Agriculture

Big news came to the quiet community of Ong earlier this month when Ryan and Amy Musgrave brought home a top agricultural honor.

The couple received the 2018 Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s annual convention on Dec. 2-4 in Kearney.

“It was nice to win,” Ryan said.

The award recognizes Farm Bureau members ages 18-35 who are involved in agricultural production but have not earned the majority of their income from the farm for the past three years. Candidates are evaluated on their understanding of agricultural issues, leadership experiences, and ability to tell their agricultural story.

On the farm, the Musgraves manage a 40-head cow/calf herd consisting of registered Simmental, as well as commercial Simmental-Angus. They also run 15 head of commercial Suffolk-Hampshire sheep and have recently added commercial Boer goats to their diversified operation.

Nationally acclaimed soil scientist and farmer, Ray Archuleta, “The Soils Guy,” will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural “Project GROW” Field Day in York on Dec. 12, at the Holthus Convention Center. This event is hosted by the Upper Big Blue NRD.

Archuleta is a farmer from Seymour, MO. He teaches Biomimicry Strategies and Agroecology principles on a national scale for improving soil function. He has over 30 years of work experience as a Soil Conservationist, Water Quality Specialist, Soil Health Specialist and Conservation Agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He has worked in the following states: New Mexico, Missouri, Oregon and North Carolina.

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The 2018 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections began Nov. 5, when ballots were mailed to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 3, 2018.

County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

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By RITA BRHEL

A Fairfield farm kid has been selected to serve a third year on a statewide council tasked to promote agriculture to youth across the state.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture recently announced that Jacob Schlick, a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in mechanized systems management, will serve as vice president of promotions for its 48th installation of the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council (NAYC).

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BY RITA BRHEL

Striking up a conversation about grass-finishing cattle can have a polarizing effect in some crowds, with conventional beef producers on one side, and what they would define as alternative producers on the other.

But Dr. Jason Rowntree says it doesn’t have to be this way, and, for the sake of future animal agriculture, shouldn’t be. As global food demands increase, on-farm efficiency will need to as well and grass-based livestock systems can play an important role.

“I try to work with everybody,” Rowntree said, implying that farmers should, too.

Area cattle producers gathered in Sutton on Nov. 15 to hear about Rowntree’s research at Michigan State University and glean ideas for their own operations. The local stop was one of eight speaking engagements in four days for Rowntree, as part of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension 2018 Traveling Roadshow.

AGRICULTURAL UPDATE & THE ROAD AHEAD

Those of us in agriculture are no stranger to risks involved with agriculture that are taken every day, whether it is financial, production, legal, price/market or human resource risks. While we can’t control everything, there are measures that can be taken to protect one’s operation and reduce risk.

BY KARLA FEHR

A little over 700 miles and 12 hours, nestled in a vehicle full of blue jackets, the Sandy Creek and Sutton FFA Chapters embarked on a convention they will not soon forget.

Six students and two advisors from Sandy Creek and 12 students, one advisor and one sponsor from Sutton took the trip to Indianapolis, IN, last week, Oct 24-27, for the 91st National FFA Convention.

Each school also had one member selected to be part of the National FFA Choir. Sutton senior Megan Fehr and Sandy Creek senior Rami Hinrichs were both selected for the prestigious, 85 member National Choir.

SC students attending the convention included juniors Connor Crumbliss and Neika Buschkoetter, sophomores Jason Brockman and Hunter Cox, and freshmen Caitlin Rempe and John Brodrick. They were accompanied by new co-advisors Mattison Sullivan and Jacob Goldfuss.

Due to recent rain, harvest season has been quiet throughout the county. Sunday’s snowfall, which amounted to about two inches in some spots, didn’t help the situation, leaving tractors and combines in the fields
and cornstalks covered in moisture.

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By RITA BRHEL

Between stained seed, flat pods, pod shatter and lodging plants, soybean farmers have had enough to worry about this harvest.

Yet despite these obstacles and weather-related worries of trying to get the crop out of the field, this summer’s timely rains appear to have given potential yields enough boost to possibly offset this year’s challenges.

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