Coming Events
Jan. 8, 2015, Crop Production Clinic, 8:45 a.m., Adams Co. Fairgrounds, Hastings http://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc
Jan. 13: UNL Heuermann Lecture, 7:00 p.m. Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center; 2021 Transformation Drive, Lincoln, NE http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu
Jan. 14, 2015, Crop Production Clinic, 8:45 a.m., Holthus Convention Center, 3130 Holen Ave., York http://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc
Jan. 14, 2015, Farm Bill and Texas A&M Computer Training, 9:00 a.m., Innovation Campus, Lincoln http://bit.ly/1wh96bm
Jan. 15, 2015, Farm & Ranch Succession & Estate Planning Workshop, 9:00 a.m., York Country Club  http://york.unl.edu/crops-future
Jan. 27: Cow/Calf College – Partners in Progress, 9:30 am-4:00 pm, USDA-MARC, Clay Center, NE
Jan. 30:Â Land Applicator Training, York
Feb. 2, 2015, Pesticide Applicator Certification Training, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
Feb. 4, 2015, Farmers & Ranchers College – 5:30 p.m. Fillmore Co. Fairgrounds, “Ag: Trends, Topics & Tomorrow†– Damian Mason. Call 402-759-3712 one week ahead to reserve a spot!
Feb. 4-5:Â Nebraska Ag Technology Association (NeATA) Conference, Grand Island Holiday Inn, http://neata.org
Feb. 11:Â Center Pivot Irrigation Short Course, Central City
Feb. 13:Â Nebraska On-Farm Research Meeting, College Park in Grand Island
Feb. 17:Â Nebraska On-Farm Research Meeting, ARDC near Mead
Feb. 23, 2015, Pesticide Applicator Certification Training, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
Feb. 24:Â Precision Ag Workshop York,
March 12, 2015, Chemigation Training, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
March 12, 2015, Pesticide Applicator Certification Training, 6:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
Happy Holidays
I hope you had a chance to enjoy a little time with your family for Christmas or the upcoming New Year’s Day celebration. I’m looking forward to watching some college football on the 1st. With the 1st of the year comes a busy time for educational meetings and we have several of them planned in the area. Be sure and check them out in my list of coming events.
Heuerman Lecture
The January 13th Heuerman Lecture will be on the topic of: “Genetically Modified Animals: the Facts, the Fear Mongering, and the Futureâ€. Presenter will be: Alison Van Eenennaam, University of California – Davis, 2014 Borlaug CAST Communication Awardee.
Dr. Van Eenennaam will talk about the future of genetically modified animals. The first genetically engineered animals were produced almost 30 years ago, although to date no genetically engineered food animal has come to market. A comprehensive regulatory evaluation is required for such animals, triggered by the use of recombinant DNA technology in their development. All required regulatory studies for the fast-growing “AquAdvantage” Atlantic salmon, the first food animal to undergo regulatory and review, and were completed in 2009. However the application has been lingering in regulatory limbo for over 4 years awaiting a decision by the FDA. Part of this delay has been occasioned by political interference from both activists and competing fishing industries, sending a message that the science-based regulatory oversight as embodied in the FDA review process is subject to political intervention.
For more information, go to: http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu/. If you cannot make it to Lincoln, you can watch it live via video. It should be an interesting lecture.
Crop Production Clinics Planned
It’s that time of the year for our annual Crop Production Clinic across Nebraska. We have sessions in our area on Jan. 8th in Hastings and January 14th here in York. We’ll have two sessions going at the same time for you can select from. They have great programs planned, topics include: pesticide safety, water management, crop production, agribusiness management, the farm bill and soil fertility.
It’s important to pre-registration by 3 p.m. January 13th! Cost is $65 which includes:
- 2015 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska
- 2015 CPC Proceedings
- Noon meal & refreshments
Go to http://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc to register. I hope you’ll plan to attend one of the Crop Production Clinics.
2015 Crop Budget Updated
The 2015 Nebraska Crop Budgets (EC872) have been updated and are available on our CropWatch Website: http://cropwatch.unl.edu/economics/budgets. A video has been posted for those producers that would like to download them and update them in excel for your farms situation. It’s that time of year to do some planning/budgeting. I hope you’ll check them out.
Farm & Ranch Business Succession & Estate Planning Workshop
Two years ago we held a Farm/Ranch Business Succession & Estate Planning workshop that was packed, so we’re planning to host it again January 15, 2015 at the York Country Club. The workshop will go from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There is no charge for the workshops, but you need to register by calling the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258. Register by January 12, 2015.
The workshop is intended to be useful for established farm and ranch owners, for their successors, and for beginners. Topics include: the stages of succession planning, contribution & compensation, balancing the interests of on-farm and off-farm heirs; the importance of communication, setting goals, analyzing cash flow, and balancing intergenerational expectations and needs; beginning farmer loan and tax credit programs; the use of trusts, wills, life estate deeds and business entities (such as the limited liability company) in family estate and business succession planning; buy-sell agreements, asset protection, taxation (federal transfer taxes, Nebraska inheritance tax, basis adjustment), and essential estate documents.
Presenters are Dave Goeller, Deputy Director, Northeast Center for Risk Management Education at UNL and Joe Hawbaker, Agricultural Law attorney from Omaha.
This workshop is made possible by the Nebraska Network for Beginning Farmers & Ranchers, the Farm and Ranch Project of Legal Aid of Nebraska, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s Farm Mediation, and the University of Nebraska Extension.
Thanks to the Chamber Ag Committee, a free lunch will be provided as part of the workshop. The sponsors are: Cornerstone Bank, Henderson State Bank, Midwest Bank and York State Bank.
More information is posted at: http://york.unl.edu/crops-future, or give me a call at 402-362-5508 or email me at gary.zoubek@unl.edu.
Farm Bill Education Training
For those of you that would like to learn more about the Texas A&M Agricultural Food Policy Center comprehensive Farm Bill Decision Aid computer program, a hands-on training will be held Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the new Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive in Lincoln, Nebraska. Workshop presenters will be Dr. James Richardson, Ag. Economist from Texas A&M and Dr. Brad Lubben, UNL Extension Ag. Economist. Dr. Richardson is the author of new, cutting edge, computer decision tool, endorsed by USDA. Those attending will learn how to use the Texas A&M Computer Decision Aid, how to interpret the results and how managing risk is integrated into the model. Participants are encouraged to bring their own iPad, tablet or laptop computer.
For information about the workshop go to: http://bit.ly/1wh96bm. Online pre-registration is open until Wednesday, January 7, 2015. Participants need to pre-register at http://go.unl.edu/farmbill.
The workshop will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with morning registration and refreshments available starting at 8:15 a.m. at the new NIC auditorium. There is a $30.00 registration fee which includes the noon meal, refreshments and meeting materials.
For additional information about the farm bill goto: http://agecon.unl.edu/farmbill.
Pesticide & Chemigation Certification
I’ve set several dates for Private Applicator Pesticide Training as well as Chemigation Certification. We mailed information to those needing the training, but if your new or your certification has passed, we won’t be notifying you. Check your certification to be sure it has not expired. If my dates don’t fit your schedule, you can check the private applicator training dates at: http://pested.unl.edu/private-license and the chemigation training dates at: http://go.unl.edu/deqchemigation for other sessions in our area.
York Extension Centennial Notes
This will be my last Centennial Note for this series. We’ll look at 1956-1959. I’ll need to continue reading the annual reports for the period 1960 thru 2014.
1956 was a dry year and we currently have 700 irrigation wells in York County. Dryland farmers have taken off-farm employment where available and others are doing custom work for the irrigated corn harvest. An increased number of younger farmers are selling out.
Thirty six producers were enrolled in the high corn yield demonstrations.  Three produced 150 bushels/acre; 17 over 100 bushels/acre. Yields have increased considerably from those just 3 years ago! Controlling European Corn Borer and corn rootworms was emphasized during the year.
The once common farm orchard is nearly extinct in York County. Only six commercial orchards exist. A pruning demonstration was conducted with 33 in attendance. Livestock numbers in York County have declined an estimated 18% in feeder cattle and swine. A result of oversupply and the drought.
Local irrigators have begun to sense that they have a large investment to safeguard. Concern about possible water shortage and impending legislation. Spacing wells at a safe distance to avoid competition for water and the question of registering wells were prevalent. As a result, 125 irrigators met on September 15 and requested a County Irrigators Association be formed. UNL specialists and representatives of the Hamilton County Irrigators were also on hand. A temporary committee was formed who drafted a constitution and by-laws, which were approved and the York County Irrigator’s Association formally organized at a meeting in December.
In 1957 irrigation wells went from 766 in the beginning of the year to 1,000 at the end. A new law required registration of all irrigation wells. These forms were available in the Extension Office. Many well owners made use of the extension staff to obtain help in completing the forms.
Tomato blight was a common disease problem that the educator received many questions about. Brown patch of lawns, mildew and “melting out†of bluegrass were quite common.
“Do You Have a Problem to Solve?â€Â You may find the answer in an Extension Service Bulletin which are free to the public. This year 3,996 of these bulletins were distributed.
In 1958 a new York County Extension Constitution was adopted. Speaker at the Annual Meeting was Dr. B.N. Greenberg, Chairman of the Board of Regents for UNL.  Close to one-half of the corn acreage was sprayed for first brood corn borer control. Extension agents traveled 14,075 miles in 1958. 5,888 bulletins were distributed during the year. 1,028 irrigation wells.
In 1959 modern medicine men were working modern witchcraft on the unsuspecting public. Fad diet aids, cure-all medicines are just a few of the ways these modern medicine men operate. This was one of the Home Extension lessons.
A meeting on minimum tillage was held for the adult famer class in Henderson. It was estimated that farmers would save $8-$10/acre if implemented.
The 1959 County fair was the best ever according to everyone who attended. The number of exhibits was very high and the quality was very good!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my glimpses from the past!
