Coming Events
Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m. York County 4-H Leaders Banquet, Chances R, York
Jan. 27, Cow/Calf College – Partners in Progress, 9:30 am-4:00 pm, USDA-MARC, Clay Center, NE
Jan. 29, Land Applicator Training, York
Jan. 29, Hamilton County Ag Day, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Ag Auditorium, Fairgrounds, Aurora
Feb. 2, Pesticide Applicator Certification Training, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
Feb. 4, 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, Nebraska Ag Technology Association (NeATA) Conference, Grand Island Holiday Inn, http://neata.org
Feb. 7, Raising Nebraska Celebrates Nebraska 4-H Month, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Nebraska Building, State Fairgrounds 501 E Fonner Park Road, Grand Island.
Feb. 11, Center Pivot Irrigation Short Course, Central City
Feb. 13, Nebraska On-Farm Research Meeting, College Park in Grand Island
Feb. 17, Nebraska On-Farm Research Meeting, ARDC near Mead
Feb. 17-18, Central Plains Irrigation Conference & Exposition, Colby, Kansas
Feb. 23, Pesticide Applicator Certification Training, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
Feb. 24, Precision Ag Workshop York, 8:30 a.m., 4-H Building, York
March 12, Chemigation Training, 1:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
March 12, Pesticide Applicator Certification Training, 6:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
4-H Leader Recognition Banquet  Â
Our Annual 4-H Leaders Recognition Banquet is this Sunday January 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Chances R. I’d like to encourage all 4-H Leaders, Jr. Leaders and guests to be sure and register by calling us at the NE Extension Office at 402-362-5508. We plan to celebrate the past years accomplishment of our 4-H Leaders and Volunteers and say THANK YOU for your service.
While I’m at it, we are always looking for volunteers and people that would be willing to assist us in the many educational programs we provide year around. If you’d be interested in helping with the 4-H program or at the fair, give us a call. We’d love to hear from you.
Horticulture Training Planned
The warm weather the last few days has us thinking sprint? What a great weekend and Monday morning as I prepare my column! Again this year, beginning February 3 from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. we will be hosting the series of webinars.
Topics will include:
February 3 – Waterwise Landscapes and Residential Rain Gardens
February 10 – Pruning Deciduous and Evergreen Trees and Shrubs
February 17 – Insects – Beneficials in the Garden & Landscape and Vegetable Insect Pests
February 24 – Wildlife Damage Management
March 3 –Technology in the Garden and Landscape Photography for Beauty and Diagnostics
March 10 – Preparing for Emerald Ash Borer: Identification, Management and Treatment
Options and Tree Planting Selections Now and Post EAB
These sessions will serve as refreshers for our Master Gardeners. The public is invited to attend these updates. Cost is $7.50/session or $25.00 for all six. Cost for Master Gardeners is $20.00. If you’d like to register, go to: http://york.unl.edu/water-environment and click on the Master Gardener Training Brochure. Complete and return or email it to the Extension Office and we’ll get you registered.
Farm Bill Decision Aid
I was not able to attend the January 14Â training of the Texas A&M Agricultural Food Policy Center comprehensive Farm Bill Decision Aid computer program because I was attending the Crop Production Clinic here in York. The training was recorded but as of Monday morning I have not been able to view it, but hope too Tuesday or Wednesday.
I’ve ran a couple farms and I’m becoming more comfortable with it, but the model is not better than the information you provide. The decisions are based on where you feel potential prices will be in the next five years. You’ll need your CC yields and base acres from FSA as well as your production history since 2008 (2003 if you wish to run the insurance tool).
When using the Texas A&M model you need to decide what you want the tool to analyze. It can:
- Yield Update Tool – calculates values for PLC yields using yield histories for your units.
- Base Acre Reallocation & PLC/ARC Decision Aid Tool – helps you decide whether to reallocate your base acres and whether to choose PLC, ARC-C, or ARC-I for each farm unit based on your data.
- Farm Bill 2014 Insurance – calculates net revenue for alternative insurance choices available through the 2014 Farm Bill and RMA. This option can take considerable time and EACH crop insurance tract needs to be entered as a “new farm unit†under each FSA farm number.
If you are not looking at the insurance decisions but the others, for York County farms with combined dryland and irrigated yields, completing the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Yield Worksheet (CCC-859) from the FSA with your combined irrigated and dryland yield for each FSA number will really help inputting your data.cc.
I will be willing to help interested producers input the data. If you’d like to make an appointment for me to help run your data, go to this website: http://york.unl.edu/crops-future click on the AFPC Crop Decision link and complete the form prior to making an appointment.
Base Reallocation and Yield Update Deadline February 27, 2015
I mentioned it last week, but I’m going to mention it again. Leann Nelson, CED, of the York Farm Service Agency wanted me to remind all producers that time is running short to make base reallocation and/or yield updates for the 2014 Farm Program. If a decision is not made by the deadline, the farm will retain 2013 bases and yields. Most if not all operations should be able to increase the payment yields on their farms.
The in-office Farm Bill meetings have been well attended. There are four meetings left, 2 each day on January 22 and 29 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Appointments are needed to attend. The meetings last approximately two hours, depending on questions and attendee participation. The meetings are very informal; we review the FSA PowerPoint and discuss the program options in detail. Call the FSA Office at 402.362.5700 now to reserve your seat.
Upcoming Meetings/Trainings
I hope you’ll continue to check out list of upcoming meetings. The 29th we have “Land Application Training†for livestock producers. Last week I, I think I had the date as the 30th, but it’s the 29th. Those interested should register at least 8 business days in advance of the workshop. You can do that at: http://go.unl.edu/lat
Are you interested in Precision Ag Data Management? A series of hands-on workshops are planned on this topic. These hands-on workshops are designed to demonstrate methods for extracting more information from your Precision Ag Data. The workshops will combine short lectures with Hands-on activities (laptops and data will be supplied) using AG Leader SMS Advanced software.
Session topics will demonstrate strategies to:
- Conduct multi-year yield data normalization analyses,
- Analyze yield monitor data versus as-applied split planter hybrid data,
- Analyze yield monitor data versus as-applied seeding rate data
- Quantify yield monitor data versus NRCS soil survey boundaries and soil electrical conductivity (EC) maps generated from Veris data,
- Develop prescription maps for various crop inputs under irrigated and dryland conditions,
- Develop and evaluate the performance of management plans for crop inputs
Registration Cost is $50.00 and include printed learning guides, jump drive and lunch. For more information go to our webpage: http://york.unl.edu/crops-future and click on the appropriate link.
2015 Nebraska Extension Weed Guides Available
I just received a copy of the new “2015 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska with Insecticide and Fungicide Information†(EC130). We have copies available for sale at our office now. This is one publication very crop producer should have at least one copy of. We’ll be providing a copy to those producers going thru the Private Pesticide Applicator training. I’d encourage producers not needing the training to stop by and purchase a copy.
The EC130 Weed Guide which s updated annually, has been recognized nationally in the top five Extension informational publications and contains 300 pages of agricultural chemical details. Categories include: Weed Management; Plant Disease Management; and Insect Management; Weed Control for Specific Crops; Weed Control in aquatic; conservation reserve programs (CRP); Ditches & Roadsides; Pasture/Range; Trees & Shrubs; Turfgrass; Noxious Weeds; Troublesome Woody Plants; Herbicide/Fungicide/Insecticide Dictionaries; Sprayer Equipment & Calibration; Spraying Safety; and Principles of Weed Management.
It’s a great publication that all crops producers should have!
