Crop Tech Cafe is a locally focused agronomy website created and managed by Nathan Mueller, Water & Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator for Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties.
Crop Tech Cafe provides locally relevant and timely information to crop producers in southeast Nebraska. The tagline for the website is “Know your crop, know your tech, know your bottom line… Feeding you agronomic information for your farm in southeast Nebraska.” There are three main sections or drop-down menus on Crops, Technology, and Economics. The crops section focuses on harder to obtain information and resources on lower acreage crops in the region including winter wheat and alfalfa. The technology section is currently under construction, but will focus on precision Ag technologies, data management, and on-farm research. The last section on the bottom line focusing on local data on cash rent rates, custom rates, and hay prices.
The website serves as the host for in-person Nebraska Extension agronomy events for producers including the Southeast Nebraska Alfalfa & Wheat Expo, Winter Wheat Variety Field Day. There is also a dedicated page for private pesticide applicator training and chemigation training since these are two required trainings for some producers to take that are taught locally by Nebraska Extension.
Saline, Jefferson, and Gage County Agronomy Extension Advisory Group
The purpose of the Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties agronomy Extension advisory group will provide local feedback on Nebraska Extension agronomy programming (amount, topics, quality, etc.) and conduct local needs assessments on area agronomic issues (challenges, successes, research, support, etc.). The structure of the advisory group is 10 to 12 producer and agronomists located in Saline, Jefferson and Gage counties. There will be no officer positions or subcommittees. Members will agree to serve one-year at a time. The group will meet annually. Meetings last no more than 2 hours.
Current Advisory Members (2020 to current):
- Chris Woerner (Ag Service)
- Dave Panko (Ag Service)
- Brian Scherling (Ag Service)
- Dana Schleufer (Independent Crop Consultant)
- Mark Knobel (Producer/Wheat Board Member)
- Kyle Pohlmann (Producer/SE Corn Growers Association)
- Matt Helmke (Producer, SE Corn Growers Association)
- Rodney Ensz (Producer)
- David Endorf (Producer)
- Mark Due (Producer)
- Nathan Dorn (Producer, Nebraska Soybean Board Member)