Monday August 18 Ag News - UNL NCTA Introduce Prime Education - Silage SAFE meeting - Fall Irrigation Scheduling - Drone Workships this week - and more!

UNL and NCTA Partner in Online 'Prime Education' Course to Boost State Meat Processing Industry

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) will open enrollment to the public on Aug. 18 for “Prime Education: Introduction to Butchery and Meat Processing”, a self-paced, online curriculum aimed at anyone interested in exploring a career in the meat processing industry.

Funding for the project was awarded to NCTA by a USDA-NIFA grant in 2023 to provide a training curriculum for workers in Nebraska’s meat processing industry. The college in Curtis, Nebraska, partnered with both the Department of Animal Science at the university and private industry to develop the eight-part online curriculum. Enrollees will learn about safety, tools and equipment, sanitation and inspection, humane harvest, fresh meat fabrication, processed meats, and product packaging and labeling.

Jordan Wicks, an assistant professor and meat extension specialist at the university, has collaborated with faculty members, graduate students, and industry representatives from around the country to develop the curriculum. Before coming to Nebraska, she spent 10 years leading hands-on processing trainings with students.

“This program is based on what people need to know when starting in the meat processing industry, with an emphasis on safety,” Wicks said. “The ability to learn these foundational principles at your own pace and entirely online will lead to a much quicker onboarding process for processors when hiring and to a higher retention in the industry workforce.”

The topics covered serve as an introduction to the meat processing industry not only for those doing the processing, but also those in related industry positions. This also makes the course a valuable option for high school teachers, advisors, and students as a method to showcase the array of career options throughout all facets of the meat processing industry.

“There are endless career opportunities within the industry that may not be on the processing floor day-to-day,” Wicks said. “No matter if you’re interested in sales, marketing, engineering, research, or product development, there is a career for you in the meat processing industry. This curriculum will help you learn about the foundation of the industry to help you build your career path in it.”

Registration for the course is $50, but will be discounted to $10 using code HIUGVR at checkout during the Aug. 18-25 enrollment period. To register, please visit https://go.unl.edu/prime-education. The online course must be completed by Dec. 19, 2025, to receive the digital badge recognized by the Nebraska Association of Meat Processors (NAMP). An additional, optional in-person training for those who complete the online course will be offered in 2026.



Silage S.A.F.E. – Safety, Application, Feed and Employees

Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Riverside Headquarters, 106 S Main Street, Beemer
Meal:  6:30 pm
Program:  7:00 pm

Speakers:  Evan Weborg and Aaron Yoder 
Evan will talk about safety, new silage technologies, testing capabilities and drone usage for measurement. 
Aaron will update you on the Feedyard 15 Program, a free safety training curriculum that is available to cattle feedyard operations. The program addresses critical safety issues commonly found in feedyard operations.

Sponsored by:  TH4AJ Enterprises | Travis, Heidi and Jaleigh Hallste 

RSVP to Bonita 402-450-0223 or blederer@necattlemen.org
 

 
August Irrigation Scheduling Should Focus on Using Remaining Stored Soil Water
Steve Melvin - NE Extension Educator Irrigated Cropping Systems

The last few irrigations of the season require some of the most important water management decisions of the year.

An unneeded irrigation may mean wasting 1 to 3 inches of water and 2 to 5 gallons of diesel fuel per acre. Even if your irrigation costs are only $10/ac-in, each inch reduction is worth about $1,300 for each quarter-section pivot. For example: If a field of silt loam soil is left at field capacity, it’s missing out on 5.5 inches of off-season storage, worth about $7,200 — not even accounting for the leaching loss of nutrients. Nitrogen loss has been shown by research to be about 5 to 10 lbs/a for each inch of water that moves through the profile.

Across Nebraska, during most years, enough precipitation will be received from October through May to refill the soil profile on irrigated fields. For example, the Grand Island area gets about 14.2 inches during this timeframe, and even the Scottsbluff area will receive about 8.6 inches on average.

The final decisions on furrow-irrigated fields need to be made sooner due to the typical higher application amounts with flood, while the final decisions on the pivot or subsurface drip irrigated fields can be delayed to take advantage of any rainfall that may occur. With this in mind, the publication "Irrigation Scheduling Strategies When Using Soil Water Data," (Nebraska Extension NebGuide EC3036), and the video series "How to Schedule Irrigations with Soil Water Data" were developed. The resources focus on season-long irrigation scheduling and wrap up with end-of-season scheduling.

Many irrigators apply more water than necessary toward the end of the irrigation season because irrigation applications continue at a rate they have grown used to during the middle of the summer, even though the crop is using less water per day. Water use goes down because the crop is getting more mature and the days are getting shorter and cooler. The average crop water use rate for corn drops from around 2.1 inches per week at silking to only about 1.2 inches per week by the full dent stage. This 40% reduction requires irrigators to adjust their thinking about how much water needs to be applied each week.

So, calculating the amount of water needed from rain and irrigation for the crop to reach maturity becomes important starting in early August.

Method to Estimate Late-Season Crop Water Needs
To determine how much water from rain and irrigation will be needed to mature the crop, use the method described below and information from Table 1 (below).

Step 1. Based on the current crop growth stage (identified in columns 1 and 2), look up the approximate days to maturity in column 3 and the water use to maturity in column 4.

Step 2. Add the approximate days to maturity to today’s date to estimate the crop maturity date.

Step 3. Subtract the water use to maturity from the remaining available water (as determined by soil water sensors or monitoring). If the number is positive, it indicates adequate soil water to mature the crop; however, if the number is negative, it indicates the additional amount of water the crop will need from rain and irrigation to reach maturity.

Read more on this topic here: https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2024/time-consider-using-remaining-stored-soil-water-irrigated-corn-and-bean-fields/



CHS invests in Holdrege, Neb. grain facility 

CHS Inc., the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative, has agreed to purchase the Scoular grain facility in Holdrege, Neb. The sale is tentatively set to close before the end of August 2025. The acquisition of this facility is part of a larger strategy to invest in assets in key geographies to provide increased market access and maximum efficiency to CHS owners.

“This acquisition in Holdrege reflects our ongoing strategy to optimize the CHS supply chain and invest in the long-term success of our farmer-owners,” said Kent Mulder, vice president of operations for CHS.

Scoular’s Holdrege location will serve primarily as a seasonal overflow facility for the existing CHS location in Holdrege.  Together, the Holdrege facilities will strengthen the grain origination and transportation capabilities for CHS, creating end-to-end value while enhancing market access for growers.

“These changes are designed to create a stronger, more efficient network that benefits growers, said Mulder. “The enhanced speed and space of the Holdredge facility create global market opportunities for Nebraska farmers.”

As part of this strategic alignment, CHS is selling its Roseland and Bladen, Neb., facilities to Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI), a farmer-owned cooperative headquartered in Hastings, Neb. CHS is working closely with CPI to ensure a smooth changeover of the Roseland and Bladen locations.

“We are confident these facilities will provide strategic value for CPI given the alignment with their trade territory. This realignment also creates additional opportunities to strengthen and maximize efficiencies for the cooperative system in Nebraska,” said Mulder.




Nebraska Continues to Lead the Midwest in Agricultural Drone Innovation

Nebraska Extension and Northeast Community College are proud to present the third annual Nebraska Agriculture and Spray Drone Conference, held at the Lifelong Learning Center on the Northeast Community College campus in Norfolk, Nebraska. Widely regarded as the Midwest’s premier agriculture drone event, the conference offers two full days of cutting-edge education, policy updates, and entrepreneurial networking centered around drone technology in agriculture.

Takeaways for Attendees
    Regulatory Clarity:
    Constantly evolving drone regulations require operators to hold FAA Part 107 certification and a commercial or non-commercial pesticide applicator license (Category 12). Compliance with FAA Part 137 and Nebraska aerial pesticide laws is also necessary for drone-based chemical application.
    Industry Innovation:
    From lightweight UAVs to swarming, heavy-lift systems, spray drone technology is rapidly transforming crop protection, input delivery, mapping, and labor efficiency.
    Economic Opportunity:
    With a 2025 theme of “Entrepreneurship Opportunities with Drones,” this year’s event focuses on how to launch and scale drone-based services like precision applications, crop scouting, mapping, and aerial imaging across Nebraska and beyond.

Attendees will gain valuable insight into starting or expanding drone-related businesses. The business expo will feature emerging AgTech companies and service providers at the forefront of agricultural drone innovation.

Conference Highlights
    Speakers: 24 experts from across Nebraska, the U.S., and internationally — including Germany — will present on various drone-related topics.
    Exhibitors: 13 exhibitors and growing.  

For Certified Crop Advisors and Agronomists
Attendees can earn four CEUs in precision agriculture per day, making this a valuable continuing education opportunity for CCAs and agronomic professionals.

Join Us In-Person or Virtually
    Dates and Times:
    Aug. 21 — 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    Aug. 22 — 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    Location:
    Lifelong Learning Center
    Northeast Community College
    801 East Benjamin Ave, Norfolk, NE 68701
    Virtual Attendance:
    A fully remote attendance option is available for those unable to join in person.

Don’t Miss This Event                             
The third Nebraska Ag and Spray Drone Conference is a must-attend for anyone involved in modern agriculture — farmers, drone operators, ag entrepreneurs, educators, and policy leaders alike. With a dynamic lineup of speakers and exhibitors, and opportunities to network with leaders in the drone industry.

For more information, check out the conference website https://cropwatch.unl.edu/nebraska-ag-drone-conference/. 



Bonus Workshop: Mapping Drone Bootcamp Master Class to Follow Ag Drone Conference

Attendees of the third annual Nebraska Agriculture and Spray Drone Conference won’t want to miss a special bonus opportunity on Saturday, Aug. 23. The Mapping Drone Bootcamp Master Class, hosted at the Madison County Extension Office (1305 S. 13th St., Norfolk, Nebraska), offers a full-day, hands-on learning experience focused on drone mapping, image processing, and agricultural data interpretation.

Led by Airstrike Ag and Pix4D Agriculture, this intensive workshop is designed for producers, consultants, ag tech enthusiasts, and drone operators at any experience level. Whether you're just starting your drone journey or looking to take your mapping skills to the next level, this bootcamp provides the tools and techniques to make smarter, data-driven decisions in the field.

What You’ll Learn
By the end of the day, participants will be able to:
    Navgate FAA legal requirements for ag drones.
    Choose the right drone for different mapping applications.
    Conduct offline field mapping — no internet required.
    Analyze satellite imagery for real-time and historical insights.
    Identify crop health issues using Pix4D’s Magic Tool.
    Create Variable Rate and Targeted Application Maps.
    Generate and share professional scouting reports.
    Integrate collected data with John Deere Operations Center and spray drone platforms.

A Day of Practical Learning
The workshop blends classroom instruction with real-world application. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop for hands-on practice — some drones and shared equipment will be available on-site.

Included in the day:
    Light breakfast and a hearty lunch.
    Indoor instruction and hands-on activities.
    Comfortable, casual atmosphere designed for learning by doing.

FAQs
    Do I need experience with drones or software? No — this workshop welcomes all levels!
    Don’t own a drone or laptop? No problem — we’ll have equipment to share.
    What’s the benefit to my farm? You'll gain the precision tools to optimize inputs, monitor crop health, and boost yields.

Registration
Spots are limited. More details and registration are available online https://go.unl.edu/pix4D-workshop or by contacting Nathan Stein at 515-417-7247.



Dairy Zone Wins “Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food” Contest at the 2025 Iowa State Fair

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today congratulated Dairy Zone for winning the second annual “Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food” contest during the 2025 Iowa State Fair. 

The “Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food” contest, an officially recognized competition hosted by the Iowa State Fair, highlights and celebrates fair food menu items made using ingredients sourced from Iowa. Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, made, and raised food, beverages, and ag products. Dairy Zone's The Butter Cow Tornado was selected by popular vote of fairgoers.

“The Iowa State Fair showcases the best of our state, and the ‘Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food’ contest celebrates the culinary creativity of our vendors who proudly use Iowa-sourced ingredients to create unforgettable dishes. I congratulate Dairy Zone for winning this year’s contest with The Butter Cow Tornado,” said Secretary Naig. “Through Choose Iowa, we’re building an even stronger connection between consumers and those who grow, raise, and make local food and beverages. I encourage everyone to seek out locally sourced options while enjoying the fair and look for local options from Choose Iowa members in your community throughout the year.”

This year, 30 vendors entered the contest, up from 20 vendors the first year. This accounts for approximately 15 percent of the food stands at the Iowa State Fair. This year’s participants include all of Iowa’s commodity groups that produce protein and have a stand at the fair. Additionally, the Iowa Honey Producers, the Iowa Specialty Crop Growers and Iowa Brewers Guild, in collaboration with Iowa Corn, all submitted entries for the Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food contest.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters’ Hot Beef Sundae took home top honors in 2024, the first year of the contest.



USDA Announces Sweeping Plans to Protect the United States from New World Screwworm

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins Friday at the Texas State Capitol alongside Governor Greg Abbott and stakeholders from across the country announced the largest initiative yet in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plan to combat the New World Screwworm (NWS). This announcement builds upon USDA’s five-pronged plan issued in June to combat the northward spread of NWS from Mexico into the United States.

NWS is a devastating pest. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases, people. It is not only a threat to our ranching community — but it is a threat to our food supply and our national security.

While USDA is coordinating efforts to combat NWS, it will require continued collaboration between Federal agencies, State governments, and the private sector. That is why USDA is working alongside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to encourage animal drug development and prioritize approvals for prevention and treatment of the pest, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy on new innovations to enhance our ability to combat the pest with technologies, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to protect the United States border. The United States government will also work alongside Governors, State Agriculture Commissioners, State veterinarians, and others to combat this pest.

As part of this comprehensive approach, USDA is taking the following immediate actions:

1.) Innovate Our Way to Eradication
While sterile flies are currently the most effective way to prevent the spread of NWS, technology continues to evolve and as such USDA will provide up to $100 million to invest in viable innovations which could show rapid advancement of promising technologies that will augment the United States facility and accelerate the pace of sterile fly production if proven successful. USDA will support proven concepts that only require funding to scale and implement as well as a number of longer-term research projects focused on: new sterile NWS production techniques, novel NWS traps and lures, NWS therapeutics that could be stockpiled and used should NWS reach the United States, and any other tools to bolster preparedness or response to NWS.

2.) Protect the United States Border – Construction of a Domestic Sterile Screwworm Production Facility
USDA will construct a sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, TX, at Moore Air Force Base, an ideal location due to the existing infrastructure and proximity to the United States-Mexico border. Built with the Army Corps of Engineers, the facility will produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week to combat NWS. This will be the only United States-based sterile fly facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.

Why it matters:
    National Security & Economic Impact – NWS threatens over $100 billion in United States economic activity tied to the cattle and livestock industry alone.
    Proven Technology – Uses sterile insect technique (SIT)
    Strategic Coverage – Complements Panama’s facility (100M flies/week) and Mexico’s upcoming facility (100M flies/week) to push NWS back toward the Darien Gap.
    Reduced Vulnerability – Ends the United States-based reliance on foreign facilities for sterile fly production.

3.) Wildlife Migration Prevention
Animals don’t know borders, and that leaves the U.S potentially vulnerable to NWS from wildlife migrating across the border. USDA is working aggressively to ramp up the hiring of USDA-employed mounted patrol officers, known as “Tick Riders,” and other staff who will focus on border surveillance. The Tick Riders, who are mounted on horseback, will be complemented by other animal health experts who will patrol the border in vehicles and will provide the first line of defense against an NWS outbreak along the United States-Mexico border.

USDA will also begin training detector dogs to detect screwworm infestations in livestock and other animals along our border and at various ports of entry. These dogs will be essential to help control the spread of the NWS. USDA is working closely with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S Customs and Border Protection to monitor the border for NWS-infected wildlife that could pose a threat to the United States.

4.) Stop the Pest from Spreading in Mexico and Ensure We Are Full Partners in Eradication
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working in collaboration with the National Service of Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) in Mexico to help them contain the pest south of the United States border by enhancing United States oversight, surveillance, improving case reporting, locking down animal movement to prevent further spread, providing traps, lures, training, and verification of Mexican NWS activities. Successful implementation will inform any future trade decisions impacting cattle movements on the southern border including the potential reopening of border areas.

5.) United States Food Safety is of Utmost Importance
To date, NWS has not been reported or detected in the United States in animals. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service inspects animals and carcasses at slaughter, including for NWS to keep the food supply safe.

“We have assessed the information on the ground in Mexico and have determined we must construct an additional sterile fly production facility in the United States to stop the northward advancement of this terrible pest that is threatening American cattle production. President Trump has made it clear that we must take all necessary steps to protect our country from foreign pests and diseases that threaten our economy and way of life. Today we are announcing a major investment to further America’s existential role in protecting our country and secure our borders from this national security threat,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “The construction of a domestic sterile fly production facility will ensure the United States continues to lead the way in combating this devastating pest. If our ranchers are overrun by foreign pests, then we cannot feed ourselves. USDA and Customs and Border Protection are constantly monitoring our ports of entry to keep NWS away from our borders. We are working every day to ensure our American agricultural industry is safe, secure, and resilient.”

“As a livestock veterinarian by trade, I understand the risk posed to our food system by foreign animal diseases. As a livestock producer and Governor of America's leading beef producing state, I know that food security is national security. I commend Secretary Brooke Rollins and her team for their extraordinary leadership on fighting foreign animal diseases. They have been at the tip of the spear from the start, and this plan is another example of their diligence and leadership,” said Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen.

“It took decades to eradicate this parasite from within and adjacent to our borders more than a generation ago, and this is a proactive first step. Cattle markets are already volatile and the introduction of New World screwworm within the U.S. would only increase that volatility. We thank USDA and Secretary Rollins for her leadership protecting the domestic cattle industry and we stand ready to help ensure the speedy and efficient construction of this facility and implementation of the updated plan,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“American cattle producers are thankful for Secretary Brooke Rollins’ leadership and diligence in combatting the spread of New World screwworm. This deadly pest has negatively impacted the cattle industry before but with swift action from Secretary Rollins, we are on our way to stopping it again. USDA’s work in building a sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base will greatly help to stop the spread of screwworm and protect the American cattle herd for years to come,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall.