Tuesday March 31 Ag News - LD16 Candidate Forum April 7 - NE FFA 98th Convention Results - Nitrogen Use Efficiency webinar - NE Ext Tree Workshop - US Agriculture Economic Report - and more!

County Farm Bureaus to Host Legislative District 16 Candidate Forum

Those interested in learning more about the candidates running for the Legislative District 16 seat in the Nebraska Legislature are invited to participate in a candidate forum sponsored by the Burt, Cuming, Stanton, and Washington County Farm Bureaus.

The candidate forum will be held Tuesday. April 7, 2026, at 7 p.m. (CT) at the West Point Community Theatre, 237 N. Main St, West Point, Neb. 

The forum will provide an opportunity for the public to meet and ask questions of the candidates who are seeking to represent the district in the Nebraska Legislature. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open 30 minutes before the forum begins to allow attendees to have the opportunity to meet the candidates and submit written questions for consideration at the forum. The forum will last 90 minutes.

All the filed candidates seeking to represent Legislative District 16 have been invited to participate, including Cindy Chatt of Tekamah and Ted Japp of Blair.       

Legislative District 16 encompasses Burt, Cuming, Stanton, and Washington Counties. The seat is currently held by Sen. Ben Hansen, who is term limited and unable to seek re-election.



Nebraska FFA Concludes 98th FFA Convention: Full Results

Over 7,000 FFA members, advisors, and guests attended and participated in the 98th Nebraska FFA Convention, held March 25-27 in Lincoln. Students competed in various contests all school year to qualify for the state convention. 

Those winning their Leadership Development Events, Career Development Events, and Agriscience Fair projects will go on to compete at the National FFA Convention against members from other states in their respective contests. Proficiency Area winners will also be judged at the national level and will find out in August if they have advanced to the final round to be announced at the convention. The National FFA Convention will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana in October. 

Other highlights include the announcement of the 2026-2027 State FFA Officer team, consisting of: 
    State President Carson Reiman (Gothenburg), State Secretary Luke Eisenmann (Leigh), and State Vice Presidents Megan Macklin (Blue Hill), Logan Bell (Broken Bow), Josette McConnell (Sidney), Hudson Dellevoet (Kearney), and Levi Othmer (Johnson County Central).

And the announcement of the State FFA Stars 
    Star Winners: Production, Jett Johnson (Holdrege); Placement, Trevor Sloup (Lakeview); Agriscience, Esther VanOverbeke (Waverly); Agribusiness, Peyton Halvorsen (Lakeview).

Full Nebraska FFA Career Development Event Results: https://nebraskacde.unl.edu/results. 



Private Applicators Need Certification 

All farmers who use or purchase any restricted use pesticides on property you own, or rent will need to be certified as a private applicator according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. 

Nebraska Extension is conducting the following training session which is approved for renewal or initial certification. Producers are reminded to bring their NDA (bar-coded) letter with the form at the bottom that they received from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture if they are recertifying. 

Each session lasts approximately three hours:   
April 9 – UNL Extension Madison County, Norfolk, 1:30 p.m. 
 
For other local training dates, check the website at https://pested.unl.edu/. 

Pre-registration is requested by contacting the Nebraska Extension office in Cuming County at 402/372-6006 or UNL Extension in the county you plan to attend. 



Nitrogen Use Efficiency Incentive Program Webinar

Nebraska farmers have a new opportunity for incentive payments for nitrogen management. The Nebraska Corn Board has sponsored this program, available through your local NRD. This webinar will cover how the program works and field-proven methods for saving nitrogen while maintaining yields.

With: Rachael Whitehair, Nebraska Corn Board
Alexa Davis, Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment
Javed Iqbal, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Department of Agronomy

Date & Time: April 2, 11am

Learn more and register HERE https://nuramp.nebraska.edu/ems/event.php?EMSEventUUID=fa44eab1-4263-43a0-93de-46c62edeb67c&EMSEventPreview=Yes.



Tree Workshop Offered 
Nikki Luhr, Extension Educator Water & Cropping Systems

Ready to grow your tree knowledge? Join us at the Tree Workshop and learn about oak diseases, young tree pruning, native fruit shrubs, and fruit tree pruning.  

April 16, in South Sioux City, NE or April 17, in Concord, NE from 1:00PM–4:30 PM (same program both days).  

$10 per person — cash or check payable at the event.  

Registration is requested by April 14. 

To register visit go.unl.edu/treeworkshop, or call Nikki with Nebraska Extension at 4025843853. 

Whether you’re a homeowner, landowner, or tree enthusiast, this workshop has something for you. We hope to see you there! 

Workshop conducted by Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Forest Service. 
 


‘The Giver of Stars’ selected for Women in Agriculture Book Club

The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program and Annie’s Project have announced ‘The Giver of Stars’, as the choice for their second quarter book club, which will conclude with a virtual discussion at 1 p.m. Central Time on June 15.

This breathtaking story shares the journey of five extraordinary Packhorse Librarians and their remarkable trek through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America. 

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape a stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside an overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for volunteers to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. 

The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient person who has never asked anyone’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other volunteers who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. 

What happens to them becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic protagonists refuse to be frightened by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they are committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives. 

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, ‘The Giver of Stars’ is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic—a richly rewarding novel of friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

Registration is free and can be found on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website wia.unl.edu, or by clicking here https://unlcorexmuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2nkp9AXuAe0zY22. The first 25 registrants will receive a complimentary copy of the book mailed to them.

Please note: A small portion of the book contains some explicit and sensitive content. Please be advised that portions of this book may be upsetting. 



2025 Iowa Renewable Fuels Economic Study Highlights Pullback of Biodiesel Production

According to a new economic contribution study released Monday, Iowa’s renewable fuels industry remains a vital driver of the state’s economy. Decision Innovation Solutions (DIS) conducted the study, commissioned by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). The study found: “Despite challenges in the overall fuels market, the Iowa renewable fuels industry continues to be a key part of the Iowa economy.” 

Specifically, biofuels production contributes the following to Iowa: 
    Accounts for nearly $5.4 billion, or about 2%, of Iowa’s GDP 
    Generates $2.4 billion of income for Iowa households; and 
    Supports over 31,000 jobs throughout the entire Iowa economy 

In 2025, Iowa ethanol plants produced 4.6 billion gallons of ethanol and continued to lead the nation in ethanol production. 

In contrast, Iowa biodiesel facilities produced just 266 million gallons, down nearly 25% from 2024. The state’s biodiesel plants have the capacity to produce 400 million gallons per year, underscoring the difficulties facing producers. Iowa previously was home to 11 biodiesel plants, but just eight remain. Specifically, low renewable fuel volume obligations and uncertainty around federal tax credits have been major pain points in biodiesel production nationwide. 

“While ethanol and biodiesel continue to be key contributors to the Iowa economy, declining biodiesel production and plants shutting down showcase the need to extend and expand the Iowa biodiesel production tax credit,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Iowa has the opportunity to provide some stability for biodiesel producers as they navigate the changing federal landscape. Biodiesel provides important demand for Iowa soybeans.

We want these plants not just to survive, but to thrive.” 



Economic Report on U.S. Agriculture Released
 
The U.S. agricultural industry grew by nearly $900 billion over the past year, according to an economic impact study led each year by the Corn Refiners Association and sponsored by three dozen agriculture and food organizations.
 
The 2026 Food and Agriculture Industries Economic Impact Study report shows the American food industry – farmers, ranchers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and indirect businesses such as suppliers and transporters – supported almost 49 million jobs and generated more than $10 trillion in economic activity, accounting for nearly 20% of total U.S. economic output.
 
The 10th annual Feeding the Economy Report includes a state-by-state breakdown of agriculture’s economic impact, showing total jobs, wages, output, taxes, and exports. Key findings include:
    Food and agriculture generated more than $3 trillion in wages for U.S. workers, with wages rising 4% year-over-year and 13% over the past decade
    Food manufacturing remains the largest manufacturing sector in the United States, employing almost 2.3 million workers.
    U.S. food and agriculture exports were more than $177 billion, though exports declined by $5.4 billion year-over-year, underscoring the need for maintaining strong trade agreements and expanding market access for American products.
    The food and agriculture sector produced $1.35 trillion in tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments, a 7% increase year-over-year.

The report confirms “the incredible, positive impacts of agriculture on our country,” said National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys. “America’s 60,000-plus pork producers are proud to help drive this force that provides our food and other agriculture products—and the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves by carrying on a tradition of taking care of their families, neighbors, animals and land, and at heart, a way of living that often has been passed down for generations.”
 
U.S. pork producers annually generate more than $37 billion in personal income, contribute more than $62 billion in GDP, and support more than 573,000 jobs in the U.S. economy.



Dairy Market Report - March 2026

After starting the year in a funk, dairy product prices have noticeably improved even as milk production remains robust, increasing 3.4% in January on a liquid basis.

While the milking herd continues to grow, component growth surprisingly decelerated to start 2026, indicating that producers are responding to strong economic incentives from beef-on-dairy but not pushing for maximum milkfat tests with the fall in butter prices. Despite heavy milk production, dairy product supplies and inventories are not overly burdensome. In fact, nonfat dry milk prices are rising due to limited supply, and butter is finding support due to reported low inventories.

Domestic demand for dairy proteins remains remarkable, as consumers turn to products like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and high protein beverages to support health goals. With vigorous domestic protein demand and growing milkfat exports, signs are indicating that the U.S. is moving back towards balance.

While DMC margins dipped to $7.81/cwt in January, recent commodity price increases should provide a much-needed boost to margins in the coming months.

View the full report here: https://www.nmpf.org/dairy-market-report-march-2026/.  



Beef Market Rollercoaster
David Anderson, Extension Specialist – Livestock and Food Product Marketing
Texas A&M University

The wholesale beef market, as measured by the Choice boxed beef cutout value, has been on a rollercoaster ride over the course of this year, as is often the case. Reduced beef production and the calendar rolling closer to grilling season buying are working together to boost prices.

Weekly beef production has been down anywhere from 5 to over 10 percent compared to the same week last year. Buying kicked over the last few weeks to prepare for grilling season needs. The result has been a weekly average Choice beef cutout that started at $354 per cwt and slowly climbed to $365 then skyrocketed to $402 in the span of 3 weeks. It has backed off about $8 per cwt since then.

All of the primal cuts that make up the cutout have increased in value over the course of the year, except the chuck. The chuck primal has lost about $4 per cwt since the first of the year. A decline in chuck values over the first quarter of the year is not unusual and likely reflects some movement from Winter consumption patterns to Spring and Summer. Weekly average primal ribs and loins have increased about 20 percent since the first of the year. The rib has increased from $472 to $554 per cwt, while the loin has increased from $430 to $530. The brisket primal has exhibited its usual decline from the first of the year through February, when it declined more than $20 per cwt to under $300 per cwt, but has since increased to almost $340 per cwt.

Getting from the primal to the wholesale cut prices indicates a similar magnitude of increase. Wholesale ribeyes have climbed to $13.28 and strip loins to just over $11 per pound. Wholesale boneless beef, whether 50 percent or 90 percent lean, has continued to increase in price throughout the year.

The market is going to continue to contend with less beef production. Rising imports will continue to augment supplies of lean beef for ground beef. While consumer beef demand has been resilient in the face of high and rapidly rising fuel prices, it will pressure consumers' disposable income. The shifting landscape of consumers’ purchases in the coming months will generate more ups and downs on the beef price rollercoaster as the year goes on.