Nebraska Extension in Hamilton County brings you reliable, research-based information in agriculture and natural resources, consumer and family economics, community and economic development, and 4-H / youth development. Our goal is simple . . . to help you put knowledge to work!

A 9-member Extension Board and a 12-member youth and adult 4-H Council representing all areas of Hamilton County are also a part of our Extension team. It gives us great pleasure to serve you in your quest for learning or keeping up-to-date in this ever-changing world.

Nebraska Extension in Hamilton County values excellence. The Hamilton County Extension 4-H Program Coordinator is a full-time position to grow an exceptional 4-H program. The position is coordinating youth, volunteers, extension staff, and UNL faculty to deliver research-based educational programming to youth. Primary responsibility is the 4-H program including the traditional 4-H club program, school enrichment, 4-H Afterschool, and special interest programs. Successful candidates will have a high level of knowledge of the county 4-H program, along with the state and national 4-H programs. Click the flyer below for more information, a full job description and an application.

Charcuterie boards are extremely popular right now. A charcuterie board is an assortment of meats, cheeses, nuts, breads, olives, fruits, dips, and spreads - arranged on a cutting board or tray. It is important to make sure that you are following good food safety practices when preparing and serving charcuterie boards and other party trays such as butter, cream cheese, and dessert boards. Here are tips: https://food.unl.edu/article/charcuterie-boards-and-food-safety

Spring is coming and so are those pesky beetles. Below are some resources to help you plan and get ahead of the little critters.

In central Nebraska, Japanese beetle season begins in early June and by July it's in full swing! Below are some common questions about these beetles and tips on managing damage in your landscape. To continue reading this article by Sarag Browning, Nebraska Extension Educator, click here: https://lancaster.unl.edu/japanese-beetle-control

Jenney Rees is an Extension Educator serving York and Seward County and she provides a wealth of resources to the clients of Extension. Jenny writes a weekly newspaper article, newsletter and blog about crop production, educational opportunities, and current issues affecting Nebraska farmers. I encourage you to check them out! Her newspaper articles are published by the Aurora NewsRegister.

Jenny's newsletter can be found here: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?u=176a2d1339b309dc769be9e3a&id=93edebec14

To subscribes to the Jenny's ReeSources Newsletter click here: https://jenreesources.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=176a2d1339b309dc769be9e3a&id=3cf41cb7e7

Click her to read her blog: https://jenreesources.com/

The market value of agricultural land in Nebraska increased by 14% over the prior year, to an average of $3,835 per acre, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s 2023 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey preliminary report. This marks the second-largest increase in the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska since 2014 and the highest non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in the 45-year history of the survey. Click here to read the report and view maps.

The latest agricultural land management and leasing considerations for 2023 will be covered during two virtual landlord/tenant cash rent workshops hosted by the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on March 23 and 24.

The workshops will offer updated leasing information relevant to landlords and tenants, including new 2023 Nebraska land values and cash rental rates, tips for communication and negotiating. They will address topics like equitable rental rates, managing and adjusting farmland leases, landlord-tenant issues, pasture leasing, crop share leasing and other management considerations.

The presentations will be led by Allan Vyhnalek, an extension educator specializing in farm and ranch transition and succession, and Jim Jansen, an extension agricultural economist. Both are with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability. The March 23 workshop is scheduled for noon to 2:30 p.m. Central time and will be geared toward viewers in Eastern Nebraska. The workshop on March 24 is set for 9 to 11:30 a.m. Central time, and will feature examples more relevant to viewers in Central and Western Nebraska. Regardless of location, the general information presented in both meetings will be the same.

The virtual workshops will be held on Zoom and are free to attend, but registration is required at the links below.

Farm and Ranch Lease Considerations for 2023 Virtual Workshop Schedule

• March 23: noon-2:30 p.m. CT (featuring examples related to Eastern Nebraska) Register for March 23
• March 24: 9-11:30 a.m. CT (featuring examples related to Central and Western Nebraska) Register for March 24

May 15, noon-1 pm https://cap.unl.edu/land-management-quarterly-webinars

With: Jim Jansen, Agricultural Economist, Nebraska Extension, and Allan Vyhnalek, Farm and Ranch Succession and Transition Educator, Nebraska Extension

Offered since 2019, the quarterly webinars address common management issues for Nebraska landowners, agricultural operators and related stakeholders interested in the latest insight on trends in real estate, managing agricultural land and solutions for addressing challenges in the upcoming growing season.

The May webinar will look at trends in Nebraska cash rental rates for 2023, proper communication and decision-making for ag landowners and tenants, an ask the expert Q&A and more.

Table of Contents

Cow-Calf Management

• Comparison of Semi-confined and Pasture-based August Calving Beef Cow Systems
• Including Gene Edited Sires in Genetic Evaluations
• Impact of Planning Horizon Length on Breeding Objectives and Resulting Selection Decisions
• Effect of Increasing Energy 30 days Prior to Artificial Insemination in Beef Heifers
• Extending Melengestrol Acetate Treatment from Fourteen to Eighteen Days in Beef Heifers
• Artificial Insemination of Beef Heifers with Multi-Sire Sexed Semen

Growing Calf and Yearling Management

• Timing of Implant Use in the Backgrounding System
• Effects of Strategic Supplementation on Return to Management and Performance of Yearling Cattle

Forage Evaluation

• Forage Evaluation of Crested Wheatgrass
• Evaluation of Ankom F58 Filter Bags Compared to Beakers for Analysis of Neutral Detergent Fiber
• Effect of Species and Maturity on Small Grain Silage Yield and Quality

Finishing Nutrition and Management

• Effect of Ad Libitum vs. Limit Feeding Program at Receiving on Morbidity and Performance of Feedlot Calves
• Evaluation of Encapsulated Megasphaera Elsdenii in an Accelerated Beef Step-Up Program and an Acidosis Challenge Event
• Evaluation of LactiproFLX in an Acidosis Challenge Model
• Effects of Individual Sweet Bran Components in Beef Finishing Diets on Nutrient Digestion
• Evaluate the Effect of Corn Processing, Drying Distillers Grains, Oil Removal from Distillers Grains, and Distillers Inclusion on Cattle Performance
• Impact of Constant Inclusion or Decreasing Inclusion of Distillers Grains with High-quality or Low-quality Roughage on Finishing Cattle Performance
• Impact of Removing 20% Distillers Grains after One-third or Two-thirds of the Feeding Period on Performance of Finishing Yearlings
• Supplemental Lysine in Finishing Cattle Diets
• Effect of Corn Processing on Steer Performance and Fecal Starch Content
• Effect of Enogen Feed Corn Inclusion in Conventional and Natural Finishing Cattle Diets
• Effects of Corn Processing and Silage Inclusion in Feedlot Diets on Steer Performance
• Quantifying Residual Feed in a Fence-line Feedlot Bunk using Depth Camera Imaging Techniques

Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Effect of Alga Bio 1.0 on Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Cattle
• Impact of Pistachio Shell Biochar in Finishing Beef Cattle Diets
• Ponderosa Pine Wood Biochar used as an Emissions Reduction Strategy in a Finishing Beef Cattle Diet
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Two Beef Systems from Birth to Slaughter in Eastern Nebraska

Beef Products

• Analysis of Spoilage Bacteria Present in Vacuum Packaged Chilled Beef Treated with Organic Acids

Beef Quality Assurance is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program that provides systematic information to U.S. beef producers and beef consumers of how common sense husbandry techniques can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions.

Rural Nebraskans are concerned about water quality and water contamination affecting their own or their family’s health, according to the 2022 Nebraska Rural Poll. https://ruralprosperityne.unl.edu/rural-nebraskans-are-concerned-about-water-quality-poll-shows

Looking for approved inservice hours: The Early Childhood team with Nebraska Extension provides automatically accepted in-service hours online and onsite. We offer affordable programs and training. Resources are research-based, and often the information presented is based on research from faculty right here in Nebraska. We’re here to help you take what you’ve learned from training and research and put it into practice. https://child.unl.edu/in-service-professional-development