall before winter?  If so, they’re most likely dead and will not recover this spring without reseeding.  I just received a “Turf iNfo” update from Zac Reicher, UNL Turfgrass Specialist and he indicates that it’s not too late to dormant seed your turf.  Seeding early will enable the seed to absorb water and then start the germination process as soon as soil temperatures warm.

Even though simply broadcasting the seed and allowing it to work into the soil naturally through frost-heaving can be effective, it is better to improve seed-soil contact with aerification, power raking, tilling, power-overseeding, or some other form of cultivation improves your chances for success.  Anything you can do to maximize seed to soil contact will improve your chances for success.

For more info about seeding rates, fertilization, as well as weed control check out Zac’s complete article at: http://turf.unl.edu.  I’m hoping to try some dormant seeding in a couple of plots this spring, so I’ll keep you posted as to how it goes.