Schedule of Summer 4H Events

May 5: Webster County 4-H Day at Tractor Supply Company in Hastings, NE 5:00-7:00 p.m. 4-H Junior Leaders

May 8-10: Rural Futures Conference, Cornhusker Motel, Lincoln, NE http://ruralfutures.nebraska.edu/

May 12: South Central Working Ranch Horse Clinic, Lazy G Arena, Guide Rock, NE Contact Meghan Anderson,

May 22: Adams & Hall County Livestock Showmanship Clinic, Big Red Barn, Fonner Park, Grand Island, NE Call Beth Maricle @ 402-461-7209

May 24: South Central Nebraska Livestock Judging Clinic and Contest, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, NEdlienemann2@unl.edu

May 25: Webster County Last Chance Youth Livestock Quality Assurance Class, 1:00 pm, Webster Co. Fairgrounds, Bladen 402-746-3417

May 25: Webster County 4-H & FFA Market Lamb and Goat Weigh-in, 3:00-7:00 pm, Webster Co Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE 402-746-3417

May 26: Boone County Beef-A-Rama, Boone County Fairgrounds, Albion, NE Contact Boone Co. UNL Extension @ 402-395-2158

May 27: Boone County Goat & Sheep-A-Rama, Boone County Fairgrounds, Albion, NE Contact Boone Co. UNL Extension @ 402-395-2158

May 31: West Central Youth Animal Science Field Day, Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture, Curtis, NE Contact Jo Bek @ 308-367-5283

June 1-2: Cattlemen’s Ball at McCool Junction

June 2: Goat Showmanship Clinic, Clay County Fairgrounds, Clay Center, Starts at 1:00. No charge, Contact Suzy Hassler caprizette@hotmail.com

June 2: Willa Cather Prairie Event, Willa Cather Prairie and Opera House, Red Cloud, NE Contact Ashley Olsona @ olson@willacather.org

June 9: Webster County Classic 4-H Open Horse Show, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE Contact Sylvia Fink 402-469-2248

June 9: Meat Goat Clinic for Youth, 1-3 p.m. Gayle Hattan Pavilion, Saunders Co. Fairgrounds, Wahoo Contact Sara Ellicott @sellicott2@unl.edu
June 9: 4-H Invitational Horse Show, Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE, 7:00 am, Contact Buffalo Co. UNL Extension @ 308-236-1235

June 9: Saline County Lamb Show and Meat Goat Show, Saline Co. Fairgrounds, Tuxedo Park, Crete, NE Contact: Saline Co Ext @ 402-821-2151

June 11-13: County 4-H Camp, South Central 4-H Campgrounds, Republican City, NE

June 11: 2012 District 4-H Horse Show, Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney, NE Contact Buffalo County UNL Extension 308-236-1235

June 17: Rockin-G Horse Show, Rocking G Arena, Guide Rock, NE – Guide Rock Warriors 4-H Club, Contact Meghan Anderson @ 308-379-1467

June 17-22: National Junior Charolais Show, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Grand Island, NE http://www.nebraskacharolais.com/juniors.html

June 17-22: 2012 National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational, Grand Island, NE -http://4h.unl.edu/ntlshootingsportsinvitational

June 23: South Central Livestock Exposition, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE Contactdlienemann2@unl.edu or call 402-746-3417

June 23: Cornhusker Classic Sheep and Goat Show, Webster Co Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE, Lee Dana, 402-984-0132,www.doubledboergoats.net

June 23: Regional 4-H Dairy & Llama Show, Clay Co Fairgrounds, Clay Center, Ne http://clay.unl.edu/claycounty4h ordpeshek@unlnotes.unl.edu

June 25-30: National Junior Shorthorn Show, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Grand Island, NE http://www.juniorshorthorn.com/jrnational.html

June 25-26: UNL Extension/4-H Premier Animal Science Events (PASE), Animal Science Complex, UNL East Campus, Lincoln, NE

June 27-28: Weight Trait Project & DNA Educational Symposium, Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE

July 1-6: National Junior Hereford Show, Nebraska State Fairgrounds, Grand Island, NE http://www.hereford.org/node/63

July 7: 2012 Invitational Dairy Show, Gage County Fairgrounds, Beatrice NE Contact Gage County UNL Extension Contact @ 402-223-1384

July 16-19: State 4-H Horse Show, Fonner Park, Grand Island,http://animalscience.unl.edu/ANSCState4HHorseShowInformation

July 21-28: Webster County Fair, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, NE, Carnival & Rodeo July 26-28 www.webstercountyfair.org

.STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,
 UNL Extension Educator,
 Webster County
May 11, 2012 Edition

As I write this column, I have several graduation parties ahead of me to attend. They of course are usually thrown by parents to celebrate the graduation of their sons and/or daughters from their local high school. As a long time teacher, I have attended more graduations and graduation parties that I can even count. One thing I remember from those years that it seemed that graduation in most cases seemed to always fall on Mother’s Day, which in my opinion really wasn’t fair to those mothers and grandmothers. It always seemed to me that it diminished the honor we should afford our mothers and grandmothers and if a man, also his wife. Although, just by the virtue of what makes a mother, I doubt if you ever heard to many of them complain – their children always came first. I remember my mother, who exemplified that very spirit.
I am so glad that, in many cases, school administrators have changed this celebration to the day before, which makes sense to me. While that is a much better placement for the day, my guess is that those mothers with graduates probably would rather just use the day after to rest. That may be the best Mother’s day present that they could receive. You probably have guessed by now that I am going to bring you some information this week on this special day, that I for many years figured was a ploy by Hallmark cards, flower shops, jewelry stores, etc. to benefit from the love or even guilt of sons and husbands. But of course I found out differently. I had never really thought about it before and found that there is some interesting history to be considered. Let’s take a look at the tradition of Mother’s Day in this week’s edition.
Mother's Day of course is a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. What I didn’t know is that the origins of Mother's Day is centuries old with the dating back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology. Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called “Hilaria”, which was dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that these ceremonies began some 250 years before Christ was born, usually on the Ides of March, with temple offerings, parades, games and masquerades.
Dating back to the 1600’s in England we find that Christians celebrated a Mother's Day of sorts during the festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter) in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. After a prayer service in church, children brought gifts and flowers to pay tribute to their own mothers, so it naturally then expanded to include all mothers and was called “Mothering Sunday”. Many prominent people had servants, nanny’s or even slaves and on this occasion, servants, apprentices and other employees staying away from their homes were encouraged by their employers to visit their mothers and honor them. Traditionally children brought with them gifts and a special fruit cake or fruit-filled pastry called a “simnel”. This practice was brought to the United States by the colonists (long before Hallmark was founded) and continued depending upon the culture and customs of their motherlands.
Interesting enough the custom of celebrating “Mothering Sunday” died out almost completely by the early 19th century. But then in the United States, Mother's Day got its auspicious start nearly 150 years ago when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it "Mother's Work Day." It however was not national is scope and didn’t have a great following. Fifteen years later in 1872, Julia Ward Howe, a poet, pacifist, and suffragist who shot to fame with her famous Civil War song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic," organized a day encouraging mothers to rally for peace, since she believed they bore the loss of human life more harshly than anyone else. She wrote a passionate appeal to women and urged them to rise against war and initiated a “Mothers' Peace Day” observance on the second Sunday in. Her idea spread, but was later replaced by the Mothers' Day holiday now celebrated in May. This brought a National stage for the cause.
Unfortunately, with the expansion of the United States westward, and the mass immigration of European people into the expanding United States, it seemed to diminish again in popularity. But then in 1905 when Anna Jarvis (the original founder) died, her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother. Legend has it that young Anna remembered a Sunday school lesson that her mother gave in which she said, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother's day. There are many days for men, but none for mothers.” Anna began to lobby politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. She handed out her mother's favorite flower, the white carnation. The House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on Mother's Day. In 1914 Anna's hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day as a National holiday, almost 100 years ago.
At first, people observed Mother's Day by attending church and writing letters to their mothers which even became more prevalent during and right after World War II, for obvious reasons. It has since evolved into the more commercial Mother’s Day we know today, with the giving of cards, presents, flowers and perhaps a dinner for the family at the local restaurant – to give mom a break. I honor my mother who raised 10 children with limited resources. She was made out of the stuff that made our country what it is. Our mothers and grandmothers are the backbone of America – I salute them!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home

Postal Reform Must Preserve Rural Mail Service

By: Rep. Adrian Smith

As I travel the Third District, one of the issues I hear about most often is the future of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The USPS is an important part of life in Rural America, where efficient and effective mail delivery is vital to commerce and everyday life.

Despite playing such an integral role, the Postal Service is literally just months away from defaulting on its obligations. USPS is running a $25 million deficit every single day as a result of the rise of electronic communications and other market factors. The Postmaster General acknowledges sometime next year USPS will not even be able to pay its more than 500,000 employees. With labor costs making up 80 percent of the Postal Service’s operating budget, personnel issues remain the top impediment to sustainability. These staggering problems came into full focus this past week when USPS announced a $3.2 billion loss during the first three months of this year.

Without prudent, long-term changes, the Postal Service’s debt will balloon to nearly $100 billion in potential liabilities for U.S. taxpayers by the end of 2016. In these challenging fiscal times, the American people certainly have no appetite for another massive bailout. If there is one thing on which everyone agrees, it is the status quo is unsustainable and meaningful reform is desperately needed.

Over the past several months, the USPS has made closing rural mail facilities a major focus of its cost cutting efforts. While it may make sense to close certain facilities, rural post offices should not be viewed as a primary target for budgetary savings. In fact, according to the Postal Regulatory Commission, the closure of the 10,000 smallest post offices would only save USPS seven-tenths of one percent of its annual operating budget – not even a single penny on the dollar.

I appreciate the Postal Service’s decision to consider alternatives such as reduced operating hours for rural post offices. But at the end of the day, arbitrarily cutting rural mail service, regardless of the approach, will yield USPS next to no savings while greatly disrupting commerce and daily life in Rural America. It is in every stakeholder’s interest to look at the bigger picture and make meaningful, long-term reform the top priority. 

With these realities in mind, I proposed an amendment to the postal reform bill currently in the House of Representatives (H.R. 2309) which would cap rural post office closures at no more than 5 percent of total closures in any given year, and offer more guarantees USPS will maintain universal service. The bill’s principal author, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, has endorsed my approach and asked me to participate in a working group of rural Republicans to outline priorities and discuss various options before H.R. 2309 comes to the House floor for consideration.  I appreciate Chairman Issa’s commitment to giving rural communities a voice throughout this process as well as his support for my common sense amendment.

In small towns across Nebraska, the post office is the center of the community and is an important link to the rest of the nation. Therefore, it is vital USPS continues to fulfill its original mission of universal service while at the same time fixing its bottom line.  Postal reform is complicated and merits thoughtful consideration. As we move forward with our efforts in the House, I will continue working closely with Chairman Issa and House Leadership to ensure Congress allows USPS the flexibility it needs to achieve the maximum amount of savings with the least disruption for rural customers.

AG Bruning Files Comment With U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regarding Unconstitutional Assault on Religious Liberty, Urges Broader Exemption for Religious Organizations and Individuals

LINCOLN – Attorney General Jon Bruning today filed a comment letter with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urging Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to fix the current, unconstitutional language of the regulation requiring that all health care plans must cover sterilization and abortifacients, including RU-486, the so-called “abortion pill.” Bruning’s comment urges the inclusion of a broad exemption for religious entities. The existing language of the final rule, put into effect in February, would force certain religious organizations and individuals to subsidize products and services in violation of their religious beliefs.
“The federal government cannot coerce religious organizations and individuals to subsidize products and services which violate their religious beliefs,” said Bruning. “As it stands today, this regulation directly violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. I will continue to fight it with every means at my disposal, both in the courts and through the regulatory process,” Bruning said. “Nothing the government has said or done so far changes the fact that its current regulation violates the constitutional rights of religious entities.”
The comment letter is being filed in response to a request by the federal government for comments and suggestions regarding improving the existing regulation.
If the regulation remains in place as written, numerous individuals and organizations will drop private health care coverage in order to avoid violating their religious beliefs. This will force these individuals and those organizations’ employees onto already-strained state Medicaid programs, creating additional challenges for state budgets and threatening the future fiscal integrity of Medicaid itself.
Attorney General Bruning filed a lawsuit in federal court on February 23, 2012 to have the regulation declared unconstitutional. Nebraska was joined in the suit by Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Sister Mary Catherine, CK, a Nebraska Catholic nun, Stacy Molai, a Nebraska Catholic missionary, Catholic Social Services, The Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, and Pius X Catholic High School of Lincoln.

Lt. Gov. Sheehy Featured as National Leader on Economy

(Lincoln, Neb.) Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy is being highlighted nationally this week and next as a leader in the global economy. Chosen in a bi-partisan manner by his peers, Lt. Governor Sheehy is the Chairman of National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA).
Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy is featured by the NLGA in a recent interview on growing state economies and job opportunities. In the 5-minute interview he also speaks about the role of education and international trade in a strong economy.
The interview can be found on the NLGA website at www.nlga.us.

Smith Seeks Answers to Prevent Identity Theft

May 8, 2012 Issues: Social Security, Taxes, Ways & Means

Washington, DC – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) today participated in a Ways and Means Committee hearing which examined tax fraud. The hearing also focused on whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are doing enough to protect Social Security numbers to prevent and detect false returns.  During the hearing, Smith submitted for the Congressional Record a news story about a constituent, whose Social Security number had been used to file an improper death benefit claim in South Carolina.

 
“Improper tax refunds have cost more than $100 billion in recent years,” said Smith. “Given the nation’s dire fiscal situation and the impact fraud has on victims, we need to have a full understanding of the size of this problem and explore what steps can be taken. We also must ensure any policy changes are not detrimental to law abiding taxpayers.”

Smith serves on the Committee on Ways and Means and the Subcommittee on Social Security. 

Johanns: Fiscally Responsible Student Loan Fix Neede

WASHINGTON – After a proposal to extend current federally subsidized student loan interest rates failed in the Senate, Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today called for a vote on legislation he is cosponsoring which would extend the current 3.4 percent rate in a more fiscally responsible manner. Johanns opposed today's bill, offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), which would pay for the loan rate extension by increasing the payroll tax on job creators. This would divert funds which would otherwise go to the Medicare and Social Security Trust Funds. The bill needed 60 votes to pass, and failed, 52-45.

The legislation Johanns supports, the Student Loan Interest Rate Reduction Act, was offered by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and would offset the cost by eliminating a fund created by the 2010 health care law. President Obama has previously signed legislation that is paid for by reductions in this fund and proposed reducing it in a deficit reduction package.


Excerpts from Johanns' floor speech are below; the full video can be found here and transcript here:

• "It should be our goal to foster an economic atmosphere where jobs will flourish, our economy thrives, and opportunities abound for young people and, for that matter, for all Americans. That's why I'm so disappointed that today we will vote on a bill that takes such a different approach to paying for student loan interest rate extension. The bill we will vote on taxes small businesses and raids funds that would otherwise go to shore up the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. Providing relief for students, protecting seniors' benefits, and fueling our nation's job engine should not be mutually exclusive goals."

• "It's time to look for practical solutions that could actually pass the Senate and help the American people. Americans are getting sick and tired of election year voting, where we face legislation that we all know is designed to fail, with this singular focus of generating good campaign talking points … We should be in the solution finding business. That's why I am proud to cosponsor the Alexander legislation that does the right thing for our country's students."

• "In reality, everybody agrees: interest rates on the Stafford loans should not double when the economy is struggling. The only disagreement is over how to pay for the relief. It's unfortunate that an area with little disagreement has yet again morphed into a political football."

Background

A law was passed in 2007 which lowered federal undergraduate student loan rates from 6.8 to 3.4 percent. The health care law later took over the student loan industry and used a portion of the budget savings to fund some of the health care law's costs instead of using that money to address the doubling of student loan interest rates.

In order to prevent this rate from returning to 6.8 percent in July, the legislation Johanns is cosponsoring would keep the rate at 3.4 for one year and offset the cost by eliminating a fund in the health care law that gives nearly unlimited power to the Secretary of Health and Human Services – the same fund previously cut by the President himself.

COLUMN: THE THOUSAND DAY BUDGET MYTH

By

Senator Ben Nelson

There’s been a rumor going around that says the Senate has now gone about 1,000 days since passing a budget resolution. What the rumor mongers aren’t aware of or are not telling people is that last year, instead of a budget resolution, the Senate and the House passed, and the President signed, a budget control law.
Frankly I actually do not think the Budget Control Act is a particularly sound law outside of the spending caps it enforces. The law was created under duress by House Republican leadership in order to get their Member’s support for an increase in the debt ceiling. Regardless of my distaste for a great deal of the law, the spending caps it includes are positive and serve effectively as a budget resolution.

Fact Versus Myth

It’s true that we did not adopt a Budget Resolution last year. But what is a budget resolution? What is its purpose? A budget resolution is essentially a congressional document that never becomes law and its central function is to establish a discretionary spending cap usually just for one year at a time.

Instead of a Budget Resolution, last year, Congress adopted the Budget Control Act which is an actual law passed in both houses and signed by the President which set out 10 years of spending caps and saves $900 billion in that time. It’s a myth to say Congress does not have a budget. We do – we effectively have one for a decade.

Spending Caps

I have voted repeatedly for what were termed the so-called “Sessions-McCaskill” 5-year spending caps, named after the sponsors of the bill, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Claire McCaskill of Missouri. The Budget Control Act goes even further than that legislation and it appropriately caps spending in acknowledgement that discretionary spending has to be restrained in order to deal with our nation’s debt and deficit.

Budget Control Act

In addition to setting a decade’s worth of spending caps, the Budget Control Act required a vote on the Balanced Budget Amendment I sponsored with my colleague Mark Udall of Colorado, it increased the debt ceiling and it set up the so-called Super Committee. The Super Committee was charged to find $1.2 trillion in additional savings or else that amount of cutting will occur automatically through what’s called a “sequester.” The Super Committee did not come to agreement and a sequester of over $100 billion is set to occur in 2013.

Regardless of the weaknesses of the Budget Control Act, it does, indisputably, set Congress’s spending limits for 10 years. Many of the Members who want to use the budget resolution process as a wedge issue know they are being intellectually dishonest but that isn’t a huge shock in this environment.

Refocus

There are many, many serious problems Congress has to think about in order to address the debt imbalance. Should entitlements be fundamentally reformed? Should we overhaul the tax code? How should we pay for wars in the future? How should we pay for natural disaster reconstruction in the future?

There are plenty of difficult questions to answer and any number of failings in Congress that people can legitimately point to. But the fact is that we do have a budget and I hope my colleagues will see fit to get serious in this time when there is no more room for the type of partisanship that stirs up this type of false argument in the first place.

.STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,
 UNL Extension Educator,
 Webster County
May 4, 2012 Edition

Wow, where did April go? Here we are full in May, and not all that far into the month, and most of the corn is planted and many are now into beans. I don’t recall ever a year where wheat was this far ahead. A lot of fields have headed out, are in the process of heading and even some fields are pollinating. Don’t be surprised if you see some fields ready for harvest by the middle to the third week into June. Speaking of wheat, a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the yellow color in some of our wheat fields. I said we had some ideas on that condition. I want to share some information that my fellow extension educator, Randy Pryor, from Saline County shared with me, along with some other thoughts on the subject.
Yellow Wheat: Several farmers started noticing yellow wheat fields last year and even more this year where winter wheat is being grown into soybean stubble. I really noticed it earlier and really thought we would see it grow out of it as the nitrogen became more available. We are, after all, having an early growing season. But these fields are showing some unique symptoms never really reported before to this extent and there may be an answer that makes sense when you think about it. The wheat that has developed a pale yellow color this spring may have sulfur deficiency. Samples were taken last year that verified sulfur deficiency and more samples were taken last month in Saline County. Similar examples have been found in fields in south-central Nebraska and in north-central Kansas.
What has been confusing is that with sulfur deficiency symptoms in wheat, it can be confused with nitrogen deficiency. It should be noted however that there are differences. Lack of nitrogen (N) or sulfur (S) can cause a general chlorosis of the leaves. However, with sulfur deficiency the whole plant is pale with the worse yellowing or chlorosis appears in the young leaves. Also with sulfur deficiency, you will be seeing the whole plant with a pale yellow coloring and in the areas of fields showing severe symptoms, stunting in the size of plants. Sulfur is not mobile in the plant like nitrogen, so the lower leaves do not show more severe deficiency symptoms than the upper leaves. That is just the opposite of the pattern with nitrogen deficiency. The one thread that has been common the past two years in these fields are they are winter wheat planted in soybean stubble, with the worse symptoms on slopes, areas that had an eroded history, and areas where organic matter is the lowest in the field. This is exactly what I have seen and what area farmers were reporting. You also see some unusual patterns in the fields that are most likely related to soil type.
Sulfur deficiencies are more likely to occur when soils are cool in the spring, and we had a fairy warm spring – most of the time - however sulfur deficiencies also can be evident during the remainder of the growing season, particularly in soils prone to sulfur deficiency. You will also find this particularly in no-till conditions, which does have cooler soil temps in early spring because of residue cover. During the period of residue buildup in no-tillage, sulfur mineralization may also be limited. Including sulfur in a fertilizer program to avoid sulfur deficiency is more efficient and less costly than correcting a sulfur deficiency once it occurs. Here is the bad news for these yellow fields. It is probably too late to do much of anything for this year - other than taking notes for next year, particularly if you plan to put wheat into no-till soybean fields.
Typically, a soil application of 15-20 lbs. of sulfate-sulfur per acre is sufficient to prevent sulfur deficiency. Adding ammonium thiosulfate to liquid nitrogen solutions or blending ammonium sulfate with urea is convenient and cost-effective ways to provide sulfur in the problem fields. Other sources include elemental sulfur; however, this source is not available to the crop immediately and should be applied in time to allow conversion to the sulfate form of sulfur. Gypsum, which is calcium sulfate, also can be an effective fertilizer option. Another issue is chloride.
Many farmers have not been applying much potash (a source of potassium and chloride) in many fields and often it is delivered to the fields in the form of potassium chloride, so that does make sense. More testing is needed to see if chloride can enhance wheat yields in Southern Nebraska. Reaching high yield goals in wheat is very important to producers as it must compete with the other grain crops. Many farmers of course utilize wheat in a rotation for conservation of our precious water and many for the straw that can be used for bedding and for a feed source. However if we can’t maintain higher yields to go along with higher wheat prices we will likely see more pressure in reducing one of our best soil conserving crops, much in the same manner that we have seen in milo.
May is National Beef Month: Whether it’s the All-American juicy hamburger or a thick, delicious steak fired up on the grill, Americans have always had a love affair with beef. And with the coming season of outdoor activities and backyard barbecues, that relationship grows even stronger. Beef is an excellent source of minerals such as zinc, selenium, phosphorus, iron, B vitamins as well as carnitine and creatine. But there’s more to the story. The beef industry plays a crucial role in Nebraska’s economy. From cattle producers and feed manufacturers to equipment dealers and food marketers, thousands of people play a role in bringing delicious, tender beef to our plates. The beef industry is the state’s single largest industry and the engine that powers the state’s economy. The multiplied direct and indirect impact of the $6.5 billion in cattle sales each year is $12.1 billion. Cattle-related employment means income for businesses up and down Main Street in towns and cities across the state and thousands of jobs for its inhabitants. Join me in celebrating beef!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home  

Quote of the day

1. The world suffers a lot not because of the violence of bad people,  but because of the silence of good people.

   Agree   or disagree?

Johanns Statement on One-Year Anniversary of Osama bin Laden Mission

WASHINGTON –Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the Osama bin Laden mission:

"Today is a day to remember not only the heroism of our men and women in uniform but also the reasons we rely on them for our safety every day. Every American should express their thanks and gratitude to our troops and veterans for their service and sacrifices in protecting our freedoms – not for personal or political gain but for the values that make our country great."

May Birthdays

May 2 Chris Waterbury, Travis Toepher, Taylor Skarin

May 5 Kevin Alber, Arlo Krauau

 May 5 Alicia Stoner, Raelene Buschow
 May 6 Renee Wademan, Chet Yoder, Karl Berns
May 7 Jim Robinson , Leann Johnson, Hilarie Haack
May 8 Chuck VanBoening, Chellie Dodson, Mary Lou Polhmier
 May 9 Clint Burge
May 10 Bob Willicott, Michael R. Buschow
May 11 Bonnie Greenhalgh (91)
May 12 Lonnie VanBoening
May 14 Herman Tenhoff, Verna Mae Koepke, Kirsten Drury Berns
May 15 Jolaine Hubl, Brad Toepher
 May 17 Mariel Krueger, Harlan Siebrass, Vaden Lane
May 18 Dan VanBoening , Danielle Wademan
 May 19 Marlene Meents  Spencer Frazier
 May 21 Brian Lynn
May 22 Clara Duesterhoeft
May 23 Steve Dack, Mike Barton
 May 24 John R. Mohlman
May 25 Corey Willicott
May 26 Dean Wormuth
May 28 Pearl Matthews (85)
May 29 Erma Hoffman, Deloris Strasburg
May 30 Kandice Myers
May 31 Deloris Wademan

Gov. Heineman Proclaims See Nebraska Week, Announces 2012 Nebraska Passport

2012 Passport highlights 80 stops on 10 special interest tours (Lincoln, Neb.) LIST OF DESTINATIONS (pdf) - Gov. Dave Heineman today kicked off See Nebraska Week by announcing the 2012 Nebraska Passport program which promotes opportunities for summer travel across the state. The Governor declared May 5-12 as See Nebraska Week and highlighted vacation and travel options for travelers throughout Nebraska. “The 2012 Passport’s 80 unique stops highlight many of the great attractions that make our state an exciting place to explore,” said Gov. Heineman. “Travelers will find that their lodging, dining and entertainment dollars go further in Nebraska. We encourage Nebraskans and those in surrounding states to get out and explore Nebraska this year.” The 2012 Nebraska Passport program highlights destinations throughout the state. Travelers are encouraged to pick up a souvenir passport at one of 80 participating locations and collect stamps from each location visited to win prizes. Tourists who travel to the featured locations receive a stamp at each stop. At the end of the trip, visitors can send in a tear-out page from the passport. If visitors complete an interest tour, they get a Passport T-shirt. If visitors collect 25 stamps, they get a $25 GROW Nebraska gift card; and if visitors get 40 stamps, they receive a Canon Powershot digital camera. A grand-prize drawing for an Apple iPad will be held in October. This is the third year of the passport program which began with 27 stops along the state’s scenic byways in 2010. In 2011, it expanded to 33 stops across the entire state. This year’s passport has expanded to 80 stops organized into 10 special interest tours: culinary, culture, family fun, festivals, golf, GROW Nebraska, parks, unique accommodations, water adventure and wineries. The passport promotion highlights destinations including: 51st Annual Wilber Czech Fest, The Prairie Club golf course in Valentine, Sehnert’s Bakery & Bieroc Café in McCook, Lake McConaughy Visitor/Water Interpretive Center in Ogallala, High Plains Homestead in Crawford, Pawnee Plunge Water Park in Columbus and Mac’s Creek Winery & Vineyards in Lexington. Other vacation options include historic attractions, opportunities to take in scenic views along scenic byways, waterways and recreational trails, tours of the state’s 25 wineries, local festivals and other special events, and farms and ranches offering hunting and other sporting opportunities. Nebraska’s eight state parks and 65 state recreation areas provide additional opportunities for outdoor activities. The tourism and travel industry has an important economic impact on the state. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tourism is the third largest revenue producer behind agriculture and manufacturing, and generates more than $4 billion a year. Total travel expenditures in Nebraska have increased by more than $2.4 billion from 1990 to 2011. According to the Division of Tourism, in 2011, tourism accounted for more than 45,600 jobs statewide in areas including bed and breakfast owners, outfitters that provide canoeing and kayaking along the Niobrara River, taxi drivers, hotel employees, and people who work at attractions around the state from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo to Minden’s Pioneer Village. Nebraska remains one of the most cost-effective destinations in the nation for travelers. Interactive maps, road trip ideas, trip planners and more are available online at VisitNebraska.gov. Travelers can find out more about the 2012 Passport at www.nebraskapassport.com and connect with Nebraska Tourism through the Visit Nebraska Facebook page at www.facebook.com/visitnebraska, on Twitter @NebraskaTourism and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/nebraskatourism.

..STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,
 UNL Extension Educator,
 Webster County
April 27, 2012 Edition

Oh my, where do I start? This has been a busy week for agriculture. I feel like a kid in a candy store when it comes to looking for something to write about this week. We could talk about a lot of things but I only have this one page so may just touch on a couple of topics and then just concentrate on the one that could potentially have huge ramifications on Nebraska agriculture, the finding of another cow with BSE or commonly called “Mad Cow Disease”.
Arbor Day: I am writing this article on Arbor Day so I think that should take a nod. Nebraska of course is famous for many things and National Arbor Day is an example of the work by J. Sterling Morton to populate our state with trees to protect our fragile environment and change the landscape from what Nebraska used to be called the Great American Desert. Maybe we all should revisit Joyce Kilmer’s classic poem “Trees”. I hope we don’t rue the day that so many windbreaks are being torn out, along with grasslands that also nurture our woody friends. I understand why that is happening and of course that is tied to crops and the need to produce as much as we can, which leads me to another topic.
USDA Farm Bill: I think a lot of people figured that the farm bill would languish in political no-man’s land with this being an election year, but the good news is that the Senate Ag Committee passed their version of the Farm Bill yesterday and we will have to take a look at it to see all of the ramifications of the changes. I am sure it will be heavy on reliance on crop insurance and will give more responsibility for safety nets to the individual producer, and I imagine that the direct payment portion of the program will likely go away. I will leave it to the pundits to their discussion of this bill. I do know that I will most likely have to attend some educational seminars. The good news for me is that I won a Thai Pie Pizza at Old Chicago from a producer friend who bet against the early passage of this bill. I am salivating now on my keyboard.
DOL Farm Child Labor Rules: Good news! It just goes to show you that we can make a difference when we put our collective voices and pens to work. The US Department of Labor announced yesterday the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations. Here is the quote that came from the DOL: “The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the ‘parental exemption’ – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms.” The rule now goes back to its original basis. I have no idea what they were thinking. It does show how disconnected Washington DC is from rural America, our traditions, and how family farms work. Congratulations to all of you who rose up!
National Prime Rib Day: I am writing this column on April 27, 2012 which just happens to be National Prime Rib Day. Prime rib, or standing rib roast, is a choice beef cut from one of the eight primal cuts of beef. And if you slice the standing rib roast, so called because it is roasted standing up with the ribs stacked up vertically, you can remove the bones and get a nice number of ribeye steaks. So either way, you win! This cut contains the "eye" of the rib and is well-marbled (fat interspersed in the muscle). Just by rubbing the outside of this roast with salt and seasonings and then slow-roasting the meat, yields a tender, tasty meal that in my opinion is hard to beat. Prime rib is a delicious meal that can be enjoyed at any occasion! Just thinking about prime rib gets your mouth watering – even more than Thai Pie pizza. And of course, the only way to correctly celebrate National Prime Rib Day is to enjoy a big, juicy cut of it cooked your favorite way! Now that makes the transition into my next discussion a little dicey – a revisit of BSE.
BSE Hits America Again: The fourth confirmed case of BSE in the U.S. sent initial shockwaves through this industry this week. It brought back some very bad memories of the “cow that stole the 2003 Christmas”. I can understand why many people are on edge. The tens of billions of dollars in losses that resulted from that case will never be regained; thus, the uncertainty is certainly justified. Beef exports dropped by more than 70% after the first case. The timing of the announcement could not have been worse in many regards, as Japan was just set to bring its age requirement for U.S. beef imports into line with scientific standards. Plus, as I elude above, grilling season in the U.S. is just kicking off.
What hits me the hardest is that I believe that the beef market had just begun to recover from the media-hyped assault on lean finely textured beef (LFTB) or as so many erroneously referred to it as “pink slime.” Gosh I hate that moniker! Ironically, the LFTB fiasco may have had a part in keeping the BSE coverage from getting out of hand. After all, the media are notorious for manufacturing crisis, and then capitalizing on the sensationalism that they create. I think the industry was actually ready for this, unlike the LFTB issue. Much has changed in 8½ years. BSE isn’t received with the same level of panic that shook England in the late 1980s. The science is much better understood; people are better educated; and science-based, effective control programs that are recognized and accepted throughout the US and trading world are in place.
This California dairy cow is only the 4th confirmed case out of millions of beef slaughtered. Cattle infected with BSE have been found in the U.S. only 3 times: in a Canadian-born cow in 2003 in Washington; in a Texas cow in 2005; and in Alabama in 2006. My guess is that this cow was an old downer cow. There is much more that I could write on this subject but I suggest instead that you go to: http://www.bseinfo.org . The thing we have to remember is the diseased animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home   

Webster County ASAAP April Newsletter

Area Substance & Alcohol Abuse Prevention (ASAAP) of Webster County held its monthly meeting on April 22nd 6:00 pm at the Blue Hill Community Center. There were 17 community members in attendance.
Officers are: Chair: Michelle Kohmetscher Vic Chair: Rileigh Flohrs Secretary: Pam Schwab

Michelle reported on the youth leadership group in 5 schools. Red Cloud was held Wednesday April 18th and Blue Hill will be Thursday April 26.
Superior would like to host a fun day for all 5 schools (Red Cloud, Blue Hill, Harvard, Sandy Creek and Superior) Bonfire, hotdogs, Superior improv will perform, and many more activities. Date to be announced.

Awareness/RBST was discussed. Scott is trained to provide the class. Class takes 6 to 7 hours or is offered online for 1 hour. ASAAP would like to present businesses with a certificate if they have completed the training.

Sticker Shock- Pam contacted Sandy Morrisseg at Region 5 for ideas on this subject. She suggested stickers on grocery bags in different stores. We will have the members of the youth leader groups in Webster County design a sticker to go on bags. The member with the best design will win $50.00 and the runner up will win $25.00. Please bring to next meeting.

July 4th- walk with the I pledge no trailer
Street car days make plans.

Town hall survey handed out and completed by all present.

Next meeting will be May 20th 6:00 pm at the Red Cloud High School.
Light meal will be provided. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!



Pam Schwab
Webster County Coordinator
ASAAP

Webster County District 1 Commissioner replacement needed

When 81 year old Webster County Commission Jesse “Pete” Petsch, of Guide Rock,  passed away last week it left Webster County facing an unusual dilemma.  Petsch had been elected in November of 2010  to serve another four year  term as a member of the board of  Webster County Commissioners.  Petsch had served Webster County  in that position for a number of terms.
 Following his death, according to Nebraska law ( 32-567. Vacancies; offices listed; how filled. . . . .  (3) In the membership of the county board, by the county clerk, county attorney, and county treasurer;)   it becomes the duty of  the Webster County clerk, Lonnie Knehans, Webster County treasurer,   Lori Koertner  and the Webster County Attorney, Jerry McDole ( who has submitted his resignation to the county commissioners)   to appoint some one to fill the vacancy.
County commissioners in Webster County are elected to serve four year terms.  So when Petsch was elected in November of 2010 it was expected that he would serve until January of 2015.  Someone from District 1 must now  be appointed to  serve the remainder of his term.  District 1 includes the south east part of Webster county including the village of Guide Rock.

Petsch ran against Jeff Ord in the November 2010 election. 

Johanns Statement on DoL Withdrawing Proposed Child Ag Rule

April 26, 2012

WASHINGTON –Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today issued the following statement after the Department of Labor (DoL) withdrew an out-of-touch proposal designed to limit youth involvement in agriculture:

“Withdrawing this illogical rule is good news for families involved with agriculture and future generations of farmers and ranchers,” Johanns said. “It took a while, but I'm glad common-sense finally prevailed. I hope this isn't an isolated incident and will carry over to other overly burdensome regulations proposed by this Administration.”
Last September, the Obama Administration’s DoL issued a draft rule that would ban those under the age of 16 from working on a farm or ranch not owned by their parents – preventing young people from gaining the valuable, first-hand experience Nebraskans have for generations.

Johanns-Nelson Arbor Day Resolution Adopted by Senate

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today adopted a resolution introduced by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) and cosponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) celebrating the 140^th anniversary of Arbor Day and encouraging Americans to participate in Arbor Day activities in their community.

“Arbor Day is celebrated across the nation and around world,” Johanns said. “It’s about more than simply planting a tree. Arbor Day highlights the important role every one of us plays in land stewardship – something that is extremely important in Nebraska and in rural communities that depend on natural resources for their livelihood.”
J. Sterling Morton started Arbor Day in 1872 in Nebraska City, Neb., to recognize the importance of land stewardship by planting and caring for trees. It is estimated that more than one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day in Nebraska alone. Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states and across the world.
For more information on Arbor Day, contact the Arbor Day Foundation HERE.

Jess Henry Petsch 1-6-31 to 4-23-2012

Jess Henry Petsch was born on January 6, 1931, to Jess and Mable Carmen (Hill) Petsch in Hitchcock County, Nebraska. He departed this world on April 23, 2012 at the age of 81 years, 3 months and 17 days. Pete, as he was called, grew up on a farm near Stratton, Nebraska, attended Stratton public schools and graduated in 1949. He joined the Navy in August 1950 serving for 4 years. Pete was united in marriage to Wilma Barnhart on April 17, 1952 in Denver, Colorado. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Pete and Wilma moved back to Stratton where Pete farmed until moving to Lincoln in 1956. Pete worked in Lincoln until they purchased some land near and moved to Superior, NE. In 1963, Pete and Wilma and the family moved to the farm just east of Guide Rock. Pete worked for Ely Grain Company for several years and owned a custom harvesting company, while keeping up the farming operation. One of Pete's proudest moments was serving on the Guide Rock School Board and awarding diplomas to all four of his children. Pete also was a dedicated member of the Guide Rock American Legion and served several terms as a member of the Webster County Board of Commissioners. In addition to all of his jobs, he always took the time to participate and attend all of his children's sporting events and even was the announcer at the football games. Pete and Wilma have 4 children: Jerry, Joy, Jack and Jeff. Pete had many great passions in his life: his wife and children, helping his neighbors, playing cards, smoking his pipe, and especially spending time with his grand- and great-grand-children. Preceding him in death were his parents, two sisters, Grace Rook and Sylvie Cobb, and one brother Gary. Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Wilma, a brother, Dave and Liz Petsch of Guide Rock, a sister Ruth and Ellis Sutton of McCook, his children Jerry and Rita Petsch of Omaha, Joy and Ken Simpson of Gretna, NE, Jack and Ronda Petsch of Guide Rock, Jeff Petsch of Guide Rock, his grand children Bradley Simpson and LeAnn Hawkins, Jennifer (Simpson) and Rob Long, Rachel Simpson and Josiah Warren, Stephanie (Petsch) and Kody Urwiler, Stacie (Petsch) and Jason Heldt, Jessica Petsch, Justin Petsch, Jarred Petsch, Carmen Petsch, and his great grand children Jordyn Urwiler, Bradyn Urwiler, Bryson Urwiler, Josh Heldt, Haize Heldt, Payton Long, Malayna Long, Sawyer Long, Hannah Simpson, Hailey Simpson, Hayden Simpson, and many other family members and friends. Funeral services will be held Friday, 10:00 a.m., April 27, 2012 at the United Methodist Church in Guide Rock with the Rev. Joel Rathbun officiating. Interment with military honors will be at the Guide Rock Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to service time at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Guide Rock American Legion Post of the Guide Rock Fire & Rescue Squad. Williams Funeral Home 241 West 4th Avenue Red Cloud, Nebraska 68970 402-746-2500 williamsfuneralhomes@yahoo.com