The Doniphan Herald

Aurora Cooperative announces acquisition of four aerial application businesses

AURORA, NE (March 2, 2010) - The Aurora Cooperative, a leading grain marketer and
agricultural supplier in Nebraska and surrounding states, today announced the acquisition of four aerial application businesses to service its agronomy owner-patrons throughout its multi-state trade area.

The acquired aerial businesses include:
� Boardman Aerial Spraying - Henderson, NE
� Pioneer Aerial Applicators - Minden, NE
� Buffalo Aerial Services - Kearney, NE
� Traudt Aerial Service - Aurora, NE

The acquisition, along with the company's owned aerial businesses in Grant, NE, (Cornhusker Ag Aviation), and Bertrand, NE, (FFC), will create one of the largest agricultural aerial application businesses in the United States.

Owners of the acquired companies, Rick and Mary Boardman, Brent and Mary Stewart and James Jensen, will continue in management roles within the newly-created Ag Aviation Division of the Aurora Cooperative.

"The Aurora Cooperative has emerged as one of the nation's class-leading agronomy businesses. Our customers are demanding contemporary solutions to deliver crop protection products in a timely manner. The formation of the Ag Aviation Division, with its assets and management team, will be a significant enhancement to our existing agronomy business and create a unique business model in the industry," said George Hohwieler, President and CEO of the Aurora Cooperative.

"Within our strategic plan is the on-going mission to provide our owner-patrons with world-class agronomy products and services to support their crop production efforts. Next-generation crop protection products are emerging as vital inputs in the American farmer's drive for increase yields of high quality grains. Our company's financial performance over the past several years places us in a solid position to invest in this expanded agronomy platform," Hohwieler said. "The American farmer wants solutions to today's challenges. The Aurora Cooperative stands ready to deliver these solutions, both today and for the next generation of U.S. farmers."

Funding available to fight invasive weeds

LINCOLN, February, 26, 2010 - The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering $1.5 million in cost share assistance to landowners through the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) to control invasive species in fully or over appropriated watershed. Landowners have until March 12, 2010, to sign up for assistance.

The CCPI, now in its second year, provides financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and nonindustrial private forest lands in specific watershed areas. Funds are available through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

Landowners in the North and South Platte River basins, the Platte River basin to the eastern Polk County line, all of the Republican River basin, and the Niobrara River basin are eligible. These basins have been declared fully or over appropriated basins for surface and/or groundwater.

NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick said, "We are partnering with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Weed Management Areas to enhance weed control. Most of the effort has been in aerial spraying the existing weeds, which has been very successful. These new funds can be used by landowners to undertake additional actions to try and keep the weeds from returning."

Some of the invasive plants being targeted include: phragmites, a grass that can grow 15-feet tall, choking out native plants (phragmites is highly visible in river channel along I-80 west of Grand Island to the state border); saltcedar, a perennial tree or shrub that spreads easily, and when mature, is estimated to absorb 200 gallons of water per day; and Russian olive, and invasive tree that displaces native species.

For more information about CCPI, contact any NRCS office, County Weed Superintendent or visit the Nebraska Department of Agriculture web site at http://www.agr.ne.gov/riparian/ccpi.htm. Additional information on Farm Bill programs including EQIP, WHIP, and CSP is available on the Nebraska NRCS web site www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.

St. Paul ends Lady Cardinals season at subdistricts

Click to view and/or purchase more photos from the D-T vs. St. Paul girls basketball game.

GRAND ISLAND - The St. Paul girls basketball team won the rubber match against Doniphan-Trumbull Monday night at the Class C1-8 Subdistrict at Grand Island Senior High and ended the Lady Cardinals season at 4-17.

"We had our open shots, and they didn't fall," D-T head coach Bob Samuelson said of the fourth quarter. "We made some key turnovers down the stretch. That hurt us. But we played hard. We've done that all year."

Kristina Kamler tied the game at 37 for the Lady Cardinals with 1:29 left in the third quarter on a free throw.

Andrea Toben gave D-T a 39-37 lead that stood through the end of the third quarter.

A pair of Jocelyn Utecht free throws increaesed the D-T lead to 41-37 with 7:36 left in the fourth quarter.
Senior point guard Jordie Pfeiffer picked up her fourth and fifth fouls in the first 1:18 of the fourth quarter.
The Lady Cardinals struggled against the St. Paul pressure defense, committed at least five turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Neither team scored until St. Paul's Makenzie Mudloff broke the scoring drought with a hoop at the 4:31 mark. Rebecca Masat tied the score at 41 with two free throws at the 3:48 mark.

D-T then committed back-to-back turnovers, which led to four more St. Paul points and a 45-41 advantage with 2:48 left.

Kirsten Sullivan gave D-T a chance by knocking down a three-pointer at the 2:28 mark to close the gap to 45-44. It also ended a 5:12 scoring drought for the Lady Cardinals.

St. Paul's Shannon Behnk made 6 of 6 at the foul line during the next minute and teammate Kendra Alberts hit 1 of 2, while D-T connected on 3 of 5 attempts to account for the five-point margin of defeat.

Toben led the Lady Cardinals with 14 points in her final game. Sullivan added 11, Utecht totaled 10, Jordie Pfeiffer totaled four points, Katie Pfeiffer added three, Taylor Hadenfeldt and Kayla Hinrichs chipped in two and Kamler finished with one point.

As a team, D-T hit 20 of 48 field-goal attempts and 6 of 12 free throws.

Doniphan-Trumbull, Giltner football schedules for 2010, 2011 released by NSAA

The NSAA released the football schedules for Doniphan-Trumbull, Giltner and the rest of the schools in the state on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Below are the schedules for Doniphan-Trumbull and Giltner for 2010 and 2011.

Doniphan-Trumbull 2010 Schedule:

Week 0 @ Ravenna
Week 1 Twin River
Week 2 Wood River
Week 3 BYE
Week 4 @ Sutton
Week 5 Hastings St. Cecilia
Week 6 @ Kearney Catholic
Week 7 @ Thayer Central
Week 8 Superior

Doniphan-Trumbull 2011 Schedule:

Week 0 Ravenna
Week 1 @ Twin River
Week 2 @ Wood River
Week 3 BYE
Week 4 Sutton
Week 5 @ Hastings St. Cecilia
Week 6 Kearney Catholic
Week 7 Thayer Central
Week 8 @ Superior

Giltner 2010 Schedule:

Week 0 @ Shelby
Week 1 Hampton
Week 2 BYE
Week 3 Palmer
Week 4 @ Lawrence-Nelson
Week 5 Harvard
Week 6 Silver Lake
Week 7 @ Exeter-Milligan
Week 8 @ Red Cloud

Giltner 2011 Schedule:

Week 0 Shelby
Week 1 @ Hampton
Week 2 BYE
Week 3 @ Palmer
Week 4 Lawrence-Nelson
Week 5 @ Harvard
Week 6 @ Silver Lake
Week 7 Exeter-Milligan
Week 8 Red Cloud

Hall County Voice of Past program to be held Feb. 14

Carol Mieth and Jo Riedy, longtime residents of Cairo, will present Hall County Historical Society\'s \"Voices from the Past\" program on Sunday, February 14.

The program, set for 2 p.m. will be at Plum Street Station, Sixth and Plum Streets, in Grand Island. It will focus on Cairo\'s Borglum brothers, Gutzon and Solon.
It is free and open to the public.

Riedy and Mieth are very active in Cairo Roots, a museum that accumulates and preserves western Hall County research.

The Borglums were famous sculptors. Solon lives just northwes of Cairo in the 1890 in a dugout. Gutzon, best known for his carvings of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota\'s Black Hills, visited Cairo often and may have lived there for awhile, too.

The Borglulm brothers were born of Danish immigrants and Mormon parents in Utah. Solon often sculpted cowboys and native Americans. His works depicted frontier life. Three of his bronze sulptures are displayed at museums in Prescott, Arizona, Cody, Wyoming and Jersey City, New Jersey.

Hope Harbor move a success, all services available

GRAND ISLAND - Hope Harbor, Inc. is pleased to announce that they are officially moved back into their newly renovated facility at 610 W. Division. Upon moving to a temporary shelter in February 2009, Hope Harbor was able to continue its transitional shelter program on a smaller scale, but was unable to run their emergency shelter services out of the temporary location. Beginning today (February 1, 2010) the emergency shelter services are again available.

"Welcome home Hope Harbor residents and staff!" said Melissa DeLaet, Executive Director. "The last few months have been very trying on the agency, but everything has come together and we are more than thrilled with the results. Since moving back home our numbers have more than doubled and we are receiving more and more referrals every day. The community has been lacking in some services since last February when we moved having to suspend our emergency shelter temporarily, and having reduced space available for our transitional shelter. I am happy to say that we are back up and running and are better than ever."

"It's great to be back and to see the residents and staff getting settled into our newly renovated home," said Ellen Hornady, Board President. "I am so proud of our dedicated staff and the hard work they have put in getting us up and running again to meet the needs of our community."

Hope Harbor's emergency shelter is now equipped with 12 beds in three rooms, as well as a three-quarters ADA accessible bathroom. Emergency shelter services are available from 9:15 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.

The transitional shelter is equipped with 56 beds in 26 rooms. One wing is dedicated strictly to families whom have entered the transitional program. This wing has several adjoining rooms allowing the Hope Harbor staff to create larger rooms for larger families as needed.

After a successful Capital Campaign in 2007 & 2008 Hope Harbor has been fortunate enough to complete a major renovation to its facility. These updates include: fire sprinkler systems, updated plumbing, new heating and air systems, a renovated kitchen, walled case management offices, new flooring and paint, an education room to hold their unique classes in, ADA accessibility and a new roof, doors and windows.

Hope Harbor serves homeless and near-homeless women, children and families by providing safe shelter, meals, intensive case management and educational programs to assist residents in becoming self-sufficient. The office hours are Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with staff available to take donations at that time. Residents of Hope Harbor will be able to take donations at the south door of the facility after the offices are closed.

For more information, to donate, or volunteer, please contact:

Amanda Groff
Development Director
308-385-5190 (w)
308-380-0118 (c)
agroff@hopeharborgi.org

Extension Update Jan. 22, 2010

Rural Advantage Conference Planned: The 2010 Rural Advantage/Healthy Farms Conference is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 5th and 6th at the Downtown Holiday Inn in Lincoln. The keynote speaker is Nebraska 1st District Congressman, Jeff Fortenberry, a strong supporter of local foods. He will kick off the conference with a talk on "The Potential of Local Foods in Nebraska". Conference programs will address sustainable production agriculture, alternative crops and enterprises, local food production systems and adding value to your product. There will be presentations on NRCS programs and resources for organic farmers and those transitioning to organic farming. A farmer panel will cover the challenges of organic farming, a long-term no-till farmer will discuss the use of cover crops in his cropping system and another will discuss what to do when the kids are gone.

Several sessions will cover alternative crops and enterprises for Nebraska and adding value to your product. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Entomologist, Marion Ellis will visit about getting started in beekeeping. Producers will discuss aronia berry production and growing hops for micro-breweries in the region. There will also be presentations on commercial wind power and wind and solar power systems for farms and homes. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) works with several clients in Nebraska each year at their Food Processing Center. Jill Gifford, UNL Food Processing Manager will give a presentation and tour of this facility on UNL's East Campus. For those who are direct marketing their beef, Dr. Steve Jones from the UNL Meat Lab will explain and demonstrate how to add value to your beef cuts. Finally with more people in the region interested in local and organic foods, there will be a presentation on post harvest handling of produce by Kevin Loth, a commercial vegetable producer from the Lincoln area and a session on organic vegetable gardening by Dr. Tom Tomas an organic vegetable gardener.

For more information and registration forms go to: http://york.unl.edu/agriculture. To register on-line go to http://go.unl.edu/healthyfarmsconference or www.healthyfarms.org.

Master Gardener Training Sessions Planned
The York Extension Office will be hosting Master Gardener Training breeze sessions at their office on Tuesday evening's beginning on Feb. 16th. Cost for materials and supplies will be $100. The training is relatively inexpensive but participants are asked to volunteer time back to the Extension Educational efforts in the area. Registration fees for current Master Gardeners will be $5.00. The sessions will go from Feb. 16th to March 23rd each Tuesday at our office located at 2345 Nebraska Av. If you'd like to attend, but do not want to become a Master Gardener, the sessions will be $5.00 for materials.

Topics this year will include:
2/16 - Native Plants for Water Conservation, Kelly Feehan
2/23 - An In-depth Look at Fertilizers, Roch Gaussion
3/2 - Turfgrass & Related Insects, Jim Kalisch
3/9 - Beneficial Pollinating Insects and Vegetable Garden Pests, Wayne Ohnesorg
3/16 -Tree & Shrub Pruning, Sarah Browning
3/23 -Pesticide Safety and Non-chemical IPM Pest Control Techniques, Jim Schild

Each evening, we will have presentations from 6:30 - 7:45 p.m., local discussion/break and another presentation from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. For more information, go to the http://york.unl.edu and click the home, lawn & garden link or give Gary Zoubek a call at 362-5508 or email him at gzoubek1@unl.edu.

Classroom style Master Gardener Training will be offered at College Park in Grand Island. The dates will be March 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 19th. Classes will run 9am to 4pm each day with a lunch break. I'll keep you posted on that.

Nebraska Ag Water Management and Demonstration Network (NAWMDN): The NAWMDN was established to increase adoption of newer technologies to conserve water and energy resources associated with irrigated crop production. It established a system for testing improved technologies for measuring crop water use and soil water status and created a network of growers, crop consultants, UNL extension, NRDs, NRCS, and others to enable the adoption of water and energy conservation practices. The system that the NAWMDN is currently assisting producers with utilizes Watermark soil moisture sensors along with a simple gauge that measures crop evapotranspiration. This program has been successful because UNL Extension and NRD personnel are working one on one with producers who are then sharing their success stories with other producers. Producers surveyed in 2007 & 2008 indicated that on average they've reduced irrigation applications and associated energy saving by 2" for both corn and soybeans. Compared to the savings in water and energy, the cost of the equipment is minor. Equipment can be ordered through the Upper Big Blue NRD and they do cost share for getting set up. Feel free to give myself or Dan at the NRD a call if you would like to know more.

Ag Day 2010: Thanks to all that participated in our Ag Day program last Thursday including the Aurora Area Chamber and Development for sponsoring the coffee and donuts, Grosshans International for the fine meal, the exhibitors and financial sponsors for their support and of course all of you that attended.

Upcoming Events:

January 27-28 - Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, NE. For information go to http://neata.org or contact me in the extension office.

January 29 - Spatial Variability in Soils Workshop, Grand Island, contact Cathy Dickinson at (402) 472.1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu.

February 8 - Pesticide Training, 1:30 pm and 6:30 pm, Bremer Center, Aurora.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required.

February 25 - Pesticide Training, 9:00 am & 1:30 pm, Bremer Center, Aurora.

Nature Center Opens Online Registration For Guided Sandhill Crane Tours

The Nebraska Nature and Visitor Center (NNVC) is pleased to offer online registration for 2010 sandhill crane viewing tours to the public. Each tour participant will be provided a presentation and then be guided to an observation blind on the Platte River to watch the sandhill cranes depart the river in the morning or return to the river in the evening. There are two different types of experience available including a footbridge tour for $8 and a enclosed viewing blind tour for $30. The tours require a 10-minute walk in the pre-dawn darkness to get to the site. Tours last about two hours are not recommended for children under the age of twelve.

Registration is simple. Start with the nature center\'s home page: http://nebraskanature.org . Look for the link labeled "Book Your Tour Now." After clicking the Buy Now button, you\'ll be taken to an information page describing our tours. A second Buy Now button links you to the registration page. Visitors can see which tours are available, choose the date and time of their tour and pay by Visa or MasterCard. Tours can even be cancelled (with at least 24 hours notice) and rebooked.

According to Director Brad Mellema, "We couldn\'t be more thrilled to offer this convenience to our patrons. The cranes are coming very soon and it is time to start thinking about making plans to see the migration. After the cranes leave, our visitors will be able to register online for other events too."

Those who prefer registration by phone can call the center at (308) 382-1820. Mellema encourages making early reservations, as tours will book early, especially with online registration now available.

Located on the I-80 Alda exit 305, the Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center exists to provide a place where people of all ages can connect to nature along the Platte River. Go to www.nebraskanature.org for more information.

Extension Update Jan. 15, 2010

Ag Day 2010: Don't forget to attend Ag Day this Thursday January 21 at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The complete agenda can be found on our website http://hamilton.unl.edu/home.

Also on our website is information on the upcoming Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic slated for February 11. There is no need to RSVP for Ag Day however pre-registration is strongly encouraged for the farm financial clinic. Save $5.00 by registering in advance.

Winter Weather Works In Alfalfa\'s Favor: Alfalfa loves snow. In fact, nothing can increase the chance of alfalfa surviving winter better than a thick blanket of snow. Moderate fall weather allows alfalfa plants to harden well for winter, leaving them with a high concentration of nutrients and a low concentration of water in their roots. This winterized condition enables alfalfa crowns and roots to withstand temperatures as low as 5 degrees above zero. The soil doesn\'t get as cold as the air above it. And when soil is covered with a blanket of snow, this snow acts like a layer of insulation protecting the ground from bitter cold temperatures. Plus, it reduces the rate that soils and alfalfa roots dry out. This is why winters with little snow cover can cause more injury to alfalfa stands, especially if soils also are dry.

Of course, management practices in the fall influence the effect of snow on the alfalfa. Tall stubble provides some insulation value itself and it will catch more snow. Also, avoiding alfalfa harvest during the so-called risk period from mid-September through mid-October helps alfalfa roots winterize well by building up nutrients and reducing water content.

Hay and Forage Hotline: The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has a Hay and Forage Hotline that is available to help connect buyers with sellers of hay. This is a free service. NDA will list contact information and basic hay information of sellers which is then available to anyone interested in purchasing hay. Producers should include their name, city, county, state, phone number, kind of hay, amount for sale, price, and any notes. Entries are removed after being posted for one year or sooner upon producer request. To see this directory go to: http://www.agr.ne.gov/hayhot/hayhotline.htm. If a producer would like to list their information on the Hay Hotline they can either call in at 800-422-6692 or e-mail to steve.martin@nebraska.gov.

Be Aware Of Possible Spring Flooding Concerns Due to Extreme Cold, Snowpack: Al Dutcher, Nebraska State Climatologist reports that with December 2009 being one of the coldest on record, lakes, rivers and streams are accumulating significant ice mass, putting the state in danger of spring flooding if there were to be a quick warm up. Nebraskans should be aware that if there isn't a slow, prolonged thaw snow will melt too quickly and the runoff will likely contribute to ice jams and flooding. Farm fields located near tributaries could see some flooding as there should be very little infiltration from snow into the soil profiles as surfaces are currently at or below freezing across much of eastern Nebraska.

There currently is between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of water stored in the snow pack across eastern Nebraska, not including the moisture received during the Jan. 6 event. Thus flooding could be similar, or worse than the flooding seen in the early 1990s. Although it is too early to tell, it is something people should be aware of. A slow warm up this spring will minimize impacts and make room for incoming water. If additional winter storms occur, the flood potential will increase above current concerns. The current snowpack is knocking 15 to 20 degrees off daily temperatures. Still, the state doesn't want to see a sharp warm up, and February often can have warm periods. Ice jams also may become a problem depending how quickly snow pack melts, releasing water and breaking up ice.

Upcoming Events:

January 20, 21 & 22 - Upper Big Blue NRD No-till meeting, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 20th @ College Park in Grand Island, 21st @ York Co. Fairgrounds, 22nd @ Ag Park in Columbus. Call Patty @ 402-362-6601 by January 18 to pre-register.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.

January 27-28 - Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, NE. For information go to http://neata.org or contact me in the extension office.

January 29 - Spatial Variability in Soils Workshop, Grand Island, contact Cathy Dickinson at (402) 472.1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu.

February 8 - Pesticide Training, 1:30 pm and 6:30 pm, Bremer Center, Aurora.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required.

February 25 - Pesticide Training, 9:00 am & 1:30 pm, Bremer Center, Aurora.

Annette Dubas weekly column - Jan. 22, 2010

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders Conference this past month. It is an invitation only conference which brings legislative agricultural leaders together from across the country to focus on ways we can promote agriculture and address rural issues in a positive and constructive manner. This conference was attended by representatives from 47 states and while our challenges may seem unique on the surface there are many common threads that tie together the issues we face.

While our agenda covered a broad array of topics such as invasive weed control, water supply and demand between rural and urban uses, declining populations, renewable energy and rural economic development, one subject in particular commanded a strong interest. Sessions on how to support a strong livestock sector were well attended and this important issue was addressed in multiple presentations throughout the conference.

In recent years there has been a great deal of discussion on how and where we should raise livestock. While there may be opposing thoughts on what are the most efficient and sustainable practices, I would hope the one thing we can all agree on is the importance of the livestock business to our state and country. Nebraska is the number one red meat producing state in the nation and this is a key component of our state\'s economy. Our ag economy contributes $14 billion dollars to Nebraska\'s revenue coffers, with livestock production accounting for 57% of that total. The bulk of those dollars come from family owned and operated farms and ranches.

We are all very familiar with our local humane society and the great work they do to take care of stray cats and dogs and other animal welfare issues. The Humane Society of the United States is another animal welfare organization but it should not be confused with the work our local humane societies do; they are NOT one in the same. When you go to the web site for HSUS you will immediately see cute puppies and cuddly animals. The site talks about the terrible abuses puppy mills inflict on these animals. No one would disagree that we should do whatever we can to shut down these types of businesses and end such cruel practices. Yet, further investigation of the agenda of the Humane Society of the United States indicates they would like to see an end to all livestock production and actually have tips on how to eat humanely by reducing animal consumption and replacing it with vegetarian options.

Most of our population today is at least three generations removed from any connection to agriculture. The resounding message from the conference demonstrated how imperative it is for farmers and ranchers to do a better job of reaching out to our consumers and help them understand how we conduct our business. It is not just our job; it is our way of life. The recent weather challenges will quickly demonstrate the time and effort livestock farmers spend to keep their animals well cared for and fed.

The State Agriculture and Rural Leaders Conference enlisted speakers who challenged the way we think, presented us with opportunities to network with our counterparts from across the country and encouraged us to go home and put what we learned into action.

Annette Dubas weekly column - Jan. 15, 2010

The second session of the 101st legislature is off to a running start and while stormy economic conditions are a concern, we are in better shape because of the budget cuts adopted by the legislature and Governor Heineman during the November Special Session.

The Governor in his State of the State Address named three priorites for our state with the first being, \"growing our economy by focusing on job creation.\" While we face tough economic times, we must continue to do whatever we can to meet that objective. This week the legislature advance LB 297 - The Nebraska Beginning Farmer, Rancher and Small Business Link Deposit Loan Act. The bill will create low interest loans for use by small businesses and young farmers and ranchers. LB 297 will move us toward achieving the Governor\'s goal of growing our revenue and creating jobs.

I am proud to have worked closely with the Nebraska Farm Bureau, The Nebraska Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers as well as the State Treasurer\'s office to create the Beginning Farmers, Ranchers and Small Business Link Deposit Loan Program.

The Act will provide an additional funding source for banks to assist them in making low interest loans to qualified borrowers. The farmer or rancher must have a net worth of less than $500,000, be located in Nebraska and be actively involved in the operation. A small business would need to have less than ten employees, be located in Nebraska and in an area that is deemed economically distressed. The loans may be used for almost anything the business would need to carry out its operations. The dollars for this program will come from money that the State Treasurer already has available for investment. The Treasurer will then make those dollars available to banks at a lower interest rate so the banks in turn can make low interest loans to qualifing applicants. I will continue to work between general and select file with the interested parties to insure this program will not have a negative impact on our budget.

Agriculture is clearly the backbone on our economy. Having access to capital for our beginning farmers, ranchers and small main street businesses is a challenge now, more than ever. This program will be a crucial component in our efforts to meet that job creation challenge and spur rural economic development by investing our own dollars in our own rural communities, families, businesses, farmers and ranches.

While as a state we face stormy economic conditions due to a national recession, I will continue to work for and support efforts too help develop and grow our local economies.

As always if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact my office:

Senator Annette Dubas
34th Legislative District
adubas@leg.ne.gov
402.471.2630

Extension Update - Jan. 11, 2010

I heard there is a big run on Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops and charcoal! Just kidding, but doesn't this thirty plus degree temperature feel good? It's almost warm enough to start us thinking about spring again. Let's hope we have the worst behind us now.

Ag Day 2010 - I am really excited about our upcoming Ag Day program to be held January 21st in the Ag Auditorium on the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The agricultural industry has some very real challenges ahead to feed a rapidly growing world population. These challenges must be met with increased efficiency by doing what we do better and by adapting new technologies. The program will provide insight on this challenge and how the industry is managing it. In addition to the program, we will have a number of agricultural related organizations on hand to display their products and services. Although this list may not be complete, so far our participants include: Stoltenberg Irrigation, Advanced Motor Sports, Aurora Cooperative, Garst Seed, Grosshans International, Hamilton Corn Growers, Monsanto, Northrup King, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Plains Irrigation/Husker Sales & Construction, Senkbile Farms Inc, and Ward Laboratories. In addition to these exhibitors I also want to mention the Bank of Marquette, Greenline Equipment, Great Plains Renewable Energy and Pinnacle Bank who have provided financial support for our program. Come early for coffee and donuts compliments of the Aurora Area Chamber and Development and enjoy lunch provided by Grosshans International. See you there!

Crop Production Clinic Planned - York County is hosting one of the series of Crop Production meetings at the York city auditorium this Wednesday January 13th. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 8:45 a.m. For more information or a registration form, go to: http://cpc.unl.edu. I hope to see you there!

Agricultural Checkup: Diagnosing your Farm Financial Health - "Simply knowing that financial ratios exist is not enough...you have to know how they affect the farm and the farm's bottom line" was quoted from a recent workshop participant. UNL Extension is sponsoring this workshop Thursday February 11th from 9:00 am to noon at the Bremer Community Center here in Aurora. The program focuses on empowering producers with the knowledge to: Understand the purpose behind financial rations; Understand where the various ratio components originate from; Calculate those ratios which affect their farm financial health; Assess the current health of the operation; Diagnose where potential problems might occur; Understand how changes to management effect the farm financial rates; and Evaluate which ratios are most important to the farm operation. Upon completion, participants will be better equipped to begin assessing their current health and able to take steps towards future improvement. Pre-registration with payment of $15.00 per person is suggested to hold your spot, however door registration is allowed for $20.00 per person. We highly encourage pre-registration because without a sufficient show of interest we could regrettably have to cancel. Go to http://hamilton.unl.edu/home for details and registration form.

Upcoming Events:

January 13 - Crop Production Clinic, City Auditorium, York.

January 20, 21 & 22 - Upper Big Blue NRD No-till meeting, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 20th @ College Park in Grand Island, 21st @ York Co. Fairgrounds, 22nd @ Ag Park in Columbus. Call Patty @ 402-362-6601 by
January 18 to pre-register.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.

January 27-28 - Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, NE. For information go to http://neata.org or contact me in the extension office.

January 29 - Spatial Variability in Soils Workshop, Grand Island, contact Cathy Dickinson at (402) 472.1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required.

February 8 - Pesticide Training, 1:30 pm and 6:30 pm, Bremer Center, Aurora.

February 25 - Pesticide Training, 9:00 am & 1:30 pm, Bremer Center, Aurora.

MS On the Move event to be held Feb. 11 in Grand Island

Grand Island - The National MS Society, with Grand Island community chair Deanna Bosselman, to hold a leadership and networking lunch on February 11, 2010 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm at the Heartland Event Center. The event will raise funds to support the MS Society and its mission and will feature two keynote speakers, Carrie Smith & Carol Horner who will inspire and entertain lunch participants.

Carrie Smith, Nashville singer and songwriter will share her incredible story and messages about overcoming fear and moving forward to successful outcomes. And Carol Horner, President of Synchronicity, will focus her topic on how to implement positive and productive changes in people\'s attitudes, performance, and relationships.

The Societies goal is to raise $60,000 with two lunch events in 2010. Grand Island is the first lunch in this series and marks the first time the National MS Society has held a leadership event in Grand Island. The lunch is entitled On the Move to celebrate the strength and solidarity of all people whose lives have been touched by MS and to show support for the 400,000 Americans living with MS. "It's a great opportunity to learn more about the disease and show community support, working together to move closer to a world free of MS," said Deb Hermann, development director for the National MS Society - Nebraska Chapter.

The On the Move MS lunch is a 2 hour event that is designed as both educational and entertaining featuring two keynote speakers, a delicious lunch and an inspirational opportunity to network, build teams and motivate others. All monies collected at the event will support the mission of the MS Society-the programs and services for those affected by MS, and the funding of research to help find a cure. To purchase tickets Call 800-344-4867, option 2 or e-mail Deb at deb.hermann@nmss.org.

On the Move Lunch Event Details

Date: February 11, 2010

Time: 11:30 am - 1: 30 pm

Place: Heartland Event Center, 700 E Stolley Park Rd, Grand Island, NE

Cost: $35.00 per ticket or $280.00 for a table of eight and the meal is included in the ticket price

Call 800-344-4867, option 2 to reserve your seat or e-mail Deb at deb.hermann@nmss.org

Liberated Woman presentation to be made Jan. 10 at Plum Street Station in Grand Island

Grand Island historian Edith Robbinls will present \"A Liberated Woman,\" at the January \"Voices from the Past\" program, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, at the Plum Street Station. Sponsored by the Hall County Historical Society, the program is free and open to the public.

Robbins has researached araticlses published in the Grand Island Times in 1891 by a women\'s rights activist in Omaha and a Grand Island newspaperman, Fred Hedde. They were arging the matter because Hedde wrote that \"woman cannot proper by in the repose of a happy home.\" in the election of 1882 the people in Nebraska were voing on an amendment which would have given women the right of full suffrage

Feb. 1 is deadline to enroll in most conservation programs in state

LINCOLN - The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)has set February 1 as the cutoff to rank applications from farmers and ranchers wishing to receive cost-share funds for the installation of soil, water, grazing, or wildlife practices,
according to NRCS.

Steve Chick, NRCS state conservationist, said last year more than $52 million in federal dollars, not counting the landowner's investment, were committed in conservation programs.

Most of these programs are in a continuous sign-up where farmers and ranchers can apply any time.

The programs available include:
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). "This is the base conservation
program for most people," said Chick. "Irrigation practices, erosion control, grazing practices,
animal manure systems are just a sample of the options available," he said.
Within EQIP, there are also several special initiatives funds for which people can apply.
These initiatives target: forestry, organic agriculture, wildlife habitat legacy areas, the
Agriculture Water Enhancement Program (AWEP), targeting five areas in Nebraska for water conservation, and the Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI), which targets the removal of invasive vegetation from fully and over-appropriated river basins in Nebraska.

- Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) aims to improve wildlife habitat on private
lands;

- Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) helps landowners restore wetlands on their property
by providing an easement payment or cost-share funds, depending on the option selected.

- Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), which rewards producers for past
conservation practices and offers enhancements to do additional conservation work, is also under a continuous sign-up. "The ranking cutoff date for this program is not yet determined but will be after Feb. 1, 2010," said Chick.

- Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) allows enhancement of plant and animal
biodiversity, and protection of grassland under threat of conversion to other uses, while retaining the right for grazing.

- Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), which provides matching funds for
development rights to keep to vulnerable range or cropland in agricultural uses.
The important action for farmers and ranchers to remember is February 1 is the cutoff for NRCS to rank applications on hand. Landowners can get help for any of these programs at any NRCS office in their USDA Service Center. For additional information about NRCS conservation programs visit www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

Extension Update - Jan. 4, 2010

It's a new year! Two thousand and nine with its heavy rains, scattered wind and hail and even a tornado still produced bumper crops for a good share of the county. We'll have many memories of the growing season and the delayed harvest which bridged into winter storms. Farmers by nature are some of the most perseverant and resilient people that I know of. Those characteristics sure paid off this past year. Now after a short post-harvest holiday break, it's time to plan for 2010. Please take the opportunity to attend some of the excellent upcoming workshops. If you would like a brochure of area UNL Extension programming for the upcoming winter months, please contact the Hamilton County Extension Office at 402-694-6174.

NeATA: Emerging Agricultural Technology Enthusiasts! Make plans now to attend the 10th Annual Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference, January 27-28, 2010 at the Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, NE. Pre-conference programs focusing on Optimizing Pivot Irrigation Management (9:00 to 4:00) and Social Media Applications in Agriculture (1:00 - 4:00) will be offered the afternoon of January 27.

The main conference opens Wednesday evening with Dr. Raj Khoslo, Precision Agriculture Specialists, Colorado State University, discussing Precision Nutrient Management on Site-specific Management Zones, followed by Bill Kranz, Irrigation Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln addressing Monitoring Irrigation Water Application with Computerized Controllers. Thursday morning starts with international guest and precision agriculture expert, Sam Tengrove, Australian farmer, sharing Adoption of Precision Agriculture by Australian Grain Growers. Additional general sessions offered include Broadband: Who Needs It?, Mapping Evapotranspiration with High Resolution and Internalized Calibration (METRIC), and Global Perspectives of Site-specific Weed Management.

Twelve concurrent sessions addressing a variety of emerging agricultural technology topics will also be offered on Thursday. The concurrent sessions in the Ambassador room will be hands-on workshops. Up to 8 CCA credits are available for conference participants with an additional 6 CCA credits available to those who attend the Optimizing Pivot Irrigation Management pre-conference workshop. Conference brochures and exhibitor information packets are available at http://neata.org or contact me in the extension office.

Weed Control With Flaming Workshop: For organic producers, weed control is one of the greatest challenges. If you are an organic producer or considering becoming one, this would be a great workshop to attend. Stevan Knezevic- UNL Associate Professor, Integrated Weed Management and George Gogos, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UNL and their research team: Santiago Ulloa, Chris Bruening, Avishek Datta will share the most current findings about our custom designed flamers as well as weed and crop tolerance to broadcast flaming. We will share information on broadleaf and grassy weed control in field corn, sweet corn, popcorn, soybean, wheat and soybean. In addition, a farmer panel will share their practical experiences.

The conference will be held Saturday January 9 from noon to 3:30 on in the Plant Science building, Room 280 on the east UNL campus. Lunch will be provided. To make a reservation call Pat: 402-584-3837. For more information about the conference call Liz: 402-309-0944.

Annies Project: I\'m pleased to announce that in 2010, an exciting risk management program designed to empower farm women be better business partners through networks and managing and organizing critical information will be offered in Geneva. This six session program will be offered evenings from 6 to 9:00 p.m. on Jan. 25, Feb. 8 & 22, March 1, 15, & 22 at the Fillmore County Extension office in Geneva, unless the size dictates otherwise. For more information, go to http://fillmore.unl.edu/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=1685008&name=DLFE-19085.pdf or call the Fillmore County Extension Office at (402) 759-3712.

Upcoming Events:

January 8 - Farm Financial Management Using Quicken 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Fee is $55 per participant. Enrollment is limited. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 9 - Weed Flaming Workshop, Noon - 3:30, UNL Plant Science building, Room 280, Call Pat at 402-584-3837 to RSVP.

January 9 - Lambing School Basics, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hall County Extension, Grand Island.

January 13 - Crop Production Clinic, City Auditorium, York

January 20, 21 & 22 - Upper Big Blue NRD No-till meeting, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 20th @ College Park in Grand Island, 21st @ York Co. Fairgrounds, 22nd @ Ag Park in Columbus. Call Patty @ 402-362-6601 by January 18 to pre-register.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.
January 27-28 - Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, NE. For information go to http://neata.org or contact me in the extension office.

January 29 - Spatial Variability in Soils Workshop, Grand Island, contact Cathy Dickinson at (402) 472.1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required. More details later.

Extension Update - Dec. 30, 2009

Happy New Year! January is always a good month to hone your farm management skills. I'm hi-lighting a couple of them here. Also remember the Quicken workshop that I mentioned last week. It is an excellent hands-on learning experience. See below for registration information.

Crop Production Clinics in January: Improving profitability and farm safety will be core topics of the 2010 Crop Production Clinics scheduled at various locations this January. The closest locations these clinics will be in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds on January 5th or York at the York Auditorium on January 13th. Clinics will include presentations on soil fertility, soil water and irrigation management, cropping systems, pesticide safety, and plant disease, insect, and weed management. Topics will be tailored to each location; individual programs are available at http://cpc.unl.edu.

The Clinics will be the primary venue for commercial and noncommercial pesticide applicators to renew their licenses in the Ag Plant (01), Regulatory (REG), and Demonstration/Research (D/R) categories. Private pesticide applicators also may recertify by attending the Clinics. Attendees will be required to attend the three \"Pest Management and Pesticide Safety\" sessions in the morning to meet recertification requirements. It is anticipated that that Certified Crop Advisor CEUs will be available in Integrated Pest Management (6), Soil and Water (2), Nutrient Management (2), and Crop Management (2). Attendees can earn a maximum of 6 CEUs at a location.

Online registration will be available and can be accessed by visiting http://cpc.unl.edu. Registration also will be available at the door (cash or check only) starting at 8 a.m. before each clinic. Cost of the clinic will be $50 (or $60 for individuals who are recertifying as pesticide applicators). Questions can be answered by calling 402-472-1547 or the local extension office.

Spatial Variability in Soils Workshop Planned: Do you have field mapping capabilities, but are not using it to your fullest extent? A "Spatial Variability in Soils Workshop" is planned for January 29th at the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island. Topics will include: why it's important to understand spatial variability; sources and scales of variability; spatial information resources, public and self-generated; spatial tools, such as GPS and GIS; introductions to quantifying variability and spatial profitability; what's manageable and what's not.

Instructor's are Richard Ferguson and Gary Hergert, Dept. of Agronomy Horticulture, and Viacheslav Adamchuk, Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering. For more information Cathy Dickinson at (402) 472.1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu.

Upcoming Events:

January 1 - Happy New Year!

January 5 - Crop Production Clinic, Adams Co. Fair Grounds, Hastings

January 8 - Farm Financial Management Using Quicken 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Fee is $55 per participant. Enrollment is limited. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 9 - Lambing School Basics, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hall County Extension, Grand Island.

January 13 - Crop Production Clinic, City Auditorium, York

January 20, 21 & 22 - Upper Big Blue NRD No-till meeting, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 20th @ College Park in Grand Island, 21st @ York Co. Fairgrounds, 22nd @ Ag Park in Columbus. Call Patty @ 402-362-6601 by January 18 to pre-register.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required. More details later.

Extension Update - Dec. 17, 2009

Ag Day 2010: Farmers, land owners and other agricultural professionals, please mark your calendar for January 21st. Ag Day will be held at the Hamilton County Fair Grounds in the Ag Auditorium. We'll start the day at 8:30 am with registration, hot coffee and donuts courtesy of the Aurora Area Chamber and Development. First on the agenda will be Tim Lemmons, UNL Extension Educator, speaking on the corn and soybean crop marketing outlook. He will discuss prevailing trends in global supply and demand, USDA crop outlook cycles, production input cycles and the expected yearly pricing outlook. Al Dutcher, NE State Climatologist will then cover the predicted impacts of El Nino on crop production through 2010. Rod DeBur, Water Department Manager with the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District will discuss current water issues. Also we'll have reports from Curt Friesen, District 3 Nebraska Corn Board Representative and Brandon Hunnicut, President of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. Kathy Jennings with the Hamilton County Farm Services Agency will update us on the Farm Program signup.

Following lunch provided by Grosshans International Inc, we will spend the afternoon listening to seed genetics and technology industry leaders. Pioneer/DuPont, Syngenta, Monsanto and possibly Dow will be on hand each presenting a 30 minute talk on their vision of the future and how their genetics and technology development will address the needs. A fifteen minute question and answer period will follow each of these talks. Note that these talks are not intended to be sales pitches but rather a look inside of these leading companies.

As in past years agricultural companies and organizations will have representatives in booths to visit with you about their products and services. I'll look forward to seeing you there.

Farm Financial Management Using Quicken: How many of you have a new year's resolution to put your books on the computer again? It's time to act and UNL Extension is here to help you with this day-long workshop scheduled for January 8th. If you would like to learn how Quicken can be an efficient way to manage your agricultural and personal financial records, then this hands-on workshop is for you. There will be a variety of topics covered including setting up accounts, recording transactions, using Quicken\'s built-in tax management features, and generating cash flow statements. See the details at http://hamilton.unl.edu/home. Space is limited to the first 15 registrations so send in your registrations soon!

Upper Big Blue No-Till Meetings: As in recent years, the Upper Big Blue NRD is hosting a series of no-till meetings. This year's meetings will feature Dr Ray Ward with Ward Laboratories and Paul Jasa with UNL. Topics will include: No-till equipment; Success with no-till; How no-till improves soil structure and fertility; and How to increase organic matter with soil carbon. The meetings are no-charge, but preregistration is required. See location details below.

Lambing School Basics Planned: Tom Drudik will be conducting possibly his final Lambing Basics School on January 9th at the Hall Co. Extension Office in Grand Island! The objective of this school is to provide an overview of preparing and birthing a farm flock of ewes or does. Beginning producers lambing or kidding a farm flock face many challenges. This school will allow those attending to better understand the process of birthing a small flock and be better prepared for some of the associated problems. Pre-registration with payment by January 4th is required. Feel free to contact either the Hall county office at 308-385-5088 or our office at 402-694-6174 for more information.

Merry Christmas! I wish you all the very best for this holiday season and the coming year.

Upcoming Events:

January 8 - Farm Financial Management Using Quicken 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Fee is $55 per participant. Enrollment is limited. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 9 - Lambing School Basics, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hall County Extension, Grand Island.

January 20, 21 & 22 - Upper Big Blue NRD No-till meeting, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 20th @ College Park in Grand Island, 21st @ York Co. Fairgrounds, 22nd @ Ag Park in Columbus. Call Patty @ 402-362-6601 by
January 18 to pre-register.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.
February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required. More details later.

Extension Update - Dec. 10, 2009

Snow and cold, that's the "hindsight" weather forecast. It's a good thing my agronomy skills are better than my weather forecasting skills. I'm sure there were a few chuckles last Wednesday while my column about fall anhydrous application and in particular the part of making sure the soil temperature is below 50 degrees prior to application was read. Sorry about that. That's what happens when I write my column too far ahead of publication. I'm sure the following information regarding grain storage will be useful to most producers.

Grain Drying/ Storage Tips: With all the grain that's stored and probably not dried down adequately, it's extremely important to monitor the grain on a regular basis and properly maintain the grain temperature. It's important to maintain cool grain temperatures over the winter and closely monitor the grain at least twice a month. Tom Dorn, Extension Educator in Lancaster County has recently added more grain drying tips to the Crop Watch Web site at http://cropwatch.unl.edu.

"If the moisture content is above 16%:

� Use a grain thermometer to monitor temperature. (This is a sturdy thermometer attached to a metal rod that can be pushed several feet into the grain mass.) Probe several places near the bin walls and a couple of places near the center of the bin. Allow several minutes for the thermometer to equalize with the temperature of the grain before taking each reading.

� Run the aeration fan if the thermometer detects heating anywhere in the grain mass or if there is more than a 5-8� difference in grain temperature between any two spots in the bin.

� At the very least, start the aeration fan and immediately climb up and lean into the access hatch at the top of the ladder. If you detect a moldy smell or the air hitting your face is warmer than expected, or you see condensation on the underside of the bin roof on a cold day, this could signal a hot spot is forming in the corn. If you find any of these symptoms, continue aerating until conditions improve.

� If you have a stirring system in the bin, run a couple of rounds while aerating to break up wet spots and even out the moisture in the bin. If you don\'t have a stirring system and continue to see indications of a hot spot, unload enough grain to locate or break up the wet spot."

Tom points out that if you can\'t dry the corn to 15% moisture before discontinuing fan operation (which is the case for much of the grain this season) it is critical that you lower the temperature to 25-30�F to arrest mold growth. Always push a cooling front completely through the bin before discontinuing aeration for longer than a few days. He suggests that an estimate of the hours of fan operation required to push a temperature front through a bin of corn is 15 divided by the airflow rate in cubic feet per minute per bushel (cfm/bu). If your drying fan can produce 1.0 cfm/bu, it will take about 15 hours, but if you have a storage bin with a small fan producing only 0.2 cfm/bu, it will take 75 hours.

Additional grain storage tips can be found in the following Minnesota publication: http://www.extension.umn.edu/specializations/cropsystems/M1080-FS.pdf.

Important Reminder: "Managing Risk and Making Money with Flexible Cash Lease Provisions" will be held at the Aurora Bremer Community Center Friday December 18th from 9:00 am to noon. A $10 charge per person covers materials and presentation fees. Pre-registration with payment is required. For more information go to http://hamilton.unl.edu/home or call the Hamilton Extension Office at 694-6174. To date, we have had very few registrations. If we don't have sufficient commitment, we will have to cancel the program. Please do not let that happen!

Upcoming Events:

December 18 - Flexible Cash Lease Workshop, 9:00 am - noon, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration with $10 fee per person. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 8 - Farm Financial Management Using Quicken 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Fee is $55 per participant. Enrollment is limited. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required. More details later.

Extension Update - Dec. 4, 2009

It's good to see corn harvest finally nearing completion. The end of harvest does not necessarily mean the field work is done for the year though. Until the ground freezes, farmers may consider doing some nitrogen fertilization for next year's corn crop. Fertilizer dealers often provide price incentives for fall applied nitrogen to spread their workload and take advantage of reduced wholesale prices. If conditions are right, fall fertilization can also allow producers to spread out their workload and save some money. In addition, soils are typically dryer in the fall than in the spring, resulting in less potential for soil compaction from fertilizer application.

Despite these advantages, there are some risks of fall fertilization that need to be examined. Ask yourself the following questions and consider how they apply to your field operation.

� Is it the right fertilizer source? Only anhydrous ammonia should be applied in the fall. It contains only ammonium nitrogen which is protected from leaching immediately after application since it is held by cation exchange sites on soil clays and organic matter. Ammonium-N will gradually convert to nitrate-N through the microbial process of nitrification, but this process is quite slow if soils are cool.

Producers often would like to broadcast nitrogen solution, urea or ammonium nitrate in the fall for row crops the next year. According to Richard Ferguson, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Soils Specialist, this is not an acceptable practice. The risk of severe loss is just too high. Fertilizer broadcast on the surface may be lost in runoff water if soil is frozen. Also the ammonia in fertilizers containing urea such as nitrogen solutions and dry urea can volatilize to the atmosphere. The likelihood of nitrogen being immobilized in crop residue is much higher since fertilizer is broadcast on top of residue from the recent harvest. Finally, the immediate leaching potential is greater from most nitrogen fertilizers other than anhydrous ammonia since most contain nitrate and/or urea as well as ammonium.

� Is it the right temperature? At soil temperatures of 50 degrees F or cooler the process of nitrification is slowed significantly and stops completely somewhat below freezing. Once the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees F and stays there, very little ammonium N will be converted to nitrate-N.

� How much do you need? Before applying nitrogen fertilizer, it is a good idea to have taken soil samples for residual nitrate-N. Collecting deep soil samples (3 feet preferred) in the root zone is the best way to know how much fertilizer nitrogen you need for next year.

� What about nitrification inhibitors? The use of nitrification inhibitor can help protect against loss of ammoniacal nitrogen applied in the fall to silt loam soils. However, use of nitrification inhibitors should only be viewed as an \"insurance policy\". In most years, they will have no impact on yield because climatic and soil conditions are not conducive to nitrogen loss.
Important Reminder: "Managing Risk and Making Money with Flexible Cash Lease Provisions" will be held at the Aurora Bremer Community Center Friday December 18th from 9:00 am to noon. A $10 charge per person covers materials and presentation fees. Pre-registration with payment is required. For more information go to http://hamilton.unl.edu/home or call the Hamilton Extension Office at 694-6174. To date, we have had no registrations. If we don't have sufficient commitment, we will have to cancel the program. Please do not let that happen! Procrastination is not a disease. It can be overcome.

Upcoming Events:

December 9 - CROP-TIP Field Day, Cornerstone Event Center, Fairgrounds, York, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

December 11 - Soybean Day and Machinery Expo, ARDC near Mead, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

December 11-12 & January 8-9 - Returning to the Farm Workshop, Lincoln\'s Holiday Inn downtown. Contact Megan Voss at (800) 535-3456 or visit http://wia.unl.edu/programs/returningtothefarm.html

December 18 - Flexible Cash Lease Workshop, 9:00 am - noon, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration with $10 fee per person. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 8 - Farm Financial Management Using Quicken 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Fee is $55 per participant. Enrollment is limited. Forms at Extension Office or http://hamilton.unl.edu.

January 21 - Ag Day, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hamilton County Fairgrounds Ag Auditorium.

February 11 - Farm Financial Health Diagnostics Clinic, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bremer Community Center. Pre-registration and fee required. More details later.