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Clay County News
Serving Clay County’s Agriculture Community
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
‘A New Sedan’
‘Critical’ Facility Rebuilt and
Ready Following July 2013 Explosion
CCN Story by Kris Moody
As a result of the explosion that heavily damaged
the Aurora Cooperative’s
grain elevator at Sedan on
July 5 of last year, the 2013
harvest season was a challenge for the location that
serves much of southern
Clay County.
A rebuild was not possible
in that time frame, so the
Sedan elevator operated as it
could for the time being.
“We ran in a crippled state
last year,” explained Chad
Carlson, Vice President of
Grain for Aurora Cooperative.
The site was able to run for
last year’s harvest, but was
severely scaled back.
“We lost capacity and we
lost steam,” Carlson said.
One year later, though, the
facility is operating better
than ever.
“We were on two crutches
With harvest in full swing, Sedan’s ability to take in grain this
season has nearly tripled since the July 2013 explosion. The
facility now has a storage capacity of one-million bushels. -CCN
Photo by Tory Duncan
and now we’re getting off
and walking on our own and
getting ready to run,” Carlson noted.
The new facility, now with
a million bushel capacity,
features three concrete jump
form tanks that almost triple
the previous storage capacity of 350,000 bushels.
It’s
faster, more efficient and can
handle much more grain.
“We’ve built a great facility
that’s really fast for producers,” Carlson said. “They’re
not spending much time in
line. They get dumped and
they’re back on the road,
which is very important to
our farm owners.”
The explosion that necessitated the rebuild and injured
two people was determined
to be accidental. It is a hazard of the industry, and such
incidents are all but impossible to completely eradicate.
But Aurora Cooperative
used the rebuild as an opportunity to install state-of-theart safety features, taking the
best available measures to
mitigate future danger.
See SEDAN, Page 2
Aurora Cooperative’s Sedan facility is in full swing for the 2014 harvest. This view shows the
rebuilt area of the grain handling facility looking south. -CCN Photo by Tory Duncan
Amber Illingworth, pictured atop her combine, is heavily
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-CCN Photo by Melissa Whitefoot
Illingworth, Shuck Deeply
Involved In Farming Operations
CCN Story by Melissa Whitefoot
According to a 2007 U.S.
Census of Agriculture, almost half of farmland in
the country is owned or coowned by women. In 2012,
that number dropped by 1.6
percent. Women make up 14
percent of principal operators, but 30 percent of all operators. Amber Illingworth is
just one of those women.
Illingworth is originally
from Missouri, where her
family raised hay and corn to
feed their cattle, and attended the University of Central
Missouri, intent on getting
a degree in criminal justice
and going to work for the
Missouri State Patrol. Then,
just two weeks before her
second year of college, she
switched to an Ag major.
She soon moved to Nebraska to do an internship
at the U.S. Meat and Animal
Research Center, working
with the cow/calf operation.
Illingworth began working at
the elevator in Fairfield and
met her future husband, Rex.
She is involved in every
aspect of farming. Besides
corn and beans, Amber also
raises cattle.
She is awake at 5:30 every
morning to get chores done.
At 6:50, she leaves home to
drive a school bus route for
Sandy Creek Public Schools,
then goes out in the combine while her sons, Kolt and
Kody, are in school.
When Kody gets home, she
says he is always surprised
at how much she’s gotten
done.
Kody will then hop in the
truck and haul the crop to the
elevator, a job Amber would
rather not do. While she likes
the long hours of driving the
combine and calls it relaxing,
she hates waiting in line at
the elevator, so Kody takes
on that job.
The one thing that Amber
doesn’t have too much experience with is planting, that
was always something Rex
just did.
Sadly, Rex passed away in
June, so next spring, that job
will be up to Amber.
SHUCK IS ALSO AN
IMPORTANT PART OF
HER FAMILY BUSINESS
Rita Shuck is another
woman that is an important
part of her family’s farming
operation. She and her husband, Greg, along with his
brother, Brad, and his wife,
Pam, all farm together and
share equipment.
During
harvest,
when
they’re working one of
Greg’s fields, Rita will drive
the grain wagon, while Greg
runs the combine and Brad
drives the semi into the elevator.
See WOMEN, Page 2
2 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Wolfe Insurance, Inc.
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Bruce R. Wolfe
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402.726.2512
402.762.5244
402.726.2126 (fax)
2014 Harvest Special
Clay County News
SEDAN/‘Critical’ Facility Rebuilt and Ready
FROM PAGE 1
The legs were installed on
the outside of the elevator,
not enclosed like the old
complex, one of the biggest
safety features added. Moisture and temperature sensors were also built into the
system to monitor levels.
A dust collection system
will provide additional safety
for the facility.
The improvements have
Carlson “very confident” in
the safety of the Sedan elevator.
In its maiden harvest, the
structure is impressive. Sedan has been turning trains
in and out at great speed and
anticipates loading more rail
cars than in the past.
It may be the same loca-
tion, but the operation is far
from what it used to be.
“It’s a new Sedan,” Carlson
said.
INVESTING IN A
‘CRITICAL’ FACILITY
Although the explosion
damaged the Sedan elevator,
its role as a viable part of
Aurora Cooperatives’s operation was never in jeopardy.
Sitting on the Union Pacific
Class I railroad, the Sedan
location is an asset to the
company. Carlson said that
UP is performing much better with handling grain than
the Burlington-NorthernSanta-Fe system, and that
the volume of grain flowing
through the rail system is
“extremely high”.
Additionally, Aurora
Cooperative decided not to
rebuild the Edgar location,
after the 2013 Mother’s Day
tornado caused extensive
damage to the property.
Its proximity to Sedan was
part of the reason, making
Sedan that much more important to producers around
that area.
“Sedan is absolutely critical,” Carlson said.
With what appears to be a
strong crop this year, Sedan
is excited to put its new
system to the test and serve
Nebraska’s farmers, especially those in Clay County.
Aurora Cooperative is
also eager to prove just how
ready the location is, 15
months removed from the
explosion.
“If anybody had any doubt
that we couldn’t get rebuilt,
come on by and we’ll show
you,” Carlson said.
WOMEN/Illingworth, Shuck
FROM PAGE 1
Shuck admits she doesn’t
have much of a farming background. Her dad and grandfather farmed a small bit of
land, but it wasn’t a big operation. Now, Rita says the
hardest thing about harvest
is that she only does it once
a year. It’s hard to remember
how everything works, so she
has a “cheat sheet” and the
buttons on the equipment
she runs are well marked by
what their function is.
Working with men can be
intimidating for a novice
woman farmer. Rita says she
tends to drive too slow or is
a little too cautious. Having someone watch over her
shoulder can make her a little
nervous. Rita recalls a time
when they had a professional driver hauling corn in for
them. He was standing there
watching her every move and
she forgot to fill the front
hopper. The men still give
her a hard time about that.
Man or woman, experienced or amateur, farming is
a hard job, especially around
harvest time.
Clay County News
2014 Harvest Special
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 3
Wishing You a SAFE & Successful
2014 Harvest!
FRIESEN
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Aurora
Keep Farm Safety your #1 priority
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Harvest in Full Swing
(+LJKZD\6XWWRQ
402.773.5538
(PDLO
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Harvest throughout the grain belt and Clay County, in particular, has been in full gear for
several weeks. Here, prior to Harvard High School’s Homecoming football game, an area
SURGXFHUKDUYHVWVVR\EHDQVLQDÀHOGMXVWHDVWRI+DUYDUG+LJK6FKRRO$FFRUGLQJWR&OD\
County-UNL Extension Educator Jenny Rees, harvest is looking really good, outside of a wind
and hail storm that hit areas north of Clay Center through Harvard in early October. Rees
stated that corn is still waiting in the wings for the most part, with only a handful of acres
having been harvested. -CCN Photo by Tory Duncan
FARMING:
Family Farms...
Keep them strong,
Keep them growing,
Keep them SAFE!
A Fruitful Enterprise
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Our area farmers make it all come together. To the
hard-working men and women in agriculture, thanks
for bringing such an abundance of delicious,
wholesome foods to the table
Brown’s Thrift Store
We wish all of our customers and
local farmers a SAFE &
prosperous harvest!
George Brothers Propane & Fertilizer
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4 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014
2014 Harvest Special
Clay County News
Harvesting, Drying, Storing Late-Maturing, High-Moisture Corn
Producers in the High Plains
region could be dealing with
late-maturing, high-moisture
corn this fall.
That means they have some
decisions to make, according
to Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension
Service agricultural engineer
a n d pr o f e sso r in N DS U’ s
Agricultural and Biosystems
Engineering Department.
Corn reaching maturity
about Oct. 1 normally will
dry slowly in the field due to
cooler ambient temperatures.
Standing corn in the field may
dry about 1.5 to 3 percentage points per week during
October and 1 to 1.5 percentage points per week or less
during November, assuming
normal High Plains weather
conditions.
Corn has a moisture content of about 32% when it
reaches maturity. If it has
a moisture content of 32%
on Oct. 1, it may dry to only
about 22% moisture by Nov. 1,
assuming normal High Plains
climatic conditions. Field drying normally is more economical until mid-October, and
mechanical high-temperature
drying normally is more economical after that.
“Assure cornstalks and
shanks are strong if considering leaving very highmoisture corn in the field,”
Hellevang advises. “Field
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losses can range from minor
to severe. Compare the cost of
drying versus losses associated with leaving the corn in
the field.”
To estimate the propane
cost per bushel per point of
moisture removed, multiply
the propane price per gallon
by 0.02. For example, the cost
to remove 10 points of moisture using $2 propane is 40
cents. Dividing the propane
cost by the corn price provides the %age of corn losses
that will equal the drying cost
(40 cents divided by $3 equals
13%). Also, verify the impact
on insurance of leaving the
corn in the field.
Storage in a poly bag is a
good storage option, but it
does not prevent mold growth
or insect infestations. Grain
should be dry when placed
in a grain bag. Storing highermoisture corn in a bag should
be considered very short-term
storage and done only at
near-freezing temperatures.
At moisture contents exceeding about 25%, ensiling may
occur at temperatures above
freezing and prevent the corn
from being dried and sold in
the general market.
When storing in bags, select an elevated, well-drained
location with the surface
prepared to prevent the bags
from being punctured, and
run the bags north and south
so solar heating is similar on
both sides of the bags. Wildlife can puncture the bags,
creating an entrance for moisture and releasing the grain
smell, which attracts more
wildlife. Monitor the grain
temperature at several locations in the bags and repair
punctured bags.
See HARVESTING, Page 5
Clay County News
2014 Harvest Special
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 5
HARVESTING/Drying/Storing
FROM PAGE 4
“Corn above 21% moisture
should not be dried using
natural-air and low-temperature drying to minimize
corn spoilage during drying,”
Hellevang says. “Because the
drying capacity is extremely
poor at temperatures below
35 to 40 degrees, little drying
typically is possible using a
natural-air system after about
Nov. 1. Adding heat does not
permit drying wetter corn and
only slightly increases drying
speed. The primary effect of
adding heat is to reduce the
final corn moisture content.”
When outdoor temperatures
average near or below freezing, cool the corn to 20 to 25
degrees for winter storage and
finish drying in April to early
May. Limit the corn depth to
about 20 to 22 feet to obtain
an airflow rate of 1 to 1.25
cubic feet per minute per
bushel, which is necessary to
dry the corn before deterioration occurs. Turn fans off during extended periods of rain,
snow or fog to minimize the
amount of moisture the fans
pull into the bin.
Using the maximum dry-
ing temperature that will not
damage the corn increases the
dryer capacity and reduces
energy consumption of a hightemperature dryer. Removing
a pound of water requires
about 20% less energy at a drying air temperature of 200°F
than at 150°F. Follow the dryer
manufacturer’s recommendations, but generally recommended plenum temperatures
when drying corn are 210”F
to 230°F.
“Be aware that excessively
high drying temperatures
may result in a lower final
test weight and increased
breakage susceptibility,” Hellevang says. “In addition, as
the drying time increases,
high-moisture corn becomes
more susceptible to browning. A cross-flow dryer that
moves corn from the inside
to the outside of the drying
column, varies the corn flow
rate across the drying column
or varies the corn’s exposure
to the drying air is more likely
to maintain corn quality.”
Removing debris that accumulates on or in a dryer
is more critical when outside
air temperatures are cold
because condensation can
develop on the dryer, creating
a wet surface on which debris
can collect. The debris may
reduce airflow through the
dryer, decreasing the dryer’s
capacity and creating a fire
hazard.
More mechanical damage
occurs when harvesting highmoisture corn, which affects
the storage life of the corn.
Dry low-test-weight corn and
corn with more damaged
kernels to a percentage point
lower in moisture content
than normal. Cooling the
grain in storage to about 20
to 25 degrees for winter storage in northern corn-growing
regions and near freezing
in warmer regions is more
important for damaged corn
than for mature, sound corn.
Check immature and damaged
grain more frequently and do
not put immature or damaged
corn in long-term storage.
“Also remember that working with high-moisture corn
can be hazardous,” Hellevang
cautions. “Become informed
of the hazards and recommended safety practices. Do
not become a fatality.”
CCN wishes all grain producers a
Safe and Prosperous harvest!
Wehnes Brothers
Seed
Zeb Wehnes: (402) 984-8520
Jason Wehnes: (402) 469-7871
- Harvard, NE -
FARM FACT
‡ Farmers and ranchers receive
only 16 cents out of every
dollar spent on food at home
and away from home. The
rest goes for costs beyond the
farm gate: wages and materials for production, processing,
marketing, transportation and
distribution. In 1980, farmers
and ranchers received 31 cents.
Shuck Engineering Co.
402-224-5365
Edgar
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Jim Jones
Jimmy Jones
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Serving South Central
Nebraska since 1891
6 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014
2014 Harvest Special
Clay County News
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With harvest underway
across Nebraska, some producers are concerned about
compaction, as their large
combines and grain carts move
across the fields. In some
areas, fall rains have left the
fields soft and ruts are being
cut into the soil during harvest. These ruts leave the soil
surface rough and have severe
compaction below them. This
compaction can impede the
crop’s roots next season and
increase runoff because of
reduced infiltration.
If the combines and grain
carts aren’t leaving a rut, don’t
worry about compaction from
the heavy equipment. Compaction is the loss of pore
space between soil particles
Safe Farming is
No Accident!
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and occurs when that space is
squeezed out of the soil and
reappears somewhere else,
such as in the form of a rut.
If a rut wasn’t formed, there
was enough soil structure
present to support the weight
without causing additional
compaction.
If ruts were formed during
harvest, tillage can break up
compaction, but the soil must
be dry to fracture compaction.
If the soil was wet enough to
cause ruts, the odds are that it
is too wet to do tillage. Tilling
a wet soil causes more compaction as the soil particles
are lubricated and easily slide
under the weight of the tractor
and tillage implement. This
compaction is harder to see
because the entire soil surface
is compacted, even though
the surface looks loosened.
Deep tilling a wet soil often
only cuts slots and smears
the soil rather than fracturing
compaction.
Regardless, tilling destroys
soil structure and more tracks
will be formed with future
passes. Typically ruts are as
deep as the soil was tilled,
down to the compaction layer
from the tillage. The majority of compaction is caused
primarily by tillage. It breaks
up the existing soil structure
and packs the soil below the
tillage depth. With little soil
structure in the tilled layer,
the next pass easily compacts
the soil, either full width with
tillage or in tracks with traffic.
Controlling Traffic, Controlling Compaction
Producers should practice
controlled traffic to reduce the
areas in the field with wheel
traffic compaction. Eighty to
85 percent of soil compaction
damage is done with the first
pass of the tires. If additional
passes are made on the same
traffic lanes, little additional
compaction occurs. Because
once a traffic lane has been
driven on and the soil has
been firmed up, subsequent
passes have little effect on
the amount of compaction. By
using the same traffic lanes
year after year, the soil structure and water infiltration in
the untrafficked areas greatly
improve.
Controlled traffic lanes improve traction, soil load bearing, and timeliness of planting
and harvesting operations
while minimizing potential
yield reduction from compaction. Compaction is managed,
not eliminated, and the area
subjected to compaction is
minimized. The concept is to
separate traffic zones from
root zones. Controlled traffic keeps compaction where
it is less detrimental to root
development and uptake of
nutrients and water. Fertilizer
placement and furrow irrigation practices can be modified
as these traffic zones are established and the traffic lanes
are known.
To minimize wheel compaction at harvest time, grain
carts should be following the
same tracks as the combine. A
lot of grain cart drivers think
See COMPACTION, Page 7
We are proud to be a part of this community’s farming tradition, and we
care about the well-being and continued success of our local farmers. That’s
why you can turn to us for quality financial advice and assistance, from
affordable ag loans and farm mortgages to everyday banking needs and
retirement planning.
Stop in and speak to one of our loan representatives today
about your farm’s growth potential!
105 S. Saunders, Sutton
402.773.5541
bankwithastra.com
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Clay County News
2014 Harvest Special
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 7
COMPACTION/Avoiding Soil Compaction at Harvest
FROM PAGE 6
they should move over a few
rows and spread out compaction, but this will only compact
more of the field. Likewise,
grain trucks shouldn’t be driven in the field as the axle loads
and tire pressures are not suitable for soils.
If ruts were cut at harvest,
wait until the soil is dry to
smooth them out to avoid
causing additional compaction.
This smoothing operation may
10 Tips to Avoid
Compaction on Wet Soils
at Harvest Time
1. Wait until the soil dries enough to
support the combine.
2. Don’t use grain bin extensions or
fill the combine as full.
3. Use wide tires with lower inflation
pressures.
4. Keep trucks out of the field. Consider unloading at the ends of the
field, not on the go.
5. Grain carts should track the same
rows as the combine.
6. Don’t turn around in the middle
of the field.
7. Don’t fill the grain cart as full,
unload more often.
8. Establish a grain cart path and
stay on it.
9. Don’t till wet soils, as they are
easily compacted.
10. Use cover crops to help build soil
structure.
be a light tillage operation next
spring before planting. Deeper
tillage in the spring will usually
cause more compaction as the
soil is wet and the tillage will
break up soil structure.
To fracture the compaction
in the ruts from this year’s
harvest, a producer may have
to wait until next fall before
the soil is dry enough. However, often the compaction in
the bottom of the ruts extends
deeper into the soil than most
producers will be able to till.
This is a case where prevention is far more effective than
the cure. It’s best to build soil
structure and not drive on wet
soils if possible. Controlled
traffic, no tillage and cover
crops will all help build soil
structure and reduce compac-
tion concerns.
-by Paul Jasa,
Extension Engineer
Practice Safe Farming Habits....
Today & Everyday!!
The Butcher Shop
Gene & Eileen Mazour
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Clay County News
bringing you Farm and Ag news for over
100 years!!
Find your local Yield Specialist...
402.773.5604
The Clay County News urges you to slow down
and be safe during this busy harvest season!
8 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014
2014 Harvest Special
Clay County News
New Class Teaches Soybean Breeding for Disease Resistance
A new distance-education
class studying the effects
of water molds on soybeans
is being offered through
the University of NebraskaLincoln’s Department of
Agronomy & Horticulture.
Breeding for Disease Resistance (AGRO 496/896),
a case study on Oomycete
diseases in soybeans, is
available as a self-paced
graduate course for one
credit.
The course fits the needs
of traditional graduate
students specializing in
plant breeding and genetics, employees in the seed
industry who are earning
a Plant Breeding & Genetics professional certificate,
and as a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for Certified
Crop Advisers (CCA).
“This class has the potential to benefit learners in a
number of ways,” said Don
Lee, Ph.D., who teaches the
course. “First, the online
environment uses a variety
of media to help the learner
work online. Second, they
learn to apply both basic
genetic ideas and the latest discoveries by soybean
geneticists and pathologists
to understand how products in the soybean seed
marketplace are different.
This difference can be important to farmer customers who have problems with
Phytophothora disease.
“Finally, the learner can
use the learning environment in PASSeL (Plant and
Soil Science eLibrary) as a
free learning resource, or
they can enroll in a course
and get credit for their
learning accomplishments,”
Lee said. “These credits can
apply to both their Certified
Crop Advisor continuing
education or to the Department of Agronomy and
Horticulture’s Professional
Certificate in Plant Breeding. Both are important
credentials for their profession.”
Because this is a distance
education course, it offers
flexibility for professionals
and students alike. While it
follows the UNL academic
calendar, the fact that it’s
a self-paced class allows
professionals to take the
class during the off-growing
season. Graduate students
like the course because they
can finish the course earlier in the semester before
homework, papers and tests
are due for other classes.
Oomycetes (commonly
called water molds) are a
group of several hundred
plant pathogens (including
Phytophthora sojae). According to Leah Sandall, instructional designer for the
course, yield loss to Phytophthora root rot is ranked
second behind soybean cyst
nematodes.
“With certain soil and
weather conditions, Phytophthora can be pretty
devastating to a soybean
field and to a farmer’s
pocketbook,” Sandall said.
Wet fields provide an
excellent environment for
Oomycetes. The pathogen
can infect seeds, seedlings
and plants during all stages
of growth. Symptoms usually appear one to two weeks
after heavy rains and are
most common on soils that
are poorly drained. Plants
have brown discoloration,
lose leaves and wilt.
Key management steps
to minimize the impact of
Oomycetes include: increasing seed treatment rates,
using the right genetics,
increasing drainage and
minimizing compaction.
This class focuses on using
the right genetics.
Information learned in
this soybean course can be
applied to other plants that
are susceptible to Oomycetes, according to Lee and
Sandall. Other high-profile
plants susceptible to the
pathogens are corn, rice,
wheat, potatoes (including
the Irish potato famine of
the 1840s) and other vegetables.
For more details about
the course, visit the Plant
& Soil Science eLibrary at
http://passel.unl.edu/communities/oomycete.
-Story by Kathy Schindler,
Distance Graduate Program
Administrative Assistant.
Clay County News
2014 Harvest Special
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 9
Grazing Corn Residue: A Win-Win for Crop and Cattle Producers
Are you looking for additional income from your corn
acres? If so, consider leasing
your corn acres for cattle
grazing after grain harvest.
For more on this topic, view
a Market Journal interview
with UNL Beef Specialist Rick
Rasby on the YouTube Market
Journal channel.
Many crop producers have
concerns that cattle trampling
could negatively affect soil
physical properties and subsequent crop yields. However,
research conducted at UNL
has shown that grazing corn
residue at the recommended
stocking rate does not reduce
corn or soybean yields in
irrigated fields the following growing season. In fact,
a long-term study at Mead
(showed slight improvements
(2 to 3 bu/ac) in soybean production following grazed corn
residue when managed in a
corn-soybean rotation. This
result was the same regardless
of whether cattle were grazed
in the fall (November through
January) or the spring (February through April).
In a five-year study at Brule,
corn yields were measured
after cattle had been grazed in
the fall in a continuous corn
-field: No effect on subsequent
corn yields has been observed.
It is well-documented that
residue protects soil from
erosion. Some cornfields,
due to topography and/or
low corn grain yield, should
not be grazed, but there are
very few of these fields in
Nebraska. In most instances,
excess residue can impede
soil warm-up in the spring
and seed placement at planting. Residue removal through
grazing offers an alternative
method for management of
this excess residue.
About 45 to 50% of the
above ground biomass produced by the corn plant is
stover (residue). For each
bushel of dry corn produced,
about 41 lbs of residue is also
produced. Corn production of
150 bu/ac produces about 3
tons/ac of residue; a yield of
200 bu/ac produces a little
over 4 tons of residue. Of this
residue, about 40% (16 lb/
bu) is leaf and husk, which is
highly digestible and a good
source of cattle feed.
Cattle are selective graz-
Safe Farming...
Yields Results!!
ShXFN 'riOOinJ &o
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ers and will eat any grain
remaining first (reducing the
likelihood of volunteer corn),
followed by the husk and leaf.
University of NebraskaLincoln recommendations
for determining stocking
are based on 50% utilization
of the leaf and husk (8 lb/
bu), or about 20% of the residue. Some additional residue
would disappear by trampling
and other factors such as
wind loss. For most cornfields
in Nebraska, there would be
no increased risk of erosion if
40% to 50% of the corn residue
FARM FACT
U.S. farm programs typically
cost each American just pennies per meal and account for
less than one-half of 1 percent
of the total U.S. budget.
Americans enjoy a food supply that is abundant, affordable
overall and among the world’s
safest, thanks in large part to
the efficiency and productivity
of America’s farm and ranch
families.
was removed.
Grazing corn residues can
benefit both cattle and crop
producers. Corn residue
should be viewed as an economical source of winter
roughage for cattle that can
provide an extra source of
income from corn production that does not affect next
year’s crop production.
-by Mary Drewnoski, UNL
Beef Systems Specialist and
Daren Redfearn, UNL Forage/Crop Residue Systems
Specialist.
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Yields Results
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Geneva, NE 68361
402.759.3173
215 N. 13th Street
Hebron, NE 68370
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Superior, NE 68978
402.879.4723
10 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014
2014 Harvest Special
Clay County News
Have a Safe Harvest!! According to Rees, Crops Looking
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‘Really Good’ Throughout County
CCN Story by Kris Moody
As soybean harvest nears
the home stretch and
corn harvest begins, Clay
County Extension Educator
Jenny Rees reports that the
crops are coming out really
steady.
“For the most part, it’s
looking really good,” Rees
noted.
The Oct. 1 wind and hail
storm did affect some soybeans north of Clay Center
through Harvard that will
likely diminish yields. Rees
noted that quite a bit of soybeans were shattered in the
storm that won’t be able to
be picked up.
Some of the affected corn
that is leaning or downed
should still be able to be
picked up, however.
Despite isolated areas in
the county such as that,
most of Clay County has
fared well weather-wise this
ag season, which is producing similar readings and
expectations throughout the
county.
“Throughout Clay County,
it seems good,” Rees said.
“I’m getting the same
range of reports and seeing
the same things in fields
throughout the county.”
The majority of reports
that Rees has received for
bean yields have been in the
50-85 bushel range for both
dryland and irrigated acres.
Rees has heard from
some producers who are
disappointed with irrigated
beans. She explained that
her first thoughts to those
concerns are planting dates
and the possibility of soybean cyst nematode.
Producers questioning
their soybean yields can
test for the presence of cyst
nematodes while taking
their fall soil samples. The
Nebraska Soybean Board
is providing free test bags,
which will be available at
the Clay County Extension
Office.
According to a recent report from the United States
Department of Agriculture’s
Farm Safety...an important part of farming.
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402.726.2181
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402.773.5571
National Agriculture Statistics Service, this year’s soybean production is forecast
at a record high 284 million
bushels, up 11 percent from
last year.
Yield for the state is forecast at 53 bushels per acre,
down one-half bushel from
a year ago.
Corn is still waiting in the
wings, with only a handful
of acres starting to come
out.
Over the course of the last
week, corn has really started
to dry down more than what
was expected, and Rees
says that may lead to corn
coming out better than what
some producers think.
The USDA report forecasts corn production at
1.58 billion bushels, down
two percent from last year’s
record high. Average yield is
forecast at 181 bushels per
acre, up 11 bushels from
last year.
FARM FACT
At one time, much of our
population was involved in
farming. In 1940, the average
farmer grew enough food
for only 19 other people,
and that was pretty close to
enough.
Today, since farmers only
account for two percent
of the American population, they have to work a lot
harder to feed everyone, and
they're still doing a great job.
In 2006, the average American farmer grew enough
food for 144 other people.
Clay County News
FARM FACT
‡ 2.2 million farms dot America’s rural landscape. About 97
percent of U.S. farms are operated by families – individuals,
family partnerships or family
corporations.
‡ Farm and ranch families comprise just 2 percent of the U.S.
population.
2014 Harvest Special
Wishing all of our customers a
SAFE and prosperous harvest!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 11
BRIAN’S REPAIR
..81 ‡ Edgar
Computer Diagnostics,
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‡ More than 21 million American workers (15 percent of the
total U.S. workforce) produce,
process and sell the nation’s
food and fiber.
‡ Today’s farmers produce 262
percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs (labor, seeds,
feed, fertilizer, etc.), compared
with 1950.
‡ In 2010, $115 billion worth
of American agricultural products were exported around the
world. The United States sells
more food and fiber to world
markets than we import, creating a positive agricultural trade
balance.
We appreciate
all of our
customers!
Play it safe
this harvest!
‡ One in three U.S. farm acres
is planted for export.
‡ 31 percent of U.S. gross farm
income comes directly from
exports.
‡ About 23 percent of raw U.S.
farm products are exported
each year.
Edgar
402-879-0102
With today’s technology, one of your
most important pieces of machinery
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Remember to keep your computer
and internet service ´6$)(µ with
anti-virus protection.
Beck’s Farm &
Auto Parts
‡ (GJar
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Wishing All of Our Ag
Customers a Very
SAFE & SPEEDY Harvest!!
Member FDIC
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12 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014
2014 Harvest Special
Make sure you have the
RIGHT insurance coverage,
BEFORE you need it!
Clay County News
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Four
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Hearing those dreaded words AFTER a disaster is never
good! Especially in the heat of harvest. Make sure you, and
your investments, are protected!!
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For all of your Farm Insurance Needs, contact one of
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