The 2018 Nebraska Dry Edible Bean Day will feature a keynote by the new Nebraska Director of Agriculture and research updates, recommendations for producers, and reports from the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.

The event, sponsored by the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association (NDBGA), will be Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the Gering Civic Center.  Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by a welcome from Bean Growers President Paul Pieper. The growers’ association annual meeting begins at 1 p.m.

Following the growers’ meeting, Jack Whittier, director of the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, and Courtney Schuler, Chair of the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, will speak, followed by a presentation from Brooke Brockman of Farm to School and ag education coordiantor at the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

Steve Wellman, recently appointed Nebraska Director of Agriculture, is scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m.

Following a break and opportunity to visit vendors, Extension Educator John Thomas will moderate a panel discussion on direct harvest. At 3:40 p.m. university specialists will report on research conducted at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center:

• Dry Bean Breeding Specialist Carlos Urrea on "Potential Dry Bean Variety Releases"
• Entomologist Jeff Bradshaw on "Leveraging Nature to Improve Farming Profitability"
• Extension Educator Jessica Groskopf on "2018: The Year of the Manager"
• Water and Irrigation Management Specialist Xin Qiao on "Irrigation Scheduling for Dry Beans with Soil Moisture and Canopy Temperature Sensors"
• Integrated Weed Management Specialist Nevin Lawrence on "Control of Palmer Amaranth in Dry Beans"
• Soil and Nutrient Specialist Bijesh Maharjan on "Soil and Water Conservation in Dry Bean Production"
• Plant Pathologist Bob Harveson on "Have You Ever Wondered How We Diagnose Diseases?"

Vendors booths will be available for viewing throughout the event.

For the second year, Bean Day will include a food drive for area food pantries. Each person is asked to bring a bag of beans or a food item to registration. Each food item or monetary donation is worth a ticket for several grand prize drawings. You must be present to win. The more items you bring or the more money given, the more chances to win.