Fruits & Vegetables (GAPs)

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)

Fruit and vegetable growers interested in developing a Farm Food Safety Plan or learning about best handling practices for fresh produce, are invited to attend a series of one-day workshops this winter. These free workshops are open to producers of all sizes. Whether marketing produce to a local farmers market or a grocery store, this training with be meaningful for your operation.

February 15, 2012
Douglas/Sarpy Extension Office
8015 W. Center Road, Omaha, NE 68124

Please register at http://go.unl.edu/7ka.
Pre-registration is required and due one week prior to training.
For more information on the workshops, email GAPS@unl.edu or call (402) 472-2940.

Potatoes

Nebraska typically ranks between 10th and 20th in total potato production among states. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska potato growers planted 19,500 acres in 2008. Production totaled 8,432,000 hundredweight, with an estimated value of $80.5 million.

The Potato Education Guide provides help with all aspects of potato production.

Organic Crops

CropWatch: Organic
Producer, consumer, and researcher resources and information from UNL Organic Research and Extension

Sugarbeets

Nebraska is among 11 states and two Canadian provinces involved in sugarbeet production. In the Panhandle of Nebraska, beets have been grown since the early 20th Century. Nebraska ranks 6th in the U.S. in production, with 45,000 to 60,000 acres planted per year, and a high of 80,000 acres in 2000. Sugarbeets contribute an estimated $130 million or more to the western Nebraska economy through payrolls, property taxes, and other impacts.

Sugarbeets, a major contributor to the U.S. sweetener industry, are used in a broad range of products. Worldwide, about 35 percent of production comes from sugarbeet and 65 percent from sugar cane. In the U.S. about 50 to 55 percent of the domestic production derives from sugarbeet.
Please see the Sugarbeet Section for information on production, disease management, weed management, soil management and other topics.

Alternative Crops

Information on sunflower, sweet sorghum, canola, switchgrass under Bioenergy Crops

Alternative Crop Budgets and Decision Making, EC 838 (*pdf, 2.57 MB, 20 pages)