Pivotal Issues Blog

By: Heather Barnes Have you been making New Year’s resolutions every year, only to have them fall by the wayside before Valentine’s Day? Try picking a word for the year instead. I first heard about this from a blogger I follow, who talked about choosing one important word that would be her theme for the […]

By: Jodi Henke Help out your feathered friends this winter by making homemade suet cakes for them. It provides a high-energy source of fat and protein during increased energy needs in colder weather. Pure suet is the fatty tissue around a cow’s kidneys. You could also use pork lard, lamb fat, or even Crisco. Dave Shiley is […]

By: Jerry Nelson It’s no secret that our nation has become deeply divided. We are riven by profound emotions, feelings that are so strong that they’ve resulted in the installation of regrettable tattoos by numerous members on both sides of the chasm. This pervasive contentiousness can be boiled down to one question: Are you a […]

By: Laurie Bedord Jacquelyne Leffler wasn’t always planning to be a farmer. A star athlete in track and field, the Kansan had originally set her sights on a career that would build on her passion for sports.  Trained as a college athlete throughout high school, the gifted competitor won eight Kansas State High School Association […]

By: Myron Friesen For years, I rented land from my parents and other neighbors. When my parents passed away, it became a challenge to rent from several of my siblings. Now, as my neighbors have passed away, renting from some of their heirs has become a challenge as well. How can I make sure my […]

By: Laurie Bedord Because plant breeding and seed product development is a long, expensive process, crop breeders want to find any problem a variety might have as soon as possible to get it out of the pipeline. In the past, measuring traits like plant height meant relying on humans to assess plants. Armed with a […]

By: Natalina Sents Celebrating the holidays with a live Christmas tree is one way to support local farmers and make memories with your family this time of year. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “Taking your family to a tree farm to select the perfect centerpiece for your holiday celebration is a great way to […]

By: Jodi Henke If you have liquid pesticides that need storing over the winter, make sure they don’t freeze. Jan Hygnstrom works with pesticide safety at University of Nebraska Extension. She says the freezing point of many liquid pesticides is lower than 32-degrees due to the hydrocarbon solvents or inert ingredients. However, if they do freeze, this can happen. […]

By: Jodi Henke Our family loves going out to get a live Christmas tree. The tree farm we go to has a mechanical shaker, and there’s always something that falls out. Dead needles, bird nests, and especially bugs are all things I’m happy to leave behind. Keith Jarvi is an extension educator at the University […]

By Mike McGinnis Within a week, the U.S. corn and soybean harvests could be all over, according to the USDA. Meanwhile, winter wheat crops are over three-quarters emerged.As of Sunday, 91% of the U.S. corn was picked vs. a 80% five-year average. In Illinois, 95% of the crop has been harvested. The USDA rated the […]