November 21-28, 2014

Farm Management

• Tightening Your Belt: A Look at How Family Living Costs Have Increased in the Last 20 Years. These costs are hard to measure, hard to talk about, and even harder to reduce once you've become accustomed to a higher standard of living. In the third article in this series, Tina Barrett looks at how family living costs have increased for the farmers she works with and categories families might want to reassess.
• Commodity Market Analysis: Combining Fundamentals and Technicals. The Nov. 12 Cornhusker Economics examines two types of analysis and advantages and disadvantages to using them in different situations.

Grain Storage

• Producer Q&A on Grain Storage Affected by Sudden Temperature Drop. NDSU Grain storage specialist answers grower questions on storing grain across two harvest temperature zones.

Pesticide Safety

• Ag Agencies Address Label Restrictions for Crop Rotation and Cover Crops. Pesticide plant-back and forage/harvest restrictions need to be followed when planting cover crops for forage or for soil cover.

Soybean Production

• Tightening Your Belt: SCN and Soybean Seed Selection. If you have SCN, research shows that selecting a resistant variety can net you an additional 6 bu/ac of soybean. Same cost. More yield.

Market Journal

• View segments on reducing input costs, corn and soybean markets, research on a link between SCN and soybean aphids, the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus in Nebraska, and the weather for the coming week.

Crop Reports

• November Commodity Prices, Changes from October. Corn down 12 cents, soybeans up 35 cents, sorghum up 63 cents, wheat up 12 cents. 
• Nov. 24 
• Nov. 17

Extension Programs & Resources

• UNL and FSA are Hosting Farm Bill Meetings across the state to provide key information for program selection.
• Free Farm Finance and Legal Aid Clinics in December. Schedule an appointment with a farm finance counselor or ag law attorney.
• Farm Bill Decision Tool Workshops at Alliance, Sidney, Scottsbluff starting Dec. 1. Seating limited to 10 per site so register early. 
• Western Nebraska Farm-Ranch Tax Strategies Dec. 1-2. An update on current taxes laws and when to use various tax planning strategies.
• New Crop Technology Conference Dec. 4 at Sidney. Production and marketing of new crops will be the theme of this all-day program.
• Western Sustainable Ag Conference Dec. 6 in Ogallala focuses on improving soil health through cover crops and crop diversity.
• Field Assessments to Improve Efficiency -- Workshops being held in eastern Nebraska Dec. 8-11. Calculate your fieldprint for 8 key indicators. 
• Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo Dec. 18 in Wahoo. University and industry speakers and commercial exhibits. 
• Postponed: Ag Financial Health Check-Ups in Bridgeport and Scottsbluff. How well are you positioned to cover liabilities in 2015? Bring your records and your questions.
• UNL Crop Production Clinics Slated for January. High impact training for ag professionals and research updates for Nebraska cropping systems and pest management strategies.