Ag-Life

Morgan Bonifas displays the Nursery Operations Agricultural Proficiency Award she was presented at the Nebraska State FFA Convention earlier this month. She received the award for her high school summer job at Wild Roots Greenhouse in Central City.

Morgan Bonifas displays the Nursery Operations Agricultural Proficiency Award she was presented at the Nebraska State FFA Convention earlier this month. She received the award for her high school summer job at Wild Roots Greenhouse in Central City.

Business is blooming for Morgan’s Mums & More

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
What started partly as a way to beat the boredom of the COVID lockdowns of 2020 has grown into a full-bloomed business for Aurora’s Morgan Bonifas, one that she has dreams of turning into a full-service greenhouse some day.
A graph provided by Upper Big Blue NRD

A graph provided by Upper Big Blue NRD

UBB irrigation water usage drops sharply in 2024

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Recent figures on 2024 water pumping for irrigation confirm what we already knew about the major difference for farmers between last year and the previous year – last year was considerably wetter, which meant water usage for irrigation was way down.
Two friends of David Meyer pose on Nebraska farm land to illustrate the impact of erosion and topsoil loss over many years. “These two fields were once the same level across the field fence; it is a striking difference,” Meyer said. The man on the right stands on unplowed prairie while the man on the right stands on land that has been in pasture for the last 20 years, but previous to that had been row cropped.

Two friends of David Meyer pose on Nebraska farm land to illustrate the impact of erosion and topsoil loss over many years. “These two fields were once the same level across the field fence; it is a striking difference,” Meyer said. The man on the right stands on unplowed prairie while the man on the right stands on land that has been in pasture for the last 20 years, but previous to that had been row cropped.

NE Soil Health Coalition seeks to rebuild state’s topsoil

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Retired plant scientist and former Aurora resident Dr. David Meyer recently wrote an article as part of his work with the fledgling Nebraska Soil Health Coalition in which he told how he reminisces to his grandchildren about the Northeast Nebraska farm where he grew up in the 1960s.
Nebraska LEAD Class 42 Fellows celebrate their graduation after completing the two-year leadership development program. With their completion, the Nebraska LEAD Program now boasts more than 1,200 alumni dedicated to strengthening Nebraska’s agricultural industry and rural communities. One of the members of Class 42 is Matt Oswald of Aurora (back row center).

Nebraska LEAD Class 42 Fellows celebrate their graduation after completing the two-year leadership development program. With their completion, the Nebraska LEAD Program now boasts more than 1,200 alumni dedicated to strengthening Nebraska’s agricultural industry and rural communities. One of the members of Class 42 is Matt Oswald of Aurora (back row center).

Oswald: Nebraska LEAD program is ‘100% worth it’

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
“It’s a little bit of a time commitment, but it’s 100 percent worth it; it’s good!”That’s how Aurora agronomist Matt Oswald sums up the last two years he spent as a member of UNL’s Nebraska LEAD program.
The new corn cleaning plant built by CVA along Highway 34 in Hampton is nearly complete and will soon be up to full capacity, cleaning up to 1,500 bushels of corn per hour.

The new corn cleaning plant built by CVA along Highway 34 in Hampton is nearly complete and will soon be up to full capacity, cleaning up to 1,500 bushels of corn per hour.

Hampton CVA corn cleaning plant nears full capacity

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
More than 15 months after breaking ground along Highway 34 in Hampton, the new CVA corn cleaning plant is officially up and running.
This corn leaf shows the effects of a tar spot fungal infection. The disease first appeared in corn fields in states east of here in 2015 and had spread to Nebraska by 2021. (Photo credit Tamra Jackson-Ziems)

This corn leaf shows the effects of a tar spot fungal infection. The disease first appeared in corn fields in states east of here in 2015 and had spread to Nebraska by 2021. (Photo credit Tamra Jackson-Ziems)

UNL prof presents the bad, good news on tar spot

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
It looks like the fungal infection known as tar spot is here to stay in Nebraska corn fields, but fortunately there are ways to mitigate the impact on corn yields. Concerned area corn growers were eager to learn more about the fungus and the ways to deal with it.
New U.S. tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada are expected to erode the export competitiveness of Nebraska’s ag sector and decrease its access to export markets due to trading partners’ retaliation, according to a new Yeutter Institute analysis. (Photo credit, Craig Chandler/University Communication and Marketing)

New U.S. tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada are expected to erode the export competitiveness of Nebraska’s ag sector and decrease its access to export markets due to trading partners’ retaliation, according to a new Yeutter Institute analysis. (Photo credit, Craig Chandler/University Communication and Marketing)

Yeutter Inst. explains trade impacts on NE ag producers

News Staff
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
As international trade issues receive growing attention, it is important for Nebraskans to understand the ramifications for the state’s ag sector and overall economy. The Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance is uniquely positioned to meet that need.
Spending cuts recommended by the new DOGE most likely will affect some federal ag programs, but it still is unclear what role DOGE will play in the coming farm bill discussions.

Spending cuts recommended by the new DOGE most likely will affect some federal ag programs, but it still is unclear what role DOGE will play in the coming farm bill discussions.

Will recommendations from DOGE affect farmers, ranchers?

News Staff
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
As President Donald Trump has begun his new term in the White House, he has been assembling a slate of Cabinet members and agency leaders to help enact his agenda and priorities for the months and years ahead.Included in those ranks is a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Timpte Trailers President and CEO Tim Carpenter, right, talks to members of the Hamilton County Corn Growers who attended a factory tour Thursday at the company’s David City plant where dry bulk semitrailers are built.

Timpte Trailers President and CEO Tim Carpenter, right, talks to members of the Hamilton County Corn Growers who attended a factory tour Thursday at the company’s David City plant where dry bulk semitrailers are built.

Corn Growers tour David City Timpte trailer plant

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
A group of local farmers got to see where some of their favorite semi truck grain trailers come from on Thursday, when the Hamilton County Corn Growers took a tour of the Timpte trailer plant in David City.
Ag economist Brian Burke of John Stewart and Associates told a crowd at the Aurora Cooperative annual meeting last Wednesday that he is expecting much volatility in commodities markets this year, with much of that upheaval being due to the change in presidential administrations and the policy changes that will accompany that.

Ag economist Brian Burke of John Stewart and Associates told a crowd at the Aurora Cooperative annual meeting last Wednesday that he is expecting much volatility in commodities markets this year, with much of that upheaval being due to the change in presidential administrations and the policy changes that will accompany that.

Burke projects a volatile commodity market this year

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
“Volatility” was the word of the day in market analyst Brian Burke’s afternoon presentation to the annual meeting of the Aurora Cooperative in Grand Island on Wednesday. In his hour-long talk, the president and CEO of John Stewart and Associates in St. Louis, Mo.