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Hail To Harvest: Nebraska Farmer Faces Lower Yields From Summer Storms
Dry conditions have made for an expedient harvest season for Kurt Bernhardt who farms with his family near Imperial, Nebraska. The Bernhardt family grows corn, soybeans, wheat, pinto beans, and milo.
This harvest, they are observing lower yields across the board as a result of severe hail that h...
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Honeybee farm in Nebraska harvests 6,500 lbs of honey | Fridays in the Field
Bee Bum, a honeybee farm near Beatrice, Nebraska, is expecting to harvest about 6,500 pounds of honey this year.
Owner Kevin Monfelt said commercial honeybee production presents many challenges and opportunities in Nebraska.
Bee Bum operates 300 bee colonies and they're hoping to reach 400 col...
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Nebraska farmer talks next steps after devastating hail | Fridays in the Field
In April, we visited with Dan Kristensen, a farmer near Minden, Nebraska, who was looking forward to a promising growing season.
Fast forward to July, and hail has wiped out thousands of acres of crops. In this week's edition of Fridays in the Field, we catch up with Dan to see how he's coping a...
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Tornados in Nebraska damage crops, destroy farm buildings | Fridays in the Field
The tornado touched down and crossed a quarter of beans before tearing out several adult trees and a shed at a nearby acreage. Miraculously, the house and several other outbuildings on the property remained intact.
On this week’s episode of Fridays in the Field, we travel to northeast Nebraska w...
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Best pastures in three years - Rancher Grateful for Rain | Fridays in the Field
Pastures in central Nebraska are looking the best they have in three years, according to Jordan Popp, a rancher near Broken Bow.
Popp says the rain and days of sunlight has made the ideal conditions for grass growth and allowed them to turn cattle out to pasture without the concerns of previous ...
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Pivots run in the Nebraska Panhandle | Fridays in the Field
Despite much of Nebraska getting drought relief this year, the Panhandle has not received the same moisture.
Consequently, producers are already irrigating before June.
Andy Groskopf grows corn and Great Northern beans near Scottsbluff, most of which is irrigated.
“Right now, there’s a lot of ...
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“The best time to plant a tree is now” | Fridays in the Field
A love for trees and demand knocking on their front door was the start of Luthy’s Tree Farm near Aurora, NE.
Greg Luthy explained the importance of bringing trees to the Midwest and what varieties he provides for his customers.
Unlike some regions in the state, the moisture from continuous ...
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College students lead planting at SCC Beatrice | Fridays in the Field
Field progress at Southeast Community College in Beatrice is up to the students.
As part of SCC's hands-on teaching methods, students like Bret Baltensperger and Drew Niederklein are responsible for planting corn and soybeans for the school's farm in Gage County.
Learn more about the students'...
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Much-needed rain stalls planting across Nebraska | Fridays in the Field
The double-edged sword has struck many producers in Nebraska this year.
With a wet start to the spring, producers are grateful for the rain but the moisture has significantly delayed planting progress across the state.
Jeremy Svitak of Howells, Nebraska, said spring fieldwork got started in Feb...
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Rain brings drought relief for many Nebraska farmers | Rural Radio
Rain has kept optimism high for Butler County farmer Kevin Siffering even with replanting likely in the future.
As he recounts the recent weeks, Siffering reflects on the palpable shift brought by the much-needed rainfall. From the dry, dusty days of spring, where even digging fence post holes...
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Nebraska Flower Farm to Offer Wreath-Making Classes in November | Rural Radio
The holiday season is quickly approaching, which means the popular wreath-making classes offered by West Mill Flowers are now open for registration.
Owner Becca Monroe spends the spring and summer months tending to her cut flowers, but in the fall, she shifts into holiday mode.
She said most re...
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Nebraska Farmer Expects Above-Average Harvest Yields | Fridays in the Field
Timely rains and missed storms are leading Nebraska Panhandle farmer Glenn Miller to be optimistic about this year's harvest yields.
His wheat crop performed above average and he anticipates the same will be true for corn. Miller said it will still be two to three weeks before they'll be harves...
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Hay Season Review: Challenging Weather, but Hay Still in Demand | Rural Radio
In the latest episode of Fridays in the Field, Clay Patton returns to southwest Nebraska to check in with Steve Rice of SR Farms Alfalfa Company in Wilsonville.
Rice discussed the 2023 hay season and shared an update on the third and fourth cuttings of alfalfa. He is hoping to get a fourth cutti...
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Nebraska Farmer Still Weeks Away from Soybean Harvest | Fridays in the Field
Drive across the state and you'll see dozens of combines already cutting soybeans due to this year's dry conditions.
But one farmer in south central Nebraska said he still has two to three weeks before his crop will be ready for harvest.
Don Batie, who farms in Dawson County, said timely rains...
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Extreme Drought Forces Early Harvest for Nebraska Dryland Crops | Rural Radio
Much of eastern Nebraska was in a D3 extreme to D4 exceptional drought the entire 2023 growing season. Consequently, the combines have started rolling much earlier than normal across the area.
Despite a few rains, the dryland corn and soybeans in the region matured very quickly.
The September 5...
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Visiting a Flower Farm in the Fall! | Fridays in the Field | Rural Radio Network
Fall is just around the corner, but for West Mill Flowers, that means it's time to ramp up their fieldwork and prepare for fall planting.
Owner Becca Monroe said this time of year, the flowers are in full bloom and frost is on her mind.
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Nebraska's Gamble: Crop Conditions Vary Statewide | Fridays in the Field
Crop conditions across Nebraska are widely varied this year.
Some areas received ample moisture and ideal growing conditions, while other areas were pummeled by hail and scorched from heat and dryness. In some cases, those two scenarios occurred just miles apart.
Glenn Miller of Miller Farms i...
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Nebraska Farmer Experiments with Nitrogen Application on Corn | Rural Radio Net.
Dawson County has been fortunate to avoid major rain or hail damage, which has allowed for crops to grow in excellent conditions in many areas.
Don Batie, a central Nebraska farmer, has been utilizing Sentinel Fertigation to track his nitrogen levels in each yield zone of various corn fields.
...
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Nebraska Farmer Receives Destructive Storms With Rain | Rural Radio Network
In Polk County, Nebraska hail and green snap took a toll on the corn crop.
Much needed rainfall has allowed corn crops to survive from intense heat waves.
“It was surprising to me how much growth we got. I thought maybe it would be short and tassel out, but it actually got some pretty good hei...
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Long-Awaited Moisture Brings Bountiful Blooms at West Mill Flowers | Rural Radio
In a matter of six weeks, parts of central and eastern Nebraska transitioned from battling severely dry conditions to receiving timely, consistent rainfall.
Becca Monroe, owner of West Mill Flowers near Raymond, said the rainfall allowed her cut flower crop to bloom and flourish for all of her s...
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'It hailed for 48 minutes' Nebraska Farmer Deals with Extreme Storm Damage
Just when he thought he was going to have one of his best years yet, Steve Rice of SR Farms Alfalfa Company in Wilsonville said one storm brought over 9 inches of rain and another brought hail for 48 straight minutes.
“We cut some hay on May 20 trying to build some inventory and 5 days later it ...
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Drought-Stricken Crops Hold on With Spare, Timely Rains in Nebraska
Jeff Baker, a dryland farmer, elaborates on various decisions he has made to keep steady crop production.
“We’ve been dry, we’ve been hot, to this point though it's been alright and things look decent.”
Baker discussed his approach to weed control, especially water hemp. Baker concludes with h...
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Nebraska Farmer Injects "Good" Nematodes via Chemigation | Rural Radio Network
A central Nebraska farmer is conducting various field trials this year, including one trial to study the impact of "good" nematodes on his field's soil.
Don Batie said the "good" insect-eating nematodes eat insect larvae in the soil.
The nematodes were diluted in water and injected through the...
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Irrigation Keeping Crops Alive in Eastern Nebraska | Rural Radio Network
According to the June 15 U.S. Drought Monitor, Eastern Nebraska is in a D4 exceptional drought - the worst rating the monitor gives.
Polk County farmer Randy Smith said this is the earliest he has put out pipe irrigation to keep is corn and soybeans growing. He said he utilizes no-till and ridge...