This is Nathan Mueller, Cropping Systems Extension Educator in Fremont, NE. I will be hosting a workshop for a new initiative that seeks to enhance the knowledge of corn, soybean, and wheat producers on their sustainability and operational efficiency. The free workshop will be on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 9 am to 1 pm at the Dodge County Extension Office at 1206 West 23rd Street in Fremont.
Participating farmers will use a new web based tool called the Fieldprint® Calculator. Calculating “Fieldprints” can help growers to establish benchmark data on a field and track improvements overtime, set energy saving and efficiency goals and compare performance against local, state and national benchmarks.
The Fieldprint Calculator is simple to use, though the technology behind it is very complex. The new field assessment initiative provides a hands-on workshop and participating growers will take home documentation on eight sustainability and efficiency indicators. These measures are Land Use, Conservation, Soil Carbon, Irrigation Water Use, Water Quality, Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Quality. Participants will select a representative crop field for 2014 and complete a data input sheet in advance of the Fieldprint® Calculator workshop. Meals and workshop materials are sponsored thanks to a University of Nebraska Extension Innovation grant. Computer laptops are provided to participants or bring your own.
The workshop instructors include a core team of Nebraska Extension Educators and Specialists. They are Randy Pryor, Gary Zoubek, Gary Lesoing, John Hay and Charles Schapiro.
For more information and to pre-register by the December 5th deadline, contact me at the Dodge County Extension office at 402-727-2775, again that phone number is 402-727-2775. To read this radio message, please visit my website at croptechcafe.org. This is Nathan Mueller, Cropping Systems Extension Educator on KTIC radio.
