‘Round the NSHC Coffeepot

It was a big change when Jason Regier moved his family from Kansas City, where he worked in youth ministry, back to southwestern Nebraska to transition the family farm as his dad retired.

It was an even bigger contrast when farmers would talk about their challenges – weeds and pests and crop-damaging fungus.

“I struck me as odd that most conversationsw I had with farmers was about killing stuff,” he said.

This time of year, farmers are deciding whether their crops would benefit from a nutrient boost, weighing yield potential against the high cost of fertilizer. A tool that monitors plant health from space is helping make those decisions easier.

Sentinel Ag collects images of a crops via satellite and combines it with agronomic data to deliver recommendations to a farmer’s pocket. An email or app alerts users when a crop is showing signs of nitrogen deficiency or lack of moisture.

Brian Brhel is working to farm closer to nature by growing diverse crops and incorporating livestock on the landscape. He’s fostering soil health, and raising healthy cattle and nutritious beef.

He can taste the difference in his forage-finished beef.

“The flavor is more enhanced,” he said. “There’s a depth to it and a richness from the forages they consume.”

Farmers across Nebraska are facing another year of planting into dust, but by diversifying their crops and staying flexible, farmers can make the most of it.

On Zach Mader’s farm north of Grand Island, the first week of April brought an inch of rain – the first significant moisture he’s seen since September.

Years of building up healthy soils created a structure beneath his feet. His soils are porous enough to let rainwater soak in. High organic matter helps stabilize soil aggregates, keeping particles in place when water and wind want to erode the earth.

A producer-to-producer learning community is one of the key components of the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition’s mission to promote the adoption of soil health systems and help rural communities. The organization is using economic and socio-behavioral interviews to arm producers with data to adjust their nutrients, improve water quality and foster trusting relationships in the name of improving sustainability.