Agriculture

By Brandy VanDeWalle

Nebraska Youth Celebrate National 4-H Week

For the 76th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will be celebrating National 4-H Week during the first full week of October.

This week celebrates the doers of the community who will become the leaders of our nation. 4-H was founded on the belief that when kids are empowered to pursue their passions and chart their own course, their unique skills grow and take shape, helping them to become true leaders in their lives, careers and communities.

4-H alumni around the country are always the first to acknowledge the significant positive impact 4-H had on them as young people; the opportunities and experiences that 4-H provides youth empowers them to become true leaders.

BY ASHLEY D. SWANSON

Scott DeWald has more knowledge about trees caught in his brain than most people will know in their lifetime. Being a forester with more than 40 years of experience does that to a person.

DeWald began his position as an forester at the South Central Research and Extension Center—later renamed the South Central Agriculture Lab—in Clay Center on July 10, 1978. He will officially end his journey on Oct. 1, moving in to retirement.

Working with the rural forestry and community, De- Wald’s responsibilities range from answering community questions on their trees, to enhancing wildlife habitats. He also takes urban inventory of trees to get an idea of currently-planted trees and what planting needs to be done in the future.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

By Brandy VanDeWalle

HARVEST SAFETY

It is hard to believe that harvest is starting and just as a reminder that with harvest comes more traffic on the county roads and other stresses for farmers. It never fails, that equipment can break, there can be delays at the elevator and those extra-long hours can all add extra stress to farmers. That being said, it is important to carefully slow down and realize the many hazards you are being exposed to during harvest.

An Iowa State Extension publication, Harvest Safety Yields Big Dividends, points out that injuries can occur by taking shortcuts to perform routine tasks, not getting enough sleep or regular breaks, or failing to follow safety practices. Some injuries occur when operators are pulled into the intake area of harvesting machines, such as balers, combines, or corn pickers, and many injuries occur from slips or falls around these machines.

Despite the damp conditions, 26 attendees braved the cooler, wet Nebraska weather for the annual tractor drive, Friday, Sept. 7.

Leading this year’s drivers was Larry Judy of Ruskin, with his 1952 Farmall Super M.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

FUTURE AGRONOMISTS AT WORK

Three states competed at the third Annual Regional Youth Crop Scouting Competition on Aug. 27, at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead.

Teams of youth participated by completing six crop scouting exercises in field plots. This educational, hands-on program provided students an opportunity to learn crop scouting and principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for corn and soybeans, obtain knowledge and skills that will be helpful in future careers, and to demonstrate newer crop scouting technologies.

The top two teams from Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana qualified for the competition.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

FAIRFIELD:

RACHEL BRHEL—Communications and Expressive Arts, Photography Unit II - Smart Phone Candid Capture Display or Exhibit Print, blue; Environmental and Earth Sciences, Entomology - Macrophotography, blue; Plants, Weed Science - Weed Display, purple; Consumer and Family Science, Sketchbook Crossroads - Original Ink Drawing, purple; Consumer and Family Science, Design Decision - Accessory-Original Floral Design, purple; Citizenship and Civic Education, Heritage, Level 1: Beginning - Family Traditions Exhibit, purple; Citizenship and Civic Education, Heritage, Level 1: Beginning - Other Historical Exhibit, purple; Environmental and Earth Sciences, Other Natural Resources - Design Your Own Exhibit in Natural Resources, Conservation or Ecology, purple; Science and Technology, Veterinary Science - Veterinary Science Large Animal Display, red.

Juniors representing Nebraska at the 2018 Leaders Engaged in Angus Development Conference, Aug. 2-5, in Billings, MT, are from left: Miranda Raithel, Falls City; Rudy Pooch, Tecumseh; Rachel Smith, Osceola; Michaela Clowser, Milford; Sydni Lienemann, Princeton.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

USDA NASS Based on Aug. 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2018 corn production is forecast at 1.83 billion bushels, up 9 percent from last year's production, according to an Aug. 10 report from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Acreage harvested for grain is estimated at 9.35 million acres, up 1 percent from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 196 bushels per acre, up 15 bushels from last year. Both yield and production are new record highs if realized. Nationally, corn production is forecast at 14.6 billion bushels, down less than 1 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of Aug. 1, yields are expected to average 178.4 bushels per acre, up 1.8 bushels from 2017.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

Providing the latest information to operators, tenants, and land owners is the goal of a workshop titled “Land Management for 2020 and Beyond.”

This outreach program will be in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 915 S. Baltimore Ave. at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13.

Nebraska Extension Educators Austin Duerfeldt, Jim Jansen and Allan Vyhnalek are teaming up to provide this three-hour educational experience

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/

Lincoln—Those who have inherited or received farmland and want to learn more about the best strategies for managing the asset are encouraged to attend one of several Nebraska Extension programs being offered across the state in August and September.

“I am contacted monthly from citizens who have had their parents pass away, and now they are managing a farm for the first time in their lives,” said Allan Vyhnalek, Nebraska Extension educator and event speaker. “They may have even grown up there, but haven’t been around for 30 or 40 years and need to understand that farming practices and management concepts have changed.”

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Clay%20County%20NewsID530/