2018 Dry Edible Bean Day set for Feb. 13 at Gering

The 2018 Nebraska Dry Edible Bean Day will feature an appearance by the new Nebraska Director of Agriculture in addition to advice for producers, the latest research, and reports from the state commission.

Dry Edible Bean Day is scheduled for Feb. 13 at the Gering Civic Center, sponsored by the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. Followed by a welcome from Bean Growers President Paul Pieper, the growers’ association annual meeting begins at 1 p.m.

Following the growers’ meeting, Jack Whittier of the Panhandle Research and Extension Center and Courtney Schuler, chair of the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, will speak, followed by a presentation from Brooke Brockman of Farm 2 School.

Keynote speaker Steve Wellman, the new Nebraska director of agriculture, is scheduled to speak at 2:30 p.m.

Following a break and opportunity to visit vendors, Extension educator John Thomas will moderate a panel discussion on direct harvest. At 3:40 p.m., University of Nebraska-Lincoln specialists will report on their research programs conducted at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center. They include:

Dry Bean Breeding Specialist Carlos Urrea, Potential Dry Bean Variety Releases;

Entomologist Jeff Bradshaw, Leveraging Nature to Improve Farming Profitability;

Extension Educator Jessica Groskopf, 2018: The Year of the Manager;

Water and Irrigation Management Specialist Xin Qiao, Irrigation Scheduling for Dry Beans with Soil Moisture and Canopy Temperature Sensors;

Integrated Weed Management Specialist Nevin Lawrence, Control of Palmer Amaranth in Dry Beans;

Soil and Nutrient Specialist Bijesh Maharjan, Soil and Water Conservation in Dry Bean Production; and

Plant Pathologist Bob Harveson, Have You Ever Wondered How We Diagnose Diseases?

Bean Day concludes with a social hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Vendors will have booths set up throughout the event.

For the second year, Bean Day will include a food drive for the area food pantries. Each person is asked to bring a bag of beans or food item to registration. Each food item or monetary donation is worth a ticket for several grand prize drawings. You must be present to win. The more items one brings or money given, the more chances to win.