Local Interest
Spring flowers in range or pastures could be noxious weeds
By Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Livestock Systems Educator
Late April, May, and June are the months when we frequently see both native and non-native forbs begin to grow and start to flower in range and pasture. If you are seeing “pretty flowers” you may not recognize, now is the time to check them out. Those flowers or plants you don’t recognize may be a plant that is an invasive species. Early detection and rapid response are critical to helping to keep noxious weeds at bay. The cost and impact of their presence can be minimized by identifying and dealing with invasive species when the numbers are small. Also, scout now for noxious and invasive weeds you spotted last year. If you see new plants present, make a plan to control them.
Some common invasive species that are starting to grow or will be this time of year include leafy spurge, dalmatian toad flax, field bindweed, Canada thistle, scotch thistle, bull thistle, musk thistle, spotted and diffuse knapweed, and common mullein. Other species to be on the lookout for include absinth wormwood and sericea lespedeza. They are invasive species that don’t have big and robust brightly colored flowers. Preventing noxious weeds from going to seed is important for reducing seed spread. If the plant is already in the flowering stage, cutting off the seed heads prior to killing the plant will help to eliminate seed spread. Bagging and properly disposing of seed heads prevents viable seeds on plants from spreading.
Have questions about the plant you are seeing? Nebraska Extension has educators and specialists who can help you identify the plant. Bring in a plant or send a picture, and we will work with you to identify if that “pretty flower” belongs to a native plant that you can enjoy or if it is something you need to control.
The Nebraska Weed Control Association website https://neweed.org/ is an excellent resource on noxious weeds in Nebraska. To control the invasive species, check with the Nebraska Extension 2025 Guide to Weed Management, which is an excellent reference guide for herbicide options.
UNL Releases Preliminary Farm Real Estate Market Survey Results for Northwest Nebraska
The market value of agricultural land in Nebraska declined by 2 percent over the prior year to an average of $3,935 per acre, according to the preliminary results of the 2025 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey. This marks the first decline in the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska since reaching the record non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in the survey's 46-year history in 2024.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Department of Agricultural Economics annually surveys land industry professionals across Nebraska, including appraisers, farm and ranch managers, agricultural bankers, and related industry professionals. Results from the survey are divided by land class and summarized by the eight Agricultural Statistic Districts of Nebraska.
Land industry professionals responding to the annual survey attributed the drop in Nebraska agricultural real estate values to current crop prices, interest rate levels, and farm input costs commonly used by operations across the state. Lower crop prices for commodities grown across the state have tightened the financial positions of many operations. Interest rates have raised borrowing costs for leasing or real estate purchases. Farm input costs and current interest rates present elevated financial pressure and influence land or agricultural equipment investment decisions.
Panhandle Lego Robotics Teams Bring Home Awards
“The Nebraska Panhandle showed up with our teams to compete at the Nebraska First Lego League Robotics State Championship Tournament that had 89 teams from across the state,” said Nathan Rice, Nebraska Extension 4-H Youth Development and coach for the Lord of the Gummies team. “Our teams demonstrated what they learned this year through countless hours of problem-solving, building, and coding.”
The competing teams had between 2 and 10 members, aged 9 to 14 years. The teams work together to design, build, and program a robot. The robots must accomplish as many missions as possible in two minutes and 30 seconds. Along with building and coding the robots, the teams design and present an innovation project that positively impacts their local community.
“We (Scotts Bluff County 4-H) had two teams finish in the top three, with the Lord of the Gummies receiving the 1st place Championship Trophy and the Panhandle Cookie Bytes receiving the 3rd Place Champions Trophy,” Rice said. Both Teams are qualified to move on to world tournaments. The Lord of the Gummies will compete in April at the FIRST World Championships in Houston, Texas, where 67 countries from across the world will be represented at the tournament. The Panhandle Cookie Bytes will compete in June at the WPI Annual First Lego League Event in Worcester, Mass.
Tractor and Equipment safety courses for the Panhandle in June
By Nebraska Extension
Nebraska Extension and Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, have announced plans for the annual tractor and equipment safety training courses scheduled in June for Gering and Chadron.
The Tractor and Equipment Training Course will be held June 3-4, 2025 at the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering. The safety course will also be held June 5 at the Dawes County Fairgrounds in Chadron.
Federal law prohibits youth under 16 years of age from using certain equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program (NSTMOP) grants an exemption to the law, allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with certain mechanized equipment.
The Nebraska Extension and CS-CASH collaborate to offer NSTMOP certification. Certification is earned by completing a two-day certification course, which includes a written test and a driving exam.
The cost of the course is $60 and includes educational materials, the online learning link (if applicable), supplies, and lunch and snacks at in-person training. Payment will be made via credit card if registering online or via check if registering by mail.
To register, visit go.unmc.edu/tractor-safety-training. Contact Kelsey Irvine at kepalm@unmc.edu or 402-321-4236 with questions.
Connect with Us
ServSafe Manager is an 8-hour food safety training and certification course. This course is designed for restaurant owners, managers, food handlers, dieticians, and dietary managers.
- Protect your customers from food-born illness & improve food quality
- reduce liability risks
- improve profitability & give your business a competitive edge
- course includes: food microbiology, sanitary food handling & storage, personal health hygiene & housekeeping, and pest control & safety precedures
A course is being offered in Scottsbluff at the Panhandle Research Extension & Education Center on May 13, 2025 from 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Register 3 weeks prior to course date, $140 (all materials received at time of class), $150 (class manual mailed prior to class).
Register at https://go.unl.edu/westservsafe. Servsafe Food safety training registration opens January 1, 2025.
For more information, contact Brenda Aufdenkamp 308-532-2683 or baufdenkamp1@unl.edu.
New 4-H program will bring STEAM to area students
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
This winter, kindergarteners to middle schoolers in Scottsbluff and the surrounding area will benefit from a recently awarded Beyond School Bells, Think Make Create (TMC) Lab. The mobile trailer lab is designed to meet Nebraska’s rural Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) programs. The Nebraska Extension 4-H received a grant from the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation for the trailer.
Nebraska Extension Zone 1 Building and Collaborating with Communities
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
The 11 counties in the Panhandle are all part of the University of Nebraska Extension Engagement Zone 1. The zones are umbrellas for extension programs, from 4-H to master gardeners and disaster education. Rob Eirich is the Zone 1 Coordinator and Extension Educator in Scottsbluff. He leads the multiple departments under Zone 1 and builds relationships with local leaders and elected officials. Extension is one of many organizations that collaborates with Career Connections of Western Nebraska, a program for developing and sustaining career paths in rural communities. “Career Connections of Western Nebraska is showing young people there are opportunities and internships regionally, as well as, careers pathways where they have the opportunity to come back and be successful,” Eirich said. “We're starting to see these young people look for ways to connect with businesses. It triggers that interest of I can do what I want to do here and looking at the opportunities to come back where we need them.”
