The summer is passing quickly. It started off kind of slow and cool, but once it got going there was no stopping it, and boy has it been toasty. Independence Day was a HOT one and county fairs are happening. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and really get to work preparing for the annual Haskell Ag Lab Family Field Day on August 3rd. We have some great stuff in store!
Of the new and exciting things this year, the ones I’m most excited for are:
A visit from the area’s own Drs. Ben and Erin from Heartland Docs, DVM,
The Nebraska State Climatologist sharing predictions of weather for the rest of the growing season,
An exhibit about growing and using your own hops, and
Our first ever blood drive!
The 65th anniversary of the Haskell Ag Lab - Honoring the Past, Celebrating our Present, and Dreaming the Future
If you weren’t aware of the Heartland Docs, DVM TV show on Nat Geo Wild, you are in for a treat. Drs. Ben and Erin have become nationally famous and, being from Hartington, they’re practically at home at the Haskell Ag Lab. You’ll get to meet them and ask questions about the show and about life as a veterinarian in rural Nebraska.
Fortune telling might not be what Al Dutcher is known for, but for farmers, the weather tends to be pretty telling of what our fortune might be. While the old adage “wait 5 minutes, the weather in Nebraska will change” might be true, I’ve heard from Al several times over the summer and his forecast for Nebraska has been very accurate – even when it deviates from other forecasters or isn’t what we want to hear. I’ve come to expect no less from him, and you can bet he’ll share what he expects the weather to do as we look forward to harvest season.
Lots of us enjoy a good brew now and then, but have you ever made your own beer? Maybe you’ve considered it, but didn’t know where to start because you knew nothing about hops? Find the hops booth at the field day where Ryan with 6th Meridian Hops will be sharing his knowledge about growing hops, choosing varieties, and using them in the brewing process.
Do you know anyone who has ever needed blood? I bet you do; I know I can think of several individuals. Get ready to roll up your sleeves for the Haskell Ag Lab’s first ever Blood Drive. This year, the Lifeserve Bloodmobile will be on-site during the field day to collect blood donations. According to the blood center, “9 out of 10 people that live to the age of 70 will use blood during their lifetime”. We decided that while we had people together for the field day, why not encourage a little community service by hosting a blood drive?!? So, stay hydrated and join several staff members to fill the bus with much needed blood!
Oh, and don’t forget! Everyone that visits the registration desk at the field day will receive $10 in tickets for use at the on-site food trucks! This event is free and open to everyone of all ages. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the farm site with booths and activities scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Find out more at go.unl.edu/halfieldday2022
Join our coloring contest! All ages are welcome to participate, and the contest will be judged in four age groups: 2-4, 5-8, 9-12, and 13+ (adults included). Entries will be scanned and uploaded to our Facebook page at UNL Haskell Ag Lab for friends and family to vote for their favorite one by “liking” the photo. Entries must be dropped off or postmarked by July 18 to be considered. Voting will begin on July 25 and will conclude August 1 at 12 pm. The entry with the most votes in each age group will receive a free ice cream treat at the Haskell Ag Lab Field Day on August 3. The coloring pages can be submitted by dropping it off at HAL or by mailing it to Haskell Ag Laboratory, 57905 866 Rd, Concord, NE 68728. You can download the image here: https://go.unl.edu/colorhal
Employee Spotlight
Monica Ebmeier is the Dixon County Extension Office Manager. She works behind the scenes working with the Dixon County 4-H families, assisting the Extension Educators where needed, and also supports work with the Haskell Ag Lab office staff. She spends countless hours preparing for the Dixon County Fair ensuring everything is ready to go for 4-H'ers and their families.
Forage Field Day - August 4 - Haskell Ag Lab
SDSU Extension and Nebraska Extension will host their 2022 Forage Field Day at the University of Nebraska Haskell Ag Lab on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT.
“We are excited to partner with SDSU on this field day,” said Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Beef and Forage Systems Educator. “Forages are a vital crop to both Nebraska and South Dakota, and we look forward to offering producers an opportunity to network and expand their knowledge base through demonstrations and presentations at this field day.”
The Forage Field Day is designed to provide hands-on and classroom learning and networking experience for forage growers in Nebraska, South Dakota, and the surrounding areas. The program focuses on many hot topics within the industry and features speakers from both academia and production.
Register for the field day by visiting https://go.unl.edu/2022foragefieldday. Registration closes July 29. Field day registration fee is $30 and CCA Credits are available.
Haskell Ag Lab Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Farm is located at 57905 866 Road, Concord, Nebraska 68728.
For more information, contact or Ben Beckman, Assistant Extension Educator, at (402) 254-6821 or ben.beckman@unl.edu or Kiernan Brandt, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, at (605) 882-5140 or Kiernan.Brandt@sdstate.edu.
Agricultural Budget Calculator Program Hands-On Workshop planned in Norfolk
ATTENTION: Ag Producers, Bankers, Farm Managers and Consultants
CONTACT: Glennis McClure, Extension Educator, Farm and Ranch Management Analyst, Department of Agricultural Economics, 402-472-0661, gmcclure3@unl.edu
The University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability has scheduled training workshops for July and August for its new online Agricultural Budget Calculator program. A workshop in Norfolk has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 2, at the Madison County Extension Office, 1305 S 13th St., Norfolk, from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Other workshop locations scheduled for this summer include:
·Tuesday, August 16 – Ag Center (fairgrounds), 1308 Second Street, Holdrege, 5:30–7 p.m.
·Thursday, August 18 - Lancaster County Extension Office, 444 Cherrycreek Road Suite A, Lincoln, 10 a.m.-noon.
·Wednesday, August 24 - Platte County Extension Office, 2715 13th Street, Columbus, 1-3 p.m.
Virtual on-line workshops are also scheduled. Visit cap.unl.edu/abc/training to see the full slate of upcoming scheduled workshops and for the registration link.
The Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) is a free enterprise-budgeting and decision-making tool that is designed to assist agricultural producers in determining their cost of production and projected cash and economic returns for various farm or ranch enterprises.
“We’re continuing to develop the Ag Budget Calculator program. Producers can enter and track their cost of production information and utilize the features to help in their risk management and decision-making while using ABC”, said Glennis McClure, an extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst with the Center for Agricultural Profitability.
McClure, who works closely with the ABC tool and has followed its development, will facilitate the workshop. During part one of the workshop, participants will learn how to use the ABC program to create and/or update crop budgets for their farms or fields on their owned and/or rented ground and create their own cost of production and anticipated return reports.
Part two will provide details and hands-on demonstrations of combining enterprise budgets using the “whole farm” component of the program and more on using other features, including breakeven, crop comparison and risk analysis.
Workshop attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptop or mobile device to work on their own budgets. Mobile lab computers will be available as needed for the in-person workshops.
The workshops are free to attend, but registration is required by at least two days prior to the workshop date, at https://cap.unl.edu/abc or by calling Stacey Bonham at 402.472.1742.
Tomato Canning Workshop Offered
Please plan to join us at the Haskell Ag Lab for Coffee and Conversations the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9 AM. We will have coffee and snacks ready. The next Coffee and Conversations will take place on Tuesday, August 9th. Monty Larson, our new Ag Lecturer working with FFA groups, will be here to share about his position and plans. Please invite friends and neighbors to attend with you. If you have ideas for presentations at Coffee & Conversations, please share with us.
Mark your calendars for September 24th. More details will be shared with upcoming newsletters.
Save the Date for these events at the Haskell Ag Lab
Saturday, December 3 - Winter Fest - Mark your calendars now.
TBA - Late November/early December - Ag Budget Calculator Workshop
Suggestions/Requests
Do you have a suggestion or a request for a program at the Haskell Ag Lab? We want to hear from you.
Click this link and complete this form and submit. We will look at all suggestions and requests. The form is available at: https://go.unl.edu/halsuggest
You can also reach us by phone at 402-584-2261 with your suggestions/requests for programs.
