AgLines: Extension to host risk management workshop for cattle producers

STAPLETON - Nebraska Extension will host a risk management workshop for cattle producers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Logan County Fairgrounds Fair Building, 24 Ave. 70, in Stapleton.

Cattle producers will learn strategies designed to reduce risk exposure to achieve a profitable outcome in uncertain times.

Current issues facing the cattle industry will be discussed to help producers to make more informed decisions facing the industry.

Topics will include managing drought risk with PRF insurance, managing price risk and strategies to achieve better profitability. Specific marketing tools covered during the workshop to manage price risk will include futures and options as well as Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) Insurance. Participants will be guided through a case study to better understand strategies discussed during the workshop.

Funding for this project is provided in partnership with the USDA-NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28586.

The workshop is free and a meal will be provided, but registration is required one day prior to start of workshop to ensure an accurate meal count.

For more information, and to register by Wednesday, call Randy Saner at 308-532-2683.

Lincoln County Cattlemen, Nebraska Extension join for educational program

NORTH PLATTE - The Lincoln County Cattlemen's meeting on Thursday, Nov. 18, will include educational programs from Nebraska Extension. The meeting will start with a social hour at 5:30 followed by a meal at 6 in the Lincoln County Fairgrounds Centennial Hall building.

The educational program will follow the meal at 7. Topics include:

"Marketing Calves for Added Value." How can I as a producer add value to my calves using different marketing strategies and programs by Elliott Dennis, marketing specialist, University of Nebraska Extension.

"Benchmarking Data for Nebraska." How can I as a producer use this data to find areas of weakness and strength in my operation by Randy Saner, beef systems educator, University of Nebraska Extension.

"Using Livestock Risk Protection." How can I as a producer help reduce market risk especially if I wean my calves and sell at a later date by Jay Parsons, biosystems economist, University of Nebraska Extension.

There is no cost to attend but pre-registration is required to plan for meal count. To preregister contact Lincoln Logan McPherson Extension Office at 308-532-2683, Randy Saner at [email protected] or Levi Fischer at [email protected] or 308-530-9191 by Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Nebraska Farm Bureau to host Republican gubernatorial forum in Kearney

KEARNEY - Nebraska Farm Bureau will host an Agriculture and Rural Issues Republican Gubernatorial Forum to start off its annual meeting and convention set for Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney.

The forum is scheduled for 2 to 3:30 p.m. and will be open to the public. The Republican gubernatorial candidates who have been invited to participate are Michael Connely, Charles W. Herbster, Sen. Brett Lindstrom, Jim Pillen and Breland Ridenour.

Other republican candidates who announce their intent to run before Nov. 15, will also be invited to participate in the forum.

The forum will be broadcast live on the Nebraska Rural Radio Association stations KRVN, KNEB, KTIC, KAWL and KTMX radio, which is sponsoring the forum, and broadcast live on radio and television on Nebraska Public Media.

The live television broadcast will be on Nebraska Public Media's World Channel and will also be rebroadcast on Nebraska Public Media at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 18. Both the Nebraska Rural Radio Association and Nebraska Public Media stations will stream the event LIVE on their social media platforms.

"We are grateful for both the Nebraska Rural Radio Association and Nebraska Public Media's interest in broadcasting this forum live statewide," said Mark McHargue, president of Nebraska Farm Bureau. "While the Nebraska gubernatorial primary is scheduled for May 10, 2022, now is the time for farmers, ranchers, and all Nebraskans to understand the candidates' positions on agriculture and rural issues. Nebraska Farm Bureau is working to keep the concerns facing farmers, ranchers, and rural Nebraskans as high-profile campaign issues."

The forum will be facilitated by moderator Susan Littlefield, farm director at Rural Radio Network. There will also be a panel of statewide media representatives working independently to create and pose questions focused on agriculture and rural Nebraska concerns. These issues have been identified by Nebraska Farm Bureau members throughout the past year. The media members will not be identified until the day of the forum.

"Nebraska's economic foundation and its largest industry is agriculture. Nearly one out of every four Nebraska jobs is generated by agriculture. The election of our next governor is one of the most important decisions Nebraska voters will make. It will impact the prosperity of our state over the next four to eight years," McHargue said.

Love of the Land conference planned in North Platte

NORTH PLATTE - Nebraska Extension's Women in Agriculture program will host the Love of the Land Conference for female farmland owners and tenants looking to improve their business management skills on Dec. 9 at the Sandhills Convention Center, 2102 S. Jeffers St., in North Platte.

Industry experts will present workshops covering lease agreements, rental rates, mental health, crop and livestock insurance and more.

Allan Vyhnalek, a farm and ranch succession educator with Nebraska Extension, will welcome attendees with his keynote address, "For the Love of the Land, and Your Effective Relationships, It is About Communication."

Vyhnalek has spent the last 33 years in Extension working in both Iowa and Nebraska. His current role at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln allows him to help agriculture families through generational transfers.

Kate Zutavern, the second keynote speaker, is a sandhills rancher who resides in the Nebraska Sandhills with her family, where they raise black angus and, more recently, miniature Scottish Highlands. After losing her husband in 2020, she has found a way to balance life as a mother and a rancher while keeping her husband's legacy alive.

"Navigating the challenges of owning and renting agricultural land is becoming more complex, especially given recent volatility in commodity markets and input prices," said Jessica Groskopf, director of the Women Agriculture program. "The conference will prepare attendees with the knowledge and confidence necessary to make effective management decisions while better managing risk and improving profitability on their operations."

The early bird cost is $75 for registrations received on or before Nov. 21, and $85 after Nov. 21. For more information about the conference, visit the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website at https://wia.unl.edu.

Loft Gallery features 4-H members' artwork

LINCOLN - Twelve talented young artists from across Nebraska have artwork currently on display in the Loft Gallery in the Nebraska East Union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus.

The show features fourteen drawings, including graphite, ink, charcoal, color pencil, and scratchboard artwork, created by 4-H members. The pieces were selected from hundreds of 4-H visual art exhibits entered at the 2021 Nebraska State Fair.

The exhibition features original artwork by two central Nebraska 4-H members: Austyn Rumbeck, 17, Buffalo County, Diamond Willow 4-H Club; and Carmen Kosmicki, 18, Howard County, independent 4-H member

Admission to the Loft Gallery is free and open to the public anytime the Nebraska East Union is open. The exhibit will remain in place through December.