The Home Canning Workshop held at HAL on Saturday, November 4th was well attended. Attendees learned how to use a steam canner to make grape jelly in the morning and how to use an electric pressure canner to can carrots in the afternoon session. Attendees also learned various safe canning tips and information. Interest was shown in having an Instant Pot Workshop in the future, watch this newsletter for more information and date.
Winter Fest 2023
Winter Fest will be held on Saturday, December 2nd at the UNL Haskell Ag Lab. Highlights of this year's Winter Fest include holiday traditions, winter tree care, animals in the winter, a wreath workshop, and youth activities. A special guest will be making an appearance around 11:15 that morning. The cost per wreath is $25; all other activities are free. Please pre-register for the wreath workshop by November 21st by calling 402-584-2261. All children must have an adult on site. For more information and any weather related announcements https://go.unl.edu/winterfest23.
We will also be collecting winter gloves, mittens, hats, and scarves to donate to a coat closet for those in need. All donations are appreciated, a box will be available at Winter Fest for these donations.
Holidays with Kids By Sarah Roberts, Extension Educator, Haskell Ag Lab
The holidays are quickly approaching whether we like it or not. That means kids will be out of school and most likely at home. What are some ways to stave off boredom or the ever-present looming of cell phones, tablets, gaming consoles and the like? Check out these ideas and challenge yourself to try something new this holiday season.
Make Gingerbread Houses! This timeless tradition is one we often forget about. Pre-made kits are super handy, or you can make your own!
Christmas Light Tour. This is one of my favorite things to do around the holidays. Most people have their lights up by the first of December, so get in the car with a travel mug of hot chocolate and check out everyone’s decor!
Holiday Movie Night. With all the streaming services out there, it’s not hard to find a classic holiday movie or even a new one you’ve never seen. Bring on the popcorn!
Make Play Dough. This isn’t necessarily exclusive to the holidays, but it’s always fun. There are tons of unique recipes online that can range from easy to somewhat complicated.
Visit a New Town. Small towns are pretty easy to come by around here, so take a short drive and check out a new place. Most likely they have town Christmas decorations and/or local shopping. You might even discover a new treasure!
Go Ice Skating. As a born and raised Southerner, I love ice skating! I didn’t get to do it much as a kid, but now that it is always available up here in the Midwest, I love it! It takes some getting used to, but laughter is almost always involved!
This is just a short list of ideas, so what else could you do? Do a little Google search to get more ideas and don’t forget to check out Winterfest on December 2nd at the Haskell Ag Lab in Concord!
"$aving by Using Manure on Crops" Workshop Scheduled for November 30
Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator
The UNL Manure Team is hosting a workshop for crop farmers that are interested in better using manure nutrients to reduce their commercial fertilizer costs. Whether you have livestock or not and farm 80 acres or 5000 acres, the “Saving by Using Manure on Crops” workshop is for all crop farmers.
Choosing to use manure instead of commercial fertilizer can be advantageous to your bottom line. During the highly-interactive workshop, you will learn the basics of how to sample manure and soil, including how to read the results from the lab and determine the available nutrients in the manure that could be utilized in place of commercial fertilizer. Then, using example fields and the available nutrients, you will be able to calculate how much manure is needed to meet the needs of the crop next year.
Knowing that not all crop farmers have manure readily available, we’ll use current fertilizer prices to determine how much you can afford to pay to have manure applied on your fields. Or, if you do have manure available, the activities will show you how much money you’ll save by properly crediting those nutrients, thus reducing commercial fertilizer expenses.
At the workshop, presenters will demonstrate ways to verify that you or the company you’ve hired have applied the right amount of manure nutrients and what, if any, commercial fertilizer supplementation may still be needed.
The workshop will take place on November 30 from 9 to about 12:45 at the Nielsen Center in West Point. It will conclude in time to attend the Confronting Cropping Challenges workshop in the afternoon at the same location. The cost of the “Saving by Using Manure on Crops” workshop is $20 per person and includes a catered lunch. Registration is required by November 22 so we have enough lunch for all. Visit go.unl.edu/2hf8 to register.
A good workshop never happens without some help and this one is no exception. The “Saving by Using Manure on Crops” workshop is sponsored in part by Nutrient Advisors.
This workshop utilizes an immersive curriculum that is highly tailored to those in attendance making it very effective and able to be applied to your operation later. We look forward to seeing you at the Nielsen Center in West Point on November 30!
'So You've Inherited a Farm ... Now What?' workshops scheduled
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability will present a series of workshop in central and eastern Nebraska for those planning and involved in farmland succession who want to learn more about the best strategies for managing and owning this asset and how it may impact the transition plan.
“So You’ve Inherited a Farm … Now What?” will cover Nebraska land industry topics for farms and ranches. Those include evaluating current trends in land values and cash rents, strategies for successful land transitions, lease provisions, legal considerations and managing communication and expectations among family members. Creating and adjusting estate plans will also be covered.
“We hear all the time from people who engaged in various stages of transitioning land involved in a farm or ranch,” said Jim Jansen, an agricultural economist with Nebraska Extension. “The dynamics surrounding succession differ for each operation, and this workshop provides the best management concepts and strategies for an effective transition.”
The program is free to attend, and lunch or refreshments will be provided at each location. Pre-registration is requested by one day prior to each workshop.
This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2021-70027-34694.
“So You’ve Inherited a Farm … Now What?” Workshop Schedule
Nov. 29 in Norfolk, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at Midwest Bank (Main Branch), 2601 W. Cooper Drive. Register by Nov. 28 at 402-370-4040.
Dec. 12 in West Point, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Nielsen Community Center, 200 Anna Stalp Ave. Register by Dec. 11 at 402-372-6006.
Dec. 19 in Dakota City, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at Nebraska Extension in Dakota County, 1505 Broadway. Register by Dec. 18 at 402-987-2140.
Jan. 25 in Wayne, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Wayne Fire Hall, 510 Tomar Drive. Register by Jan. 24 at 402-375-3310.
Haskell Ag Lab Harvest Yields
Below is the harvest yield information for HAL.
Beans
Dryland 40.52 bushels per acre
Irrigated 69.60 bushels per acre
Corn
Dryland 167 bushels per acre
Irrigated 235 bushels per acre
Our next Coffee & Conversations will be on Tuesday, December 12th at 9 AM. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. Invite other family and friends to attend with you.
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.
The UNL Manure Team is hosting a workshop for crop farmers that are interested in better using manure nutrients to reduce their commercial fertilizer costs. Whether you have livestock or not and farm 80 acres or 5000 acres, the “Saving by Using Manure on Crops” workshop is for all crop farmers.
“So You’ve Inherited a Farm … Now What?” will cover Nebraska land industry topics for farms and ranches. Those include evaluating current trends in land values and cash rents, strategies for successful land transitions, lease provisions, legal considerations and managing communication and expectations among family members. Creating and adjusting estate plans will also be covered.
