The storms this past week have resulted in a lot of damage at a difficult and critical time for crop decision making. I’m sorry for all affected and grateful for safety for those who had windows, vehicles, homes and other structures damaged. Last week I wrote a blog post on assessing hail damage at: https://jenreesources.com/2022/06/10/hail-damage-assessment/. It shares photos of things to look for in crops. I will continue to share recovery photos as time progresses on my jenreesources.com blog.

The challenge in sharing blanket information is each field and farm situation will have details to consider that don’t apply to others. Herbicides used and timing, crop insurance, amount of grain marketed, percent of acres impacted, amongst other factors all come into play. I’ve had individual conversations where I’ve shared experiences, especially regarding herbicides and replant considerations, but they’re not things I can write about. There’s a lot of experience and wisdom within the people in this area of the State who helped with and were impacted by the June 2014 storms. If you have stories/experiences you’re willing to share, please share your comments at the end of my blog post. Also, I’d just recommend talking to a variety of people (other farmers, agronomists, seed and chem reps, crop insurance) so you can get different perspectives and determine the wisest plan for your specific situation.

It seems like farming has continued to become more challenging, especially with weather events. It’s just another reminder to me how we’re not in control and how we’re ultimately stewards of everything we’ve been given to do the best we can. We have a long growing season left and storms like this take emotional tolls on everyone involved from farmers to families to those serving farmers with decision making and sales/application. So, I would encourage everyone to stay safe with the upcoming heat, find ways each day to look for positives and keep perspective, take small breaks whenever you can, and keep talking to others. And, for those who keep me accountable to what I write, I’m doing these things too!

After the storm webinar: Thursday, June 16^th from Noon-1, a team of us will be presenting a webinar on crop decision making after the hailstorm. If interested, please register here: https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.

Hail damage to landscapes: The biggest thing to remember for trees, lawns, plants in general is to not apply fertilizer or any products to stressed plants. Plants will shoot new growth as long as the growing point wasn’t injured. Damaged vegetation will turn brown and eventually slough off. If you do choose to cut away dead growth, it may be wise to dip your scissors/pruning shears in a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) after each cut to reduce the opportunity for bacterial transmission. For those with rhubarb that was ready to be harvested, you can still cut and use stems that aren’t mushy from rotting at this point (can cut out the most damaged areas of stems with stone damage). The following tips are from UNL’s Backyard Farmer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIeA731LQg8&t=1s.

Estate Planning Workshop Central City June 23: We had a packed house at Seward last winter for this meeting. Sharing this opportunity as several mentioned they’d be willing to drive to listen again to Al Vyhnalek and Tom Fehringer as there’s so much to glean. The info. they present is wise, practical, thought-provoking. So, please share with others this opportunity at the Fairgrounds in Central City from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. It includes a free lunch and please RSVP at: 308-946-3843.

Irrigation scheduling equipment: It’s crazy that this week is mid-June! Here’s a reminder if you haven’t already set out ET gages and/or your irrigation scheduling equipment. And, I realize that some of this has to be delayed depending on replant decisions and/or obtaining new pivots.