Ag-Life

Certified Agronomist Orvin Bontrager of Aurora (above) has more than 45 years of experience helping farmers grow crops. At right is a photo he took last year of what he calls a moderate infection of tar spot on a corn leaf. He said when it gets to this stage it is almost too late to apply fungicide.

Certified Agronomist Orvin Bontrager of Aurora (above) has more than 45 years of experience helping farmers grow crops. At right is a photo he took last year of what he calls a moderate infection of tar spot on a corn leaf. He said when it gets to this stage it is almost too late to apply fungicide.

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Local agronomist talks new hybrids, pest & disease trends

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
It’s no secret that the development of hybrid seed varieties in the 1930s has played a huge part in the explosion of crop yields over the past century. A graph of U.S.
Hamilton County stock grower Fred Heuermann checks the cattle at his feed lot near Phillips. Heuermann will be presented with an award from the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen at their annual banquet on Jan. 28 at York.

Hamilton County stock grower Fred Heuermann checks the cattle at his feed lot near Phillips. Heuermann will be presented with an award from the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen at their annual banquet on Jan. 28 at York.

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Heuermann carries on family livestock tradition

Ron Burtz
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
As a member of the fourth generation of a Hamilton County farm family which has been raising crops and livestock here for more than 130 years, Phillips area cattleman Fred Heuermann says he is honored to have been chosen by the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen as one of their two awardees this year.
Kyle Moss, director of integration and testing for Lincoln-based ALA Engineering, stands in front of the company’s prototype autonomous cattle feeding truck on display at the Nebraska Ag Expo in early December. Moss works out of the Scottsbluff location of the company where he oversees product integration and testing.

Kyle Moss, director of integration and testing for Lincoln-based ALA Engineering, stands in front of the company’s prototype autonomous cattle feeding truck on display at the Nebraska Ag Expo in early December. Moss works out of the Scottsbluff location of the company where he oversees product integration and testing.

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NE company developing autonomous cattle feed truck

Ron Burtz
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
When Aurora’s own Grain Weevil grain bin robot was competing to win the $5,000 first prize in the Startup Showcase at the Nebraska Ag Expo in Lincoln last month, it had some competition from another ag innovation also based in Nebraska.
A couple of generations ago farmers used to brag about having corn that was “knee-high by the 4th,” meaning by the 4th of July. However, with modern hybrids and farming techniques it’s often possible to have corn that is that high by the 4th of June, as evidenced by the photo taken along Highway 14 south of Marquette June 4. In the foreground the field also shows evidence of the washing of heavy rains that hit the area.

A couple of generations ago farmers used to brag about having corn that was “knee-high by the 4th,” meaning by the 4th of July. However, with modern hybrids and farming techniques it’s often possible to have corn that is that high by the 4th of June, as evidenced by the photo taken along Highway 14 south of Marquette June 4. In the foreground the field also shows evidence of the washing of heavy rains that hit the area.

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2024: A look back at the year in local agriculture

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Looking back on ANR’s Ag Life pages over the year now past, it was this area’s dramatic recovery from the drought of 2022-23 that garnered many of the headlines in 2024.
Nate Goertzen harvests white corn on his farm near Hampton in October. Earlier in the month he hosted a trade mission of corn buyers from Mexico.

Nate Goertzen harvests white corn on his farm near Hampton in October. Earlier in the month he hosted a trade mission of corn buyers from Mexico.

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Corn growers win dispute with Mexico over GM corn ban

Ron Burtz
Monday, December 30, 2024
In a decisive win for U.S. corn growers, a dispute panel ruled Dec. 20 that Mexico violated its commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) when it issued a decree that banned genetically modified (GM) corn imports in early 2020.
USDA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

USDA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

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Is the stage set for monumental change in ag policy?

News Staff
Monday, December 23, 2024
by Bradley Lubben, UNL    The November elections set the stage for some significant changes in Washington, D.C., in 2025, and those potential changes include agricultural policy.
Grain Weevil inventor Ben Johnson stands next to the robot and accessories that will be available for pre-order to farmers beginning Jan. 1.

Grain Weevil inventor Ben Johnson stands next to the robot and accessories that will be available for pre-order to farmers beginning Jan. 1.

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Grain Weevil wins NE Ag Expo Startup Showcase

Ron Burtz
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
The awards continue to pile up for Grain Weevil. The robotic grain bin tool invented right here in Hamilton County was the winner of the Startup Showcase at the Innovation Hub at the Nebraska Ag Expo in Lincoln last week.
By budgeting family living expenses into the cost of production, farm and ranch families can answer a fundamental question: Can the farm or ranch not only sustain itself but also support the family living on it?

By budgeting family living expenses into the cost of production, farm and ranch families can answer a fundamental question: Can the farm or ranch not only sustain itself but also support the family living on it?

Tips for budgeting family living into cost of production

News Staff
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
In farming or ranching, budgeting is more than just managing costs for seeds, feed, equipment, or labor. For farm and ranch families, the unique structure of finances often means family living expenses are often interwoven with the business.
As the cash poor winter months are coming on UNL’s Center for Agricultural Profitability is urging producers to use caution when using operating loans and lines of credit.

As the cash poor winter months are coming on UNL’s Center for Agricultural Profitability is urging producers to use caution when using operating loans and lines of credit.

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CAP urges careful use of operating loans at year end

Ron Burtz
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
As 2024 draws to a close, many ag producers rely on operating loans, or lines of credit, to finance essential expenses when cash flow is tight.
Hamilton County corn grower Nate Goertzen (left) talks with members of a Mexican trade mission group that visited his farm in October. The members of the team are wearing boot covers to avoid the risk of transporting contaminants from one country to another.

Hamilton County corn grower Nate Goertzen (left) talks with members of a Mexican trade mission group that visited his farm in October. The members of the team are wearing boot covers to avoid the risk of transporting contaminants from one country to another.

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Goertzen hosts trade mission group from Mexico

Ron Burtz
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Corn grower Nate Goertzen recently had the opportunity for a cross-cultural experience with a group of non-English speaking Mexican corn buyers and never even had to leave his southeast Hamilton County farm.