Coming Events
July 15, Show & Tell and Presentations Contest, 10:00 a.m., 4-H Building York
July 15, Favorite Food Show, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
July 27, Extension Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Extension Office, York
July 30, Horticulture Judging Contest, 2:00 p.m., 4-H Building York
August 1, BB Gun Contest, 9:00 a.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 1, Air Rifle & Pistol Contest, 7:00 p.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 2, Trap Shoot Contest, 2:00 p.m., Ikes Shooting Range, York
August 3, Tractor Driving Contest, 5:00 p.m., Fairgrounds, York
August 3, 4-H Style Revue, 7:00 p.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 4, Bicycle Rodeo, 9:00 a.m., Casting Contest, 11:00 a.m. Fairgrounds, York
August 4, Dog Show, 4:00 p.m. Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 4, Entry time for Open Class & FFA exhibits, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Ag Hall, Fairgrounds, York
August 5, Entry time for Open Class, 8:00 – 11:00 a.m., Ag Hall, Fairgrounds, York
August 5, Horse Show, 9:00 a.m., Horse Arena, York
August 5, Small Animal Show, 1:00 p.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 6-9, York County Fair Official Dates
August 6, Sheep & Meat Goat Show, 9:00 a.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 6, Dairy Goat, Dairy and Bucket Calf Show, 2:00 p.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 6, Pork BBQ, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Fairgrounds, York
August 6, 4-H/FFA Awards & Style Show, Big Tent, Fairgrounds, York
August 7, Beef Show, 9:00 a.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 7, Rabbit Show, 9:00 a.m., Small Animal Barn, York
August 7, UNL Science Mobil Lab, 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Fairgrounds, York
August 7, Extension Ice Cream Social, serving State Fair Carmel Corn Ice Cream, 8:00 p.m.
August 8, Swine Show, 8:30 a.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 8, Small Animal Round Robin, Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 9, Inspirational Service 9:30 a.m. Tent, Fairgrounds, York
August 9, Large Animal Round Robin, Cornerstone Event Center, York
August 9, Release of all Exhibits, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds, York
August 18, Nutrient Workshop, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., 4-H Building, York
August 20, York County Corn Grower Plot Tour, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Makovicka Farm, York
August 20, Crop Sense Field Day, 6:00 p.m., Cornerstone Event Center, York Fairgrounds
York County FSA Committee
Leann wanted me to mention that nominations for the York County FSA Committee must be post marked or received in the York FSA Office by close of business on August 3, 2015. Nomination forms are available at the FSA County Office or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. This year’s election is for the representative of LAA 3, which consists of Arborville, Bradshaw, Brown, Henderson, and Hays Precincts. Nominees must be an owner or operator of a York County farm and reside in LAA 3. Please consider nominating yourself or your neighbor to serve.
York County Fair Entries Due
It’s hard to believe, but the 2015 York County Fair, “Bin Bustin Fun†is just around the corner. All 4-H and FFA entries except horticulture are due into the Extension Office by July 15th as are open class livestock entries. We need to know livestock numbers so we can make stall assignments. Entry forms are available at our office or on-line at: http://york.unl.edu/. Click on the appropriate link, print them off and get them into our office by July 15th!
For more information about the 2015 York County Fair visit their webpage: http://www.yorkcountyfair.com/. I’ve heard a lot of interest about the Aaron Watson concert on Friday, August 7th. Tickets at the York Chamber of Commerce and the Western Edge in York and online at the York Fair website, so check out all the activities and events!
Cropping Update
I guess we’ve had another usual or should I say unusual week weather wise. We have had some unusually cool and some hot and humid temperature. It’s nice to finally see some tassels in those corn fields. For the latest estimates of ET go to our website: https://nawmn.unl.edu/ETdata/DataMap, select York County and then go. They click on the blue icon for the York weather station or the red icons for the ETgage data the other educators, NRD staff, producers and I have been posting. For the past week corn in the V12 stage has averaged about .22â€/day or about 1.5†for the week. The soil sensors in the two field I’ve been monitoring are now reading between 1.25 and 1.75†depleted, just a little drier than last week thanks to the rains were received. I prepared this column a little early, so hopefully we received a little rain over the weekend?  Â
Yard and Garden
How’s your garden doing? I’ve had the most trouble I’ve had for a long time. The wet weather has caused me problems being timely getting things planted and Mr. Rabbit has had a great time eating my beans and kohlrabi. Hopefully eventually we’ll get some beans to harvest? If not Mr. Rabbit will be fat for the upcoming winter.
Speaking of winter, it seems a little early to be thinking fall, but several crops can be planted now for harvest this fall. Semi-hardy vegetables suited to fall gardening are beets, Chinese cabbage, potatoes, Bibb & Leaf lettuce, radishes, spinach and green onions. Hardy vegetable include cole crops like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips and kale.Â
For fall gardens, select he shortest-season cultivars available to ensure harvest before killing frost arrive. You can’t out guess Mother Nature as to knowing when to plant your various crops. The starting place is knowing that our average fall frost is or 32° F date is October 10th.Â
Our NebGuide “Fall Vegetable Gardening†(http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/g1343/build/g1343.pdf) includes the following formula: Number of days from seeding or transplanting outdoors to harvest.Â
+ Number of days from seeding or transplantable size
+ Average harvest period
+ Fall Factor (about 14 days)
+ Frost Tender Factor (14 days) (if applicable)
= Days to count back from the first expected fall frost   Â
An older version of the NebGuide includes some dates for the Eastern, Central and Western Nebraska. Fall cucumbers and squash should be planted now, carrots, Chinese cabbage, beets, lettuce, radishes, snap beans turnips and Swiss chard the last half of July/first part of August. Spinach should be planted mid-August to early September.
When planting a fall garden, plant a little deeper than spring planting and provide adequate water and mulch as soon as possible to conserve water. Some pest problems to watch for include cucumber and squash bugs as well as cabbage worms. For more information, check out the NebGuide I mentioned earlier.
