I know. I know. Corn and soybeans are the way of the future. You don’t want to read about anything else. But, this time of year, I have to mention one of my favorite crops – oats. Yes, you read it correctly. Decades ago where I live, if corn was King, oats came in a close second. Sure, it doesn’t have the traditional significance of wheat. Never considered a major crop, it has wallowed in the large shadows of staple row crops. But, long before soybeans were grown in…

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Last summer, my wife and I were forced to sell off most of our cowherd. Granted, our herd wasn’t anything special. It wasn’t very large by most Sandhills ranch standards. However, we had spent much of our married lives working to improve our genetics, disposition standards and health of the cows and their potential offspring. It was a labor of love, and many of those cows were very important to us personally, and financially. Because of my attachment to the herd, and because…

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I attended a weed resistance workshop in Norfolk last week, moderated by University of Nebraska Extension integrated weed management specialist, Stevan Knezevic. During the course of the meeting, UNL researchers painted the true picture of weed resistance issues that are going to plague farmers down the road, and they discussed ways to mitigate the speed with which these problems will occur, as well as strategies for beating up on the toughest of the resistant weeds. Everyone in the room…

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Farmers and ranchers spend millions of dollars each year trying to get rid of those pesky weeds. In the old days, farmers plowed, burned, chopped and dug out every weed they could from their fields and pastures. I personally have spent thousands of hours in the seat of a tractor pulling a cultivator, or walking miles upon miles of soybean rows, carrying a corn knife to chop velvet leaf by hand. Farmers have been known to chop a cocklebur plant from a corn field, take it to the field edge and…

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I sat in on an estate planning session by  University of Nebraska Extension educator, Tim Lemmons, at the Crop Production Clinic in Norfolk recently, and learned a few things from Lemmons’ talk. I think many farmers would do well to heed Tim’s advice when it comes to planning the transfer of their assets, in the event that they pass away. How many families go to war with each other because of farm land and assets? These heartbreaking battles can fracture families, ruin…

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Drought continues to worry most producers in the Western Corn Belt. While the folks to the east of us have received some welcome fall precipitation, our rain gauge has been idle, except for a few light showers. That concerns almost everyone in our area. Yet, planning for profit in the midst of these challenges could set producers up for a very happy 2013. There are a few indicators that give us reason for some optimism. If you look at fuel prices trending significantly lower these days…

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Two years ago this fall, when I was visiting Kreycik Elk and Buffalo Ranch, conducting an interview for Nebraska Farmer on agritourism and how to secure insurance for such ventures, it was one of the most beautiful days I’ve seen in Nebraska. Their ranch is truly one of the great spots in the state. For those of you who have never visited Kreycik’s ranch, it is situated west and south of Niobrara, adjacent to the Niobrara River. In the mid-1980s, Kenard Kreycik and his wife…

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Everyone at Husker Harvest Days has drought on their minds, but that’s just another reason you don’t want to miss the 35th annual show at Grand Island. Two days into the show, and we’ve had a little wind, a very hot day and a much more comfortable day. Day 3 looks to be very nice. Weather hasn’t dampened the spirits of the crowds, nor has it squelched the quest producers are on to find new ways to meet and beat the drought. Even Governor Dave Heineman stopped by the…

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This upcoming week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, September 11, 12 and 13, marks the 35th annual Husker Harvest Days at Grand Island. And once again, Husker Harvest Days is teaming up with Monsanto to help stamp out hunger. One in six rural residents struggle with hunger. Farmers and ranchers attending the big farm show this week are encouraged to bring cans of food and other non-perishable food items to the show to help out. There will be a drop-off location at each gate, so it is quick and…

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Reading through the April 27 U.S. Department of Labor press release announcing withdrawal of a proposal that would have excluded young farmworkers from tasks deemed by DOL as dangerous, I couldn’t help but think of the days I walked soybean fields as a youngster with my parents. I hated those soybean fields, pulling weeds as a young boy, and chopping them with corn knives as a teenager. But, like so many farm kids, I learned more from those mundane, hot and humid days in the soybean…

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