Ag-Life

Laura Nagengast, Source Water Protection Educator with Nebraska Extension, was a special guest speaker at the annual joint gathering/Extension board training session between Hamilton and Merrick counties.

Laura Nagengast, Source Water Protection Educator with Nebraska Extension, was a special guest speaker at the annual joint gathering/Extension board training session between Hamilton and Merrick counties.

Extension board gathering talks water quality

Water quality issues in the area and across the state are a topic of major concern for most in the know.
Dr. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer with Elanco Animal Health, presented a unique perspective on the topic of beef cattle and a sustainable food system in a September 2020 webinar through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. 

Dr. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer with Elanco Animal Health, presented a unique perspective on the topic of beef cattle and a sustainable food system in a September 2020 webinar through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. 

Beef cattle and sustainability: fact vs. myth

Dr. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer with Elanco Animal Health, presented a unique perspective on the topic of beef cattle and a sustainable food system in a September 2020 webinar through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
Beef cattle are a critical part of a sustainable food system. That is the argument of Dr. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer with Elanco Animal Health. 

Beef cattle are a critical part of a sustainable food system. That is the argument of Dr. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer with Elanco Animal Health. 

Beef cattle: A critical part of sustainable food systems

Beef cattle are a critical part of a sustainable food system. That is the argument of Dr. Sara Place, chief sustainability officer with Elanco Animal Health.
An issue that started formulating in 2020 has risen to the attention of the agriculture world in the United States yet again.

An issue that started formulating in 2020 has risen to the attention of the agriculture world in the United States yet again.

Potential Mexico GM-corn ban cause for concern

An issue that started formulating in 2020 has risen to the attention of the agriculture world in the United States yet again. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has issued a decree to ban the imports of genetically modified corn for human consumption in Mexico by January of 2024.
Hampton students and ag teacher Joel Miller look on as the newest member of the Hawk Herd, Casper, walks near its mama in the pens behind the school.

Hampton students and ag teacher Joel Miller look on as the newest member of the Hawk Herd, Casper, walks near its mama in the pens behind the school.

Hawk Herd program continues to expand

Hampton’s Hawk Beef program is moving right along, growing and continuing to feed students within the district, all while teaching others valuable lessons about life and livestock care. As the late fall and early winter months crept into Hamilton County, a new life was welcomed in the herd.
The idea of cold and snow is often off-putting to almost everyone. However, in the agriculture realm, a good layer of snow, or even a freeze, can be beneficial.

The idea of cold and snow is often off-putting to almost everyone. However, in the agriculture realm, a good layer of snow, or even a freeze, can be beneficial.

The sunny side of snow in winter

The idea of cold and snow is often off-putting to almost everyone. However, in the agriculture realm, a good layer of snow, or even a freeze, can be beneficial. “(With) snow, it depends on how light and fully it is, or how heavy it is,” reported Steve Melvin, Nebraska Extension educator.
Hamilton County is home to prime agricultural ground -- it’s a fact -- and now there are growing figures to back it up.

Hamilton County is home to prime agricultural ground -- it’s a fact -- and now there are growing figures to back it up.

Ag land values trending upward in Hamilton Co.

Hamilton County is home to prime agricultural ground -- it’s a fact -- and now there are growing figures to back it up. To be more specific, ag land values have increased over the last 18 months, according to experts in the field.
According to Nebraska Game and Parks, 97 percent of the land in Nebraska is privately owned. 

According to Nebraska Game and Parks, 97 percent of the land in Nebraska is privately owned. 

Webinar helps landowners with hunting rights

According to Nebraska Game and Parks, 97 percent of the land in Nebraska is privately owned.  So what does that mean for hunting season and those who partake in it? This was the topic of the Nov. 3 webinar hosted by UNL’s Center for Agricultural Profitability.
Aurora Cooperative employee Les Regier unloads soybeans at the Marquette branch bin site. This photo was originally published in 1972.

Aurora Cooperative employee Les Regier unloads soybeans at the Marquette branch bin site. This photo was originally published in 1972.

A look back at local harvest, 1962

Hamilton County is an agriculture hub and harvest season has been a large part of the area’s history since its incorporation.
Field work is wrapping up in Hamilton County and farmers are getting in the last bits of harvest, as shown here in a field near Highway 14. With the dry conditions effecting the soil, some farmers report a slow-down in field work after harvest.

Field work is wrapping up in Hamilton County and farmers are getting in the last bits of harvest, as shown here in a field near Highway 14. With the dry conditions effecting the soil, some farmers report a slow-down in field work after harvest.

Harvest season ends a challenging, rewarding year

In what has been a topsy-turvey year for local weather and inflation, farmers in Hamilton County report that with the crops now in from harvest the year has had its rewards despite the turbulent conditions of 2022.