Northeast Nebraska Fifth Graders Explore Agriculture at Growing Potential Festival
More than 200 fifth graders from five northeast Nebraska schools experienced agriculture beyond the classroom during the annual Growing Potential Agriculture Festival held Sept. 3 at McQuistian Farms near Pender.
The event brought 202 students together with farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals to learn more about the industry that provides their food, fiber, and energy. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation and Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers host the festival each year to promote agricultural literacy and give students an opportunity to experience agriculture firsthand.
Throughout the day, students rotated through nine stations highlighting different aspects of agriculture and the many career opportunities available within the industry. Taylor Nelson, vice president of the Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers Association, said the festival is especially important for students who may not have a direct connection to agriculture.
“There are so many kids today who don’t have the opportunity to be around farms or see all the different opportunities agriculture has to offer,” Nelson said. “We want to expose them to those opportunities at an early age and make a positive impression as they begin thinking about their futures and the careers available to them. I hope students understand that they don’t have to come from a farm to have a future in agriculture. There are many ways to build a career in the industry, return to a small town, and contribute to agriculture.”
Students attending the festival represented Wayne, Wisner-Pilger, West Point-Beemer, Laurel, and Pender schools.
Support from local businesses and agricultural organizations helped ensure the festival remained free for participating students. Sponsors included NEN Aerial Services, Grossenburg Implement, Keiser Irrigation, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Siouxland Ethanol, Michael Foods, Tim and Ashley Mcquistian, and the Hansen family along with gracious support from numerous seed companies.
Free Training Helps Cattle Producers Figure Costs, Returns Amid Market Volatility
Cattle producers can learn to calculate their cost of production and evaluate potential returns during two free virtual trainings this month hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Agricultural Profitability.
The training will show participants how to use the Agricultural Budget Calculator program, or ABC, a free online tool for building and evaluating livestock and crop budgets specific to a producer's own operation. Cattle markets can shift quickly, and knowing the true cost behind those numbers helps producers make more informed management decisions as prices, input costs and market conditions change.
During the session, participants will learn how to:
Create or update a livestock enterprise budget for their own farm or ranch using ABC.
Estimate projected cost of production and potential returns, including both cash costs and economic costs.
Review and interpret ABC reports to understand where costs occur within a cattle enterprise.
Use budget information to evaluate management decisions as cattle costs, prices and market conditions change.
Two identical sessions are offered so producers can choose the time that works best. They will be held via Zoom on Monday, Sept. 21, at 12:30 p.m. CDT, and Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 6:30 p.m. CDT. A Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to registered participants.
The training is free. Registration is available at https://go.unl.edu/abccattle26.
Producers can find more information on the ABC program at https://cap.unl.edu/abc and view sample Nebraska cattle budgets at https://cap.unl.edu/cattlebudgets.
For more information, contact Glennis McClure, extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst, at gmcclure3@unl.edu or 402-472-0661.
PFI Farmers Test Whether Cover Crops Help Them Get in the Field Sooner
Wet weather can keep farmers out of their fields, putting pressure on already-tight planting and fieldwork windows. Those windows are getting smaller. Since 1964, Iowa has lost about one suitable spring fieldwork day every six years.
“For years, we’ve heard farmers tell us that cover crops are helping them get into their fields earlier in the spring and get through harvest without leaving ruts,” says Stefan Gailans, PFI’s research director. “We wanted to take a closer look and see if the data backs that up.”
In 2025, 38 farmers across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin tracked whether they could work fields with a history of cover crop use each week from spring through fall. Farmers recorded whether field and weather conditions allowed them to work their fields for most of the day.
PFI compared those observations with USDA estimates, using the same definition of a suitable fieldwork day.
The findings
Overall, PFI farmers reported about the same number of days suitable for fieldwork as the USDA average in 2025.
PFI farmers reported 51 suitable spring fieldwork days, one more than the USDA average. They reported 51 days in summer, matching the USDA average, and 27 days in fall, one fewer than the USDA average. Altogether, farmers reported, on average, 129 suitable fieldwork days, matching the USDA average.
While PFI farmers reported results similar to the USDA average, some fields with long-term cover crop use showed different results.
Margaret Hogan of Earlville, Iowa, reported 157 days when she could work her fields from April through November, compared with 127 days for her USDA district over the same period. In the spring, she reported 67 days suitable for fieldwork, compared with 46 days for the USDA district average. She has used cover crops for more than 10 years.
“The most valuable aspect of conducting this trial for me is being able to show others another reason to use cover crops,” Margaret says.
PFI started the study with 15 farmers in 2024 and grew to 38 farmers in 2025. The study will continue with farmers across the Midwest as PFI gathers more information to see whether the results stay the same from year to year and in different weather conditions.
To explore the full findings, visit practicalfarmers.org/do-cover-crops-increase-the-number-of-days-suitable-for-field-work-2025.
Farmers interested in participating in future trials can contact Stefan Gailans at stefan.gailans@practicalfarmers.org or visit practicalfarmers.org/cooperators-program.
NeFU Will Bring 10 Participants to the NFU Fly-In September 14-16, 2026
Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) President John Hansen and 9 other NeFU Members will join other Farmers Union state organizations participating in the annual National Farmers Union’s Fly-In to focus on the need to pass an updated and improved Farm Bill, and other ag-related issues.
Participating in this year’s Fly-In is Becky Potmesil of Alliance, Bill Armbrust of Elkhorn, Dan and Amber Conway of Red Cloud, Keith Dittrich of Tilden, Don Schuller of Wymore, Willie Cade of Chicago, and Matt Gregory, Kevin Herrold and John Hansen of Lincoln. In addition, Farmers Union Midwest Agency (FUMA) General Manager Rob Fisher of Ozawkie, Kansas will split his time between Nebraska and Kansas appointments. Besides Fisher, Dan and Amber Conway and Kevin Herrold are with FUMA. Willie Cade is a member who also serves as a Right to Repair and Ag Data consultant for Nebraska and several other Farmers Union state organizations.
NeFU President Hansen says “The Senate Ag Committee will reconsider their version of the Farm Bill during our Hill visits, so our Fly-In is very timely. Our message to Congress is they need to pass an updated and improved five-year Farm Bill before the September 30th expiration deadline. Three years in a row, Congress has passed one-year Farm Bill extensions because they failed to do their job and meet the deadline. Financially strapped farmers struggling with the worst farm crisis since the 1980s need more than another extension of an outdated and ineffective Farm Bill that makes the farm crisis worse. Farmers and their bankers need Congress to do their job and pass an improved five-year Farm Bill with a strong income safety net to help them survive today's and tomorrow’s financial crisis.”
Hansen pointed out that Congress needs to counter Trump Administration actions that undermine both foreign and domestic agricultural markets, create more trade and export volatility from the misuse of tariffs, and increase farm input costs from both tariffs and the ill-considered war with Iran. The unilateral decision to import 300,000 metric tons of hamburger, the radical dismantling of USDA through destructive DOGE cuts that forced a 28% senseless reduction in staffing, and the recent unilateral decision to decentralize and dismantle the remaining Washington, DC-based USDA staff by two thirds are also issues to discuss with Congress.
“Farmers and ranchers need Congress to appreciate the critical economic and social importance of our nation’s traditional system of independently owned and operated family farm and ranch agriculture. Farmers need Congress to step up and help them through this time of great financial stress. When farm and ranch businesses struggle, so do the families that own and operate them. Our nation’s current farm and trade policies need an overhaul, not a tune-up,” said Hansen.
Nebraska Beef Council to Conduct September Board Meeting
The Nebraska Beef Council Board of Directors will conduct their regular board meeting virtually on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CDT. During the meeting, the board will review & discuss a draft of the FY 2026–2027 marketing plan and receive an update on the 2026 board of director elections.
For more information, please contact the Nebraska Beef Council office at 308-236-7551.
RIBBON CUTTING TO MARK MESONET PROGRESS, SALUTE STAKEHOLDERS
A Sept. 23 ribbon cutting at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln will celebrate the completion of 35 new, state-of-the-art Nebraska Mesonet weather stations funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Supporters of the mesonet will be recognized, and attendees will have the opportunity to see a station up close.
The free public event, 3 to 4 p.m., will be at the East Campus mesonet station — the network’s flagship site, which tests improvements to the network before deployment and is used for educational purposes.
Nebraska’s 104 mesonet stations provide data vital to agriculture, natural resources management, emergency management and fire containment. The stations provide air temperature, rainfall, humidity and other common variables, as well as soil moisture, heat and cold stress, crop water use and wildfire risk data.
During the Sept. 23 event, attendees can view the East Campus mesonet station and learn how the Nebraska Mesonet operates. Mesonet staff will be on hand to answer questions.
“The addition of 35 modern weather and soil observation stations funded by the Army Corps of Engineers filled a significant gap in the Nebraska Mesonet, especially in the Sandhills,” said Ruben Behnke, mesonet director.
That progress “has fueled a renewed interest in modernizing and growing the Nebraska Mesonet into a premier network, as the value of environmental observation data is rapidly increasing in all fields,” he said. “Everyone in the state depends on this data in some form, even if they don’t directly interact with or use the raw observations.”
The mesonet is an invaluable resource for Nebraska’s producers, said Tiffany Heng-Moss, Harlan Vice Chancellor for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and vice president for the University of Nebraska system.
“The data this network provides is used in the development of precision ag tools, weather monitoring services, disaster relief programs, preparedness in the event of natural disasters, and a host of other programs,” she said. “We are proud that the Nebraska Mesonet is part of IANR, and we’re incredibly grateful to Ruben Behnke for his dedication to this critical tool, as well as to the partners who have contributed to its success.”
Attendees for the ribbon cutting should enter the university’s East Campus at the second entrance west of 48th and Holdrege streets. Turn right on the East Campus Loop, then right on Fair Street just north of the College of Law complex. Curve right onto a gravel road and find parking near the UNL Pollinator Garden.
Those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP here https://news.unl.edu/article/ribbon-cutting-to-mark-mesonet-progress-salute-stakeholders.
The gathering will include remarks by stakeholders, including Lt. Col. Natalie Mallue, deputy commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, and representatives from the National Weather Service, Nebraska Forest Service and Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. Refreshments will be provided.
“This event gives us a chance to acknowledge and thank all our supporters as we make progress toward providing mesonet coverage within 12 miles of every Nebraskan,” Behnke said.
Iowa Corn Growers Set Policy Priorities at 2026 Grassroots Policy Summit
Wednesday, the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) held its Annual Grassroots Policy Summit at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa. The event gathered more than 130 farmer-member delegates from across the state to discuss and set forth legislative priorities for the upcoming year.
ICGA delegates tackled critical issues impacting corn growers, including state issues such as conservation and water quality funding, extending Iowa retailer tax credits for E15 and E85, supporting a middle-ground approach to carbon capture projects, protecting landowner rights related to data centers, property tax reform, and more. Federal issues included expanding trade opportunities, securing infrastructure funding for transportation such as locks and dams, advancing biobased product incentives, advocating for a bipartisan Farm Bill, a nationwide E15 fix with key provisions for Iowa farmers and more.
“The Annual Grassroots Summit is a very important event for Iowa's corn growers and I think that is evident given that farmers from across the state put their harvest prep on pause to come and participate in the discussions that will set ICGA's policy priorities for the following year," said ICGA President Steve Kuiper, a farmer from Knoxville, Iowa. “Our grassroots policy development process starts with a survey of our more than 7,000 farmer members, followed by roundtable discussions in each of Iowa’s nine crop reporting districts before being brought forward and debated at the Summit. National policy priorities are then carried to the Commodity Classic, ensuring Iowa farmers’ voices are heard at the federal level. This process is vital to fulfilling ICGA’s mission and championing the issues that matter most to Iowa’s corn farmers.”
Throughout the day, many local leaders were also recognized for their engagement in Iowa agriculture and beyond. Larry Buss, farmer from Harrison County, was once again recognized with the Top Recruiter Award for recruiting 186 Iowa Corn members over the past year. Roger Wuthrich, farmer from Davis County, was recognized with the Outstanding Individual Leadership Award for his dedication to Iowa Corn, at both the grassroots level and beyond, and within his local community. The 2026 Iowa Corn Walter Goeppinger Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Julius Schaff, an exemplary leader who has dedicated his career to building relationships and creating new opportunities for Iowa’s corn farmers.
ICGA will announce its finalized state and federal policy priorities in December, based on ICGA Board discussions and grassroots input gathered during the Summit. The complete 2026-27 policy resolution book will be available online and by request once finalized. To request a copy, please contact corninfo@iowacorn.org or 515-225-9242.
Most Fertilizer Prices Lower
Retail fertilizer prices for the last day of August and first four days of September 2026 show more less expensive fertilizer prices compared to last month. Six fertilizers were lower looking back to last month while the remaining two were slightly higher, marking the second week in row we saw this. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.
Just one nutrient led the way lower. UAN28 was 5% less expensive compared to last month. The average price of the nitrogen fertilizer was $423/ton. Five other fertilizers' prices were just slightly lower. Potash had an average price of $493/ton, urea $655/ton, 10-34-0 $717/ton, anhydrous $938/ton and UAN32 $455/ton.
The remaining two nutrients were just slightly more expensive looking back a month. DAP had an average price of $919/ton and MAP $959/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.71/lb.N, anhydrous $0.57/lb.N, UAN28 $0.75/lb.N and UAN32 $0.71/lb.N.
Seven of the eight fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year earlier. Potash is 1% higher, UAN28 is 2% more expensive, urea is 4% higher, MAP is 5% more expensive, DAP is 7% higher, 10-34-0 is 8% more expensive and anhydrous is 22% higher looking back to last year.
One fertilizer is lower than a year ago. UAN32 is 5% lower than a year earlier.
ASA Welcomes 45Z Updates Supporting U.S. Soybean Farmers, Biofuels
The American Soybean Association welcomed actions this week from the U.S. Department of Energy and Internal Revenue Service that provide greater clarity and usability for the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, an important tool for supporting domestic biofuel production and demand for U.S. soybeans.
DOE updated the 45ZCF-GREET model to incorporate carbon intensity adjustments for certain regenerative agricultural practices, including practices used in soybean production. At the same time, IRS issued a notice that provides updated emissions rate information and allows qualifying agricultural practices to be reflected in calculating the credit.
"ASA appreciates DOE, IRS, USDA and the administration for taking this important step to make the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit usable for biofuel producers," said Dave Walton, ASA vice president and Iowa soybean farmer. "These actions provide greater economic certainty for the biofuels industry, which is a critical source of domestic demand for U.S. soybeans."
As implementation moves forward, ASA will continue advocating for a flexible book-and-claim system that allows all farmers to participate in and receive value from the low-carbon attributes of their soybeans without requiring physical segregation throughout the supply chain. We look forward to continuing to work with the administration as policies are developed to strengthen the U.S. biofuels market and the soybean farmers who help supply it.
Corn Growers Thank Trump Administration for Crucial Next Steps in 45Z Implementation
The Internal Revenue Service this week released its guidance for farmers looking for clarity on the future of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit, which was designed to incentivize the production of aviation fuel and other clean fuels.
The guidance, in conjunction with Tuesday’s updated Department of Energy GREET Model, will give safe harbor to previously recognized “on farm” practices in reducing the carbon intensity of qualifying fuels. In response to this development, Ohio corn grower and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Jed Bower released the following statement:
"We are very pleased to see these agencies reaffirm the positive actions from the administration earlier this year, which recognized the importance of existing regenerative practices. We have been encouraged by the strong cooperation and emphasis on how this tax credit will benefit the individual farmer throughout the implementation process."
"This guidance also codifies positive changes to the credit regarding indirect land use change. We look forward to working with the Treasury Department this fall as it looks to issue a final rule by November. NCGA would also like to see 'book and claim' acknowledged as a viable chain of custody methodology in the final rule."
Book and claim allows farmers to sell the environmental value of their low-carbon corn directly to biofuel producers digitally, eliminating the need to physically segregate and transport those crops to a specific facility.
Pioneer Launches ‘Hats Off to Farmers’ Collaboration With Multiplatinum Country Music Star Chris Janson
Pioneer is putting its support for farmers into action through a new collaboration with multiplatinum country music star Chris Janson to champion mental health in rural communities. Together, Pioneer and Janson aim to raise awareness of the mental health challenges facing farmers while raising funds through special-edition, co-branded hats benefiting the Deep Roots Mental Wellness Program from Rural Minds, a national nonprofit focused on improving mental health outcomes in rural America.
This partnership underscores Pioneer’s long-standing dedication to the agriculture community, supporting farmers both in their work and in overcoming the challenges they face beyond the field. By collaborating with Janson and Rural Minds, Pioneer aims to foster more open conversations about mental health in farming communities and take meaningful steps to offer vital resources to those who feed and fuel America. As it wraps up its 100th anniversary celebrations, Pioneer also has committed $100,000 to Rural Minds to provide farmers with a program to help build mental resiliency so they can thrive as they manage new challenges in an ever-changing agricultural landscape.
“Farmers understand better than anyone that success requires resilience, adaptability and a long-term perspective,” said Liz Knutson, Pioneer Agency Marketing Leader. “The Pioneer brand has stood alongside farmers for a century, and we are committed to helping the next generation develop strong roots so they can continue to grow and flourish through whatever seasons lie ahead.
Pioneer has partnered with Janson because of his deep affinity for farmers and America’s rural communities and his connection to the Pioneer® brand. Janson grew up in a rural farming community and has a personal connection to agriculture and the Pioneer brand. A gold and multiplatinum-awarded artist whose songs have amassed billions of streams on listening platforms, Janson has leveraged his success to support philanthropic causes that benefit rural America — especially as an advocate for mental health.
“Pioneer is a brand that I have recognized since I was a child. This is a great way to reach into a community that both Pioneer and I are passionate about,” Janson said. “I’ve been thanking farmers my whole life because I grew up around them and respect them. They are the heartbeat of America. I’m so proud to be part of this collaboration to support our rural communities.”
In addition to the hat collaboration, Pioneer and Janson will raise money for Rural Minds by auctioning a branded guitar autographed and played by Janson during his fall and winter tour. The auction will take place next spring.
All funds raised from the Hats Off to Farmers collaboration will benefit the Deep Roots Mental Wellness Program from Rural Minds, which will provide tools to help farmers develop mental resilience and recognize the signs of mental distress, with guidance on where to access resources for help when it is needed.
Rural Minds is the only national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on improving mental health outcomes of the 46 million people who live and work in rural America. Founded in 2021 by Jeff Winton, a dairy farmer from western New York, the organization’s vision is to remove the suffering, silence and stigma around mental illness in rural America.
“For the last 100 years, Pioneer has provided seed products that helped farmers prosper and evolve into the central source of the global food supply,” Winton said. “We are honored to partner with Pioneer, as it enters its second century of operation, to help young farmers and their families develop the mental resilience skills they will need to weather the volatility inherent in the business of farming and to maintain the quality of life that is such a special part of farm family life.
Support the Hats Off to Farmers collaboration by purchasing a special-edition hat at https://pioneerchrisjansonhats2026.itemorder.com/shop/home/. To learn more about how Rural Minds is helping farmers build mental resilience, visit ruralminds.org/DeepRoots. To find upcoming Janson tour dates near you, visit chrisjanson.com. Follow Pioneer, Chris Janson and Rural Minds on social channels for real-time updates and to learn more about the program.
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