For everything, there is a season — education season is now
UNL Extension
In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3 begins, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven…” Right now before things get really hectic as we gear up for harvest, weaning, and fall, the season for field days is underway.
Providing a snapshot of a growing crop while avoiding the bustle of harvest leaves a small window of opportunity to work with for those wanting to provide educational outreach to producers. That’s why late July and early August may seem packed with events to attend sharing the latest and greatest in ag production. We in extension are no different.
Field days offer an opportunity not only to learn from those presenting but also to make some connections and interact with fellow attendees. I know everyone has a busy schedule and fitting extra time in to attend an educational event may not be at the top of the list, but I’ve found that the connections made and bits of new information gained usually make the trip worth while if the topic is one I’m interested in. Here are a few local field day options you might find of interest: Aug. 1-3, the Haskell Ag Lab will be hosting a Soil Health School covering a wide number of soil topics including lysimeters, cover crops, manure management, and many hands on demonstrations. Haskell is located just east of Concord, along the 26B spur. To register and for more information visit https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/hal/. Aug. 7 Nebraska Extension, SDSU Extension, the Norther Plains Forage Association, and I-29 Moo University will host the 2023 Forage Field Day at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm, near Beresford, S.D., from 9:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Speakers will include producers and topic experts focusing on forage sorghum and forage equipment. To register, visit extension.sdstate.edu/ events and search “Forage.”
Aug. 8-9 the annual Nebraska Grazing Conference will be held at the Younes Conference Center, Kearney. Kicking off with a field tour focusing on stress-free livestock management at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 8, the meeting itself begins at 12:45 p.m.,, and ends at noon Aug. 9. Emerging issues in grazing management, recognition of the Leopold Conservation Award winners, and precision livestock management are conference focuses this year. More specific info on the conference is available on the website of the Center for Grassland Studies at: http://www. grassland.unl.edu under the News & Events tab.
Aug. 10th from 8:30 AM to 3 PM, the Haskell Ag Lab will be holding their annual Science and Ag Family Field Day. This event has activities for all members of the family along with presentations and farm tours. More information and a list of events and topics can be found at https://extension.unl. edu/statewide/hal/.
Row Crop producers may want to check out Soybean Management Field Days, Aug. 9, at the UNL Haskell Ag Lab or Aug. 10, at UNL’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Cente,r south of Mead. Visit https://enrec.unl.edu/ crop for more information.
Finally, though a bit of a drive, livestock producers may consider attending the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory open house north of Whitman Aug.23. More information and registration can be found at beef.unl.edu.
Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving the counties of Antelope, Cedar, Knox, Madison and Pierce. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office . Reach him at: (402) 254-6821 or email: ben.beckman@unl.