Statewide Ag News »
Flex Fuel Vehicles Help Consumers Save Money at the Pump
One in ten Nebraskans drives a flex fuel vehicle.Four-dollar gas hits everyone hard. But you may be driving a vehicle that can save you a chunk of change at the pump — and you may not even realize it. — Full Story »
Hunt Family Carries on Cattle Production, Nebraska Cattlemen Membership
A pair of eyeglasses determined the career path for one of Nebraska’s most respected cattlemen. — Full Story »'Dance of the Planets' Visible in the Night Sky
Searching for a few nights of entertainment at no cost?Turn to the west-northwest sky after sunset May 24 through May 30. — Full Story »
West Central Spring Livestock Judging Contest Results Announced
The West Central Spring Livestock Judging Contest and Clinic was held at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds on May 22, 2013. Fifty-four youth from nine different counties in Nebraska competed. — Full Story »Electricity, Farming Bad Mix at Rush Time
Nebraska Public Power District this week issued some life-saving advice for farmers, whose operations are so dependent upon electrical energy to power irrigation pumps, milking barns and other parts of their operation. — Full Story »After House, Rocky Road Looms for Lee Terry's Keystone XL Pipeline Bill
As the Republican-controlled House prepares to once again register its support for the Keystone XL pipeline, the White House waved its veto pen and Nebraska-based opponents vowed to fight the project down to the county level if need be. — Full Story »Organic Farm Cuts Feed Costs with Hydroponic Fodder
With the prices of feed on the rise and the drought affecting pasture, Edd Goerger knew he needed a more sustainable feed option. — Full Story »ISU Plans to Expand Farm Research Program
The program, ISU FARM (Farmer Assisted Research and Management), originated in 2006 at an ISU research and demonstration farm in O’Brien County operated by the Northwest Iowa Experimental Association. — Full Story »Nebraska State Parks Brace for Bustling Holiday Weekend
Despite a gloomy weather forecast for this year’s Memorial Day weekend, staff at nearby state parks and recreation areas are still prepping for an anticipated busy weekend of camping, fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. — Full Story »York Planning Commission Looks at Livestock Production
Trends in the county’s livestock production have obviously changed, says Orval Stahr who is directing the planning commission through the update of York County’s comprehensive plan. — Full Story »Thurston, Neb., Company Saves 30 Iowa Jobs
"We had been looking to use Simonsen Iron Works to outsource some manufacturing," said Nick Jensen, co-owner of Thurston Manufacturing. "It turned out to be a great deal." — Full Story »Judges Announced for Miss Rodeo Neb. Pageant
Three people with ties to the national contest will judge the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant this year. They are Paige Burian, Bronc Rumford and Deborah Dilley. — Full Story »Neighbors Protest Proliferation of Pigs
The skirmish by property owners at a sand pit housing development in the eastern Nebraska countryside against one of the nation's largest hog producers is the latest episode of a struggle that some say threatens to poach a prime cut from the state's economy. Cash receipts from all Nebraska livestock and products is $10 billion. — Full Story »Upper Big Blue NRD Approves Rule Changes
The Upper Big Blue NRD Board of Directors met on May 16 and approved changes to District Rule 5 pertaining to groundwater irrigation transfers and artesian wells. — Full Story »Nebraska Sorghum Board to Meet
The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, June 6, 2013.The meeting is open to the public. — Full Story »
Know your enemy and be prepared for wheat rust
Wheat in Nebraska is affected by three primary rust diseases — stem, leaf and stripe rust. All share some fundamental characteristics, including being favored by wet, humid conditions. They also normally arrive in Nebraska from the south on wind currents that move up through the Great Plains in the spring. They are not thought to regularly over winter in this area, although it has been documented on occasion. Therefore, we can use reports on the status of rust disease presence coming from Texas, Oklahoma or Kansas to estimate when or if they will most likely appear in Nebraska. — Full Story »Panhandle water users question DNR proposals
In 2004, LB962 established a method for monitoring water supply and usage throughout the Platte River basins. Water short areas of western Nebraska dealt with the mandates, and recent drought years have forced natural resources districts in eastern Nebraska to begin closer monitoring of their resources and uses. In the process, five eastern NRDs, tried incorporating those early rules and regulations in their situations, but discovered they didn’t work well. Consequently, for the past four years, the NDNR has been working with those NRDs to develop new methodologies for collecting data that will meet their needs, as well as those of other water users in the western part of the state. — Full Story »Nebraska Weather and Crop Report
For the week ending May 19, 2013, corn planting advanced quickly as clear skies and above normal temperatures prevailed throughout much of the week, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. — Full Story »Ethanol Proponents: Production Could Help Lower Gas Prices
The cost of wholesale gasoline has skyrocketed almost overnight due to reported oil refinery shutdowns, but Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, said the spread between ethanol and gasoline also widened by as much as 85 cents per gallon. — Full Story »Beef Processing Plant Looking at Scottsbluff
Future Food Energy is a Wyoming limited liability company, which is able to do business in Nebraska. The ownership consists of local cattle producers from Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, along with a South Korean-owned investment company. — Full Story »Nebraska Corn Board Hosts E15 Meetings
Approximately 75 ethanol producers, fuel retailers, petroleum marketers, ethanol industry personnel, agriculture commodity groups and other stakeholders attended these informational meetings. — Full Story »Firefighters Learn Farm Extraction Techniques
Nebraska Fire School instructor Earl Rudolph of Springfield said he will let volunteer firefighters try just about any emergency farm extraction they might devise, as long as he doesn’t think the method would be dangerous for them. — Full Story »SCC Ag Program Receives $2,500 Grant fro DuPont Pioneer
Consideration for community outreach grants are given to communities where Pioneer representatives, employees and customers live and work and that support quality-of-life initiatives to create an improved, sustainable lifestyle for people worldwide. — Full Story »North Platte Gets Behind Event
Hold on to your hats, Nebraska! The Buffalo Bill Rodeo stampedes into North Platte for Nebraskaland Days, June 12-15 — Full Story »Shorthorn Offers Opportunity to Travel Abroad
Are you interested in learning more about the Shorthorn industry "down under"? Now is your chance to serve as the Australian Ambassador for the American Shorthorn Association. — Full Story »Ag Organizations Favor Senate Farm Bill
Despite the no votes, comments about the bill from major agricultural organizations were positive.The vote "put the Farm Bill on a solid road toward success," said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. — Full Story »
Growth Slowed on Farm Income, Land Values
The region's farmers and ranchers remain financially strong, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said Wednesday, but dry weather, lower crop prices and higher expenses slowed the growth of farm income and land values in the first three months of this year and may dampen gains in the rest of 2013. — Full Story »Miss Rodeo Nebraska Contestants Announced
From June 9-12 the women will be judged on how well they ride, speak, look, model, interact with the public, conduct themselves in an interview and answer impromptu questions. — Full Story »NRDs Encourage Well Owners to Address Concerns Early
As we move towards summer, dry weather could once again prevail and agriculture producers may have to rely on irrigation to raise a crop. Multiple days of irrigation use may result in water well issues similar to last year. — Full Story »Nebraska Reaches a Tentative Agreement with Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District to Halt Releases from Harlan County Reservoir
As a part of the agreement, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources will discontinue the required releases of water being made from Harlan County Reservoir in exchange for a commitment from Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District that their use of the water will not harm Nebraska’s efforts to comply with the Republican River Compact. — Full Story »Safer, Better Rodeo Venue
With Nebraskaland Days only three weeks away, the rush is on to finish improvements at the Wild West Arena. The Buffalo Bill Rodeo committee has wrapped up its final upgrade to the livestock pens. — Full Story »Mike Johanns Objects, But Farm Bill Goes to Full Senate
The Senate Agriculture Committee voted to send a new five-year farm bill to the Senate floor over the opposition of Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. — Full Story »Lower Republican NRD board Approves $25 Million Bond
The Lower Republican Natural Resources District Board of Directors approved issuing as much as $25 million in bonds Thursday to pay the district’s share to purchase a Lincoln County farm. — Full Story »Continued Drought Impacting Wheat, Pastures
Despite good precipitation this spring in south Central Nebraska, drought is still impacting Nebraska as, based on May 1 conditions, Nebraska’s 2013 winter wheat crop is forecast at 42.9 million bushels, down 20 percent from last year’s crop and the smallest production since 1944, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. — Full Story »Nebraska Weather and Crop Report
For the week ending May 12, 2013, corn planting was active early in the week until light rain Wednesday through Friday limited progress, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. — Full Story »AT THE CENTER: Drought increases toxic and poisonous plant risk to livestock
Drought increases poisoning risks for livestock by making their desired forages less available, causing timing shifts in grazing, and causing physiological changes in the desired forages on rangelands and pastures. — Full Story »Snowmelt runoff forecast continues below average
MILLS, Wyo. — The May 1 forecast from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation office at Mills, Wyo., indicates continued below average snowmelt runoff in the North Platte River Basin. — Full Story »Miller moths are back
Earlier this year, a large population of army cutworm larvae was reported in western Nebraska. In the spring, cutworm larvae turn into moths that are commonly known as miller moths, and now the millers have begun emerging in parts of Nebraska. — Full Story »© 2008-2013 agNET. All rights reserved
