GAGE COUNTY EXTENSION NEWSLETTER

August 2023

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In this Issue

Horticulture - Nicole Stoner

Environmental Stress

Fall Gardens

Yard & Garden

4-H & Youth Development - Jacie Milius

Important State Fair Dates

4-H Career Portfolio- Due in October

Water & Cropping Systems - Nathan Mueller

2023 Cash Rent Rates and 2022 Custom Farm Rates

Soybean leaf defoliation by insects

Upcoming Southeast NE Alfalfa and Wheat Expo in Crete on Aug. 24

Horticulture with Nicole

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Environmental Stress

Gardening is so much fun and so rewarding. But when the plants do not develop properly it is a major letdown for us gardeners. We all work so hard to get that harvest from the garden and when it doesn't grow well it is frustrating. There are a lot of insect and disease problems that affect our garden plants, but a lot of the damage comes from the environment as well. Continue Reading.

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Fall Gardens

Gardening is so rewarding and so much fun, why not extend it into the fall. Now is a great time to start planting a fall garden. Continue Reading.

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Yard & Garden Live

Yard & Garden Live season is over. However, it will be returning in the fall for two episodes. September 8th & 15th yard and garden will return. This is a call-in radio show I do on KUTT 99.5 FM from 10-11:30 am. It can also be found on kutt995.com for online listening. If you missed a show or just want to read through the questions, I have written them all in my blog and will continue to do so throughout the season. Continue Reading.

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4-H & Youth Development with Jacie

Important State Fair Dates:

Nebraska State Fair August 25th- September 4th

4-H & FFA Livestock Deadline: Aug. 10th at 8 p.m.- Click here to sign up
4-H In-person events deadline (contents, fashion show, robotics showcase, presentations): Aug. 10th at 8 p.m.- sign up here
FFA Static Exhibit Deadline: Aug. 21st at 8 p.m.
FFA Showmanship (Livestock): Must register for showmanship
4-H Showmanship (Livestock): Automatically entered into showmanship for their species (except dog exhibitors)
4-H Static Exhibits: must be in at the Extension Office by 12 p.m., Tuesday, August 22nd

Here is a link with more general rules & information

Any questions call Gage County Extension Office at 402-223-1384

Water & Cropping Systems with Nathan

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2023 Cash Rent Rates and 2022 Custom Farm Rates

Nebraska Extension publishes survey results on farm custom rates every two years and annually for cash rent rates and real estate values. Jim Jansen, Extension Educator for Agricultural Economics, leads the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Report effort, and Glennis McClure, Farm, and Ranch Management Analyst Extension Educator, leads the Nebraska Farm Custom Rates Report effort. These are two highly sought publications because they provide farmers and landowners baseline information to help facilitate discussions and make decisions around land sales, cash rent, and custom farm operation rates. Continue reading.

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Soybean leaf defoliation by insects

It is that time of the year when Japanese beetles, grasshoppers, or various caterpillars consume the soybean leaf canopy. It is very easy to overestimate the amount of defoliation that has occurred, and many do not like walking and scouting soybeans this time of the year. We should tolerate some low level of defoliation simply because there is a low probability of return to the application and insecticide cost. For all these reasons, we need to know the economic thresholds and scouting guidelines along with training our eyes or using scouting apps to help us determine the current level of defoliation in a soybean field. Continue reading.