The mobile water testing lab will be in Columbus from 8 to 5 pm at the Nebraska Extension-Platte County Office, located at 2715 13^th St. Columbus NE 68601. Anyone with a private well that was affected by flood waters in encouraged to get their well tested.

Here’s how it works:

Pick up a free testing kit from the mobile lab location during the hours specified and fill the container with a water sample from your private well. Bring sample back to mobile lab for testing and fill out an information sheet! Samples will be taken to Lincoln on Thursday evening for processing and individuals contacted after testing is completed. These tests are free, but the water testing containers must be picked up and returned to the mobile lab between 8 and 5 pm. This will require a round trip.

For more information please contact the Extension Office at 402-563-4901.

If you are wanting to volunteer for immediate assistance, you must register with 211 to be matched with immediate needs,  please see this message shared by United Way of Platte County.

Volunteer Coordination for Platte County,

The Columbus Area United Way and Columbus/Platte County Emergency Management have requested assistance from the 211 call center at the United Way of the Midlands to assist in disaster volunteer coordination

211 is a free referral number for people to find help from human service agencies.  In the event of local disasters, they activate to run 24/7 and assist in many ways including volunteer coordination.

If you are in Columbus/Platte county and have been affected by the flood and would like volunteers to help at your residence/farm, you can dial 211 or text your zip code to 898211. Their staff will take your name, address, phone, and general idea of what you need done by volunteers.  Please let them know what volunteers need to bring for clean-up (rakes, shovels, gloves, etc.) Your contact information will go to Emergency Management who will match you with those on the volunteer list.

If anyone in Columbus/Platte county would like to volunteer, simply call 211 or text your zip code to 898211.  They will take volunteer/volunteer group name and phone. You will be called back by Emergency Management and referred to people affected by the flood and are ready for assistance.

If you have questions, please contact the United Way office at 402-564-5661. https://www.columbusunitedway.com/211-resource-hotline

Platte County Flood Relief 2019: Fence and Field Clean Up

To help with long term efforts with fence rebuilding and field clean up please register here. As conditions improve we will have more information regarding time and date! Please continue to encourage farmers to reach out and register for assistance here and for more information on our efforts please click here. We are also accepting collection of fence building materials.

Fencing supplies have been moved to Ag Park 822 15th St, Columbus, NE 68601. To drop off fencing supplies please contact Megan Taylor 260-729-1863 or Jill Goedeken 402-276-5838. If you need further assistance please contact Nebraska Extension in Platte County at 402-563-4901. If you are donating materials please fill out this sheet https://goo.gl/forms/E8LP7bbj75Pvlzio2.

Stay safe and #NebraskaStrong

Jill, Catherine, and Megan T

 

Thank you to all local supporters, law reinforcement, government employees, emergency response crews, and volunteers.

Nebraska Cattlemen and Ag Park have joined our community partners and there have been updates to our drop off locations, for all other information related to flood relief efforts click here. For flooding resources and clean up information click here.

Hay and fencing supplies have been moved to Ag Park 822 15th St, Columbus, NE 68601.

For hay drop off and pick up please contact Brian Palmer 402-270-4455 at Ag Park. If you are need in of hay please fill out this sheet https://goo.gl/forms/n338JVftuDYpw3oQ2. Nebraska Department of Ag can also be contacted at 1-800-831-0550 for immediate assistance.

For material drop off and fencing supplies please contact Megan Taylor 260-729-1863 or Jill Goedeken 402-276-5838. If you need further assistance please contact the Nebraska Extension in Platte County at 402-563-4901. If you are donating materials please fill out this sheet https://goo.gl/forms/E8LP7bbj75Pvlzio2.

Monetary donations can be made to First Nebraska Bank in Columbus under Platte County Flood Relief, they are located at 3225 23rd St, Columbus, NE 68601. Gift card donations will be received at the Nebraska Extension Platte County Office located at 2715 13th St, Columbus, NE 68601. Any and all donations of materials are greatly appreciated.

Volunteers can sign up here.

Farmers needing assistance can sign up here.

Individuals wanting to donate food can sign up here.

Stay safe and strong!

Jill, Catherine, and Megan T.

With the recent flooding Nebraska Extension in Platte County, Platte County 4-H, Lakeview FFA, Lakeview FFA Alumni, Columbus Sales Pavilion, First Nebraska Bank, and Nebraska Cattlemen are working  to organize a group of volunteers to help farmers affected by the flooding. Many people want to know how they can help out and be of service to others. We are looking for volunteers, fencing material donations, and food to feed volunteers. Farmers in need of volunteers can also sign up below!

Volunteers

If you are interested in volunteering please fill out this form https://goo.gl/forms/4CbPsYfU1DZ4bhyl1. We are requesting your email, name, number of volunteers, organization, and location. The date and location will be sent out, once field conditions improve! Please be dressed accordingly for the weather, with closed toe shoes and gloves. More specific information will be provided once date and location have been specified.

Farmers

Farmers if you are in need of volunteers to help with fence rebuilding, walking fields to remove debris, or other needs please register here https://goo.gl/forms/xZeaN884QjeHEcIX2 .

Fencing Materials

In conjunction with Nebraska Cattlemen, we are currently accepting materials for fence rebuilding at Ag Park located at 822 15th St, Columbus, NE 68601. We are looking for the following materials: corner posts, barb wire, t-posts, t-post clips, brace posts, fencing pliers, varying sizes of wood posts, varying sizes of corner posts, and staples. To sign-up materials or fencing goods please fill out the following form, https://goo.gl/forms/E8LP7bbj75Pvlzio2

Monetary donations can be made to First Nebraska Bank in Columbus under Platte County Flood Relief, they are located at 3225 23rd St, Columbus, NE 68601. Gift card donations will be received at the Nebraska Extension Platte County Office located at 2715 13th St, Columbus, NE 68601. Any and all donations of materials are greatly appreciated.

Food for Volunteers

If you are willing to provide food items for volunteers during the rebuilding process please fill out the following form https://goo.gl/forms/ag2MaM0INwOfj9MW2 . Lakeview FFA Alumni will contact you with more information and all donations are greatly appreciated.

Please check back for more updates and continue to share this information throughout the area. Nebraskans are strong, kind, and resilient people that will continue to thrive, lets try to help our neighbors as much as we can.

Thank you all!

Megan Taylor,  mtaylor42@unl.edu

Jill Goedeken, jgoedeken2@unl.edu

Catherine Chmelka, cripp@lakeview.esu7.org

Nebraska Extension Platte County Office Phone: 402-563-4901

 

Dear Nebraskans,

I hope that everyone is staying safe, my thoughts go out to everyone affected. Many people have reached out to extension in the past several days wanting to help others. The biggest needs are hay and fencing supplies.

FOR HAY DONATION OR NEEDS

If you are in need of hay or can donate hay please fill this form out https://goo.gl/forms/n338JVftuDYpw3oQ2.  Hay and fencing supplies can be donated to the sale barn in Columbus. Nebraska Department of Ag can also be contacted at 1-800-831-0550 for immediate assistance.

FLOOD RESOURCES

Below are the links to the UNL Flood Resources, https://flood.unl.edu/ please check this out for information surrounding well water safety and contamination.

For well information, check this out.

https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2019/flooded-water-wells

For home drinking water, check this out as well.

https://www.tceq.texas.gov/drinkingwater/homeland_security/flood/flood_safewater.html

Flooding Resources

https://flood.unl.edu/

https://nema.nebraska.gov/index

https://nema.nebraska.gov/operations/march-2019-flood-information-and-help-links

Animal Carcasses and Disposal

Rendering and “Dead Stock” Removal Companies:

https://animalscience.unl.edu/Extension/Horse/Producer/PDF%20Rendering%20Companies.pdf

Animal Carcass Disposal from Nebraska DEQ:

http://deq.ne.gov/Publica.nsf/Pages/06-201

The Platte County Extension office has water testing kits in the office, so please contact us if you have questions. We will have more information regarding the volunteer effort soon.

 

Stay safe and be well everyone!

 

Megan T

 

 

 

Check out the presentation below to see what we went through!

SoilsEMG

These are links with extra information and charts for specific situations!

For turf and small vegetables refer to these:

Click to access fsa-2118.pdf

https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Building-Soils-for-Better-Crops-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Getting-the-Most-From-Routine-Soil-Tests/Interpreting-Soil-Test-Results

For cover crops in home gardens refer to these:

https://extension.umn.edu/how-manage-soil-and-nutrients-home-gardens/cover-crops-and-green-manures

Click to access fs304.pdf

For web soil survey, soil explorer, and general soil tools:

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

https://soilexplorer.net/

 

 

Recently, Columbus played host to Dr. Dwayne Beck from South Dakota State University and Dr. Daren Redfearn of University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  I wanted to summarize the key points and give everyone a few thinks to consider as we move through winter.

 

Dr. Beck kicked things off for us and gave the audience and overview on soil. How soils are dynamic, changeable, and essential to agriculture production. Beck, focuses on making farming about the ecosystem in which the crops are raised. We can break down the idea of ecosystem management into four main points:

• Water ( take the E out of ET (Evapotranspiration) manage the water holding capacity of the soil)
• Energy flow ( managing residue and cover crop biomass is crucial to managing energy balance)
• Mineral cycles (when are nutrients available and when do the crops utilize nutrients)
• Community dynamics (crop rotation, diversity, weather relations, farming practices, etc..)

 

With these four points in mind, producing a plan that balances and adapts to producers will be crucial.

 

Diversity was heavily stressed throughout the presentation and is represented in the community dynamics idea. Crop rotation, seeding date, rooting pattern, residue type, insects, and pests all feed into diversity within cropping systems. With this in mind determining crop rotations is one of the most difficult decisions a producer can make.

 

Crop Rotation: Gut Check Questions

 

• What is your goal? (Break crop disease cycle, improve water holding capacity of soil, increase yield, increase sustainability on your acres, etc.) It is important to determine your why on your acres.
• What do you need/want on your farm? (Straw production, more grazing opportunities, less nutrient costs, etc.) Determining your needs/wants can be done on an acre by acre basis, farm by farm, or by identifying problem fields.
• How are you going utilize the crops in the proposed rotation? Are all the crops in rotation a cash crop or will they add other value to your farm?
• Is this logistically possible? (Financial, equipment, land, utilization, and need)

 

When thinking about rotations and including diversity, the big take home starts at home. Identifying your needs and your farm’s needs are crucial to developing a program that is right for your acres. Obviously, more crops in the rotation is the best case scenario, but not always feasible for a number of reasons. Dwayne has a host of resources available online and multiple YouTube videos of recorded presentations/videos that are entertaining and educational. These videos has similar content from what was presented in Columbus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m2ukTxaHek and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k18rQderghc.

You can check out his webpage here http://www.dakotalakes.com/ to learn more.

 

The panel of producers that we hosted, did an excellent job and provided valuable information to other producers. The take home message was start small and ask questions. Our panel was composed of      producers focused on improving soil conditions and profitability on their acres. They all echoed the idea        of thinking about your rotations and that cover crops require management, but did not overrun their lives.

 

Dr. Daren Redfearn moderated the panel along with Mariah Woolsoncroft (UNL Beef Educator). Daren provided Nebraska specific remarks in the afternoon. The biggest take away, was that planting date was the most important factor for raising cover crops, later planting caused reduced growth overall. October 1^st was the key date, on or before this date was ideal to get maximum stand and spring growth.  As Daren transitioned into the relationship between soil, grazing, and residue he debunked three concerns when grazing stalks.

• Soil compaction when grazing corn stalks, no effect on the porosity of soil.
• Fertility no effect on nutrient levels, however there was an increase soil microbial communities.
• Crop yield, no effect or slight improvement in yields.

For more information check out these publications on CropWatch.

https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2019/cover-crop-grazing-impacts-soils-and-crop-yields  https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2019/cover-crops-benefit-nebraska-agroecosystems-many-ways

 

You can also check Daren out on twitter @UNLRangeForage or email him at dredfearn2@UNL.edu.

 

Daren and Dwayne finished the day answering questions and talking with producers. The day ended with the ecosystem management concept that was presented by Dr. Beck. Thinking deeply about how we manage resources will continue to be at the heart of developing agriculture. Dr. Beck left our producers with a simple but powerful charge, “As citizens of Nebraska, you need to decide what you would like agriculture to look like in the future.” 

Continuing the New Year, new management theme!

It’s time to use those free calendars for good, planning can set up great hay crops for the next year! Dr. Bruce Anderson of UNL, provides hay and forage minutes bi-weekly. In particular he wrote a minute detailing calendar planning, I wanted to share and expand on the idea of planning and the importance in forage production. Also check out a scholarship opportunity for your daughter, granddaughter, niece, or any young woman hoping to learn more about becoming a leader in agriculture.

A wise person once told me the best hay takes planning. Just like anything, a good plan can provide structure, balance, and realistic expectations. In the same breath this person also said a calendar is a farmer’s best friend. As snow storm after snow storm sets in around eastern Nebraska, this is the perfect time to reflect on what worked and didn’t with you hay and pastures. With any farming venture Mother Nature is a big driver of success, but we can attempt to plan ahead. I’m sure everyone has at least one free calendar from the bank, insurance agent, or a neighbor! Put those calendars to use and pencil in a few of these dates; let’s look at hay production month by month!

January and February, these are key times to order seed for the upcoming year. Take time to pick, price, and shop around for the right seed. Planting pastures is a commitment, so make sure you are happy with the product you purchase. This is also a good time to think about the maturity and overall stand health of some of our stands. Do you have a pasture that is getting up there in years and thin in some areas? It may be time to order some seed to fill in those holes and renovate.

March and April, as our soils thaw this a great time to pull any missing soil cores or fields that haven’t been soil tested in awhile. It’s also a great time to fertilize your wheat and plant oats for cover/grazing.  Liming and fertilization on other pastures or alfalfa stands needs to be completed before planting, so remember to try to get your pastures fertilized before planting new forages or row crops. The middle to late portion of April is the key time to fertilize cool season pastures, this will help these crops in the early part of spring and help them start strong.

May, should be official thistle awareness month! You heard it heard it here first, May is un-officially thistle awareness month in my counties! It is time to spray and get rid of any thistles, the thistles can be managed before getting out-of-hand and causing heartache/heartburn later. May is also a key time for alfalfa first cutting, remember first cutting just as buds are forming is high quality/good price!

Late May to early June  brings warm weather and hopefully adequate rain. This is the key time to fertilize any warm season pastures and plant your summer annuals.

July to early August  is the key time to prepare and plant turnips or oats for late fall, early winter grazing.  November and December, it’s important to take some time and recharge after harvest, but finish your year strong by sampling and testing all your harvested forages so you can plan and feed animals during winter to meet their nutritional needs at the most affordable cost.

Time is a precious commodity but with planning we can utilize our time and raise some of the best forages we can!

 

Also there is a scholarship opportunity for any young women interested in attending the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference in Kearney. The annual Nebraska Women in Agriculture conference will be held Feb. 21 – 22, 2019 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 110 S. 2nd Ave., Kearney, Neb.

The Women in Agriculture Conference allows women to build relationships with each other, attend workshops and gain valuable knowledge that will help them support their farms and ranches. The theme for this year’s conference is, “Take Charge of Change.”

Over 30 concurrent workshops will be hosted over the two-day event that focus on production risk, market risk, financial risk, human risk and legal risk.  In addition to workshops, participants will have the opportunity to hear from Marji Guyler-Alaniz, founder of FarmHer. Marji will discuss the inspiration for and evolution of FarmHer and image of women in agriculture. Other general session speakers include Tim Hammerich of Ag Grad, Joan Ruskamp the Chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center, and Giannella Alvarez of Beanitos.

Five $125 scholarships (full registration fee) available to University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) students.

Ten $62.50 scholarships (half registration fee) are available to Nebraska FFA, 4-H or Community College students. Students receiving a ½ scholarship are expected to pay the remainder of the registration cost during the registration period, or find a local sponsor.

Applicants will need to prepare a 3,000 character essay on “Why do you want to attend the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference?” and “How will you use the information in your future studies/career?”

TO APPLY CLICK HERE: https://wia.unl.edu/scholarships

Hotel rooms and additional travel expenses are not covered by student scholarships. The application is now open. Applications must be submitted online by midnight February 1, 2019. Scholarship recipients will be notified no later than February 8, 2019.

 

 

Have a great week everyone!

 

Hi everyone,

 

I hope the New Year has started out strong for everyone! I know that the New Year, always brings new hope and a fresh start to everyone. I am looking forward to learning from and assisting producers from around my area and across the state of Nebraska. Here in Platte County, we are starting the New Year off right with a series of dynamic speakers.

Nebraska Extension and NRCS will be hosting a Cover Crop Management Day in Columbus NE on January 16th.  The program is designed for conventional farmers, cattle producers, land owners, and anyone interested in learning more about sustainable farming. This program will feature Dr. Dwayne Beck, celebrated no-till expert from SDSU, and Dr. Daren Redfearn residue and cover crop specialist from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Over lunch visit with producers from around the counties that have implemented cover crops on their farms. The program is $10 to attend and includes breakfast, lunch, and take home materials. Please pre-register by phone 402-563-4901 or by using this address https://goo.gl/forms/dvoVshOtO0zvCjKE2.

I hope to see everyone there. Have a great and healthy start to your New Year everyone!

 

See you soon,

Megan T

Hello Everyone! I hope you are having a great December so far! I wanted to point out a few events happening around the counties!

Next week the Confronting Crop Challenges Meetings will be in West Point, Pender, Columbus, Norfolk, and Blair (December 17th- 20th). These meetings will host a pesticide re-certification only! Please bring your barcode letter! To register and for more information check out, http://croptechcafe.org/ccc/ for more details!

January 16th Ag Park in Columbus NE will feature Dr. Dwayne Beck and Dr. Darren Redfearn! Cover crops, no-till, residue management, and grazing will be highlighted throughout this program! It is $10 to attend, breakfast and lunch are provided. Please register at, https://goo.gl/forms/WjLzx7F56IrMqHOE2 .

Nebraska Extension in Platte, Boone & Nance Counties will present educational sessions where you may re-certify or extend your pesticide certification. The program fee is $40.00 for this session.   If you know of other producers who are in need of having this certification for the first time or need to reestablish their certification, they are also invited to attend. The training schedule below are opportunities where you may attend a private pesticide applicator training for initial certification or to re-certify.

• January 30       Fullerton, 1:00 pm, Extension Conference Room
• January 31       Columbus, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, Ag Park
• February 7       Lindsay, 1:00 pm, Lindsay Town Hall
• February 11    Albion, 1:00 pm, Casey’s Community Bldg., Fairgrounds
• February 11    Fullerton, 6 pm, Extension Conference Room
• February 20    Columbus, 1:00 pm, Ag Park
• March 11          Fullerton, 9 am, Extension Conference Room
• March 11          Albion, 6 pm, Casey’s Community Bldg., Fairgrounds
• March 21          Columbus, 1:00 pm, Ag Park

If you have recently received a “bar-coded” letter from the NE Dept. of Agriculture about your need to re-certify, please bring this letter to the private applicator training session.  This letter will save you time and may be substituted for the NDA “bubble” application form. Those who forget to bring this “bar-coded” letter will need to complete the NDA form that will be provided.

So mark your calendars and be on the look out for mail coming from me if you live in the Platte, Boone, or Nance county areas! Have a great weekend everyone!