October 4, 1996



A Little Porch Sitting

UNL Garden Friends and descendants of the S.W. Perin family gather last week for the official dedication of the Perin Porch, located on UNL's East Campus.

The porch is a replica of one attached to the original boardinghouse of the State Agricultural Farm and named for S.W. Perin, the farm's superintendent from 1889 to 1930. The Perin Porch is part of UNL's Botanical Garden and Arboretum, and its surrounding grounds feature a variety of traditional plantings, including spirea, lilacs and climbing roses. A rose collection south of the porch features a variety of roses that existed around the time of the old boardinghouse. (Photo by Richard Voges)

Rural Nebraskans Generally Support Environmental Efforts


By Vicki Miller
IANR Science Writer

Rural Nebraskans are split on whether the state does enough to prevent groundwater depletion and pollution, and more than half support environmental protection regulations, the first-ever Rural Nebraska Poll shows.

"I think our results show that rural Nebraskans are very aware about the environment and their role in it. On average, they support preventing environmental damage," said John Allen, a rural sociologist in the agricultural economics department at UNL.

Allen conducted the poll for UNL's Center for Rural Community Revitalization and Development to learn about rural Nebraskans' views, needs and well-being. Environment was among numerous topics the poll addressed. About 2,750 randomly selected rural Nebraskans completed a survey questionnaire in March and April.

Forty-two percent of those polled said the state does not do enough to prevent groundwater pollution, 37 percent said it does and 21 percent had no opinion. Thirty-seven percent said the state does enough to prevent groundwater depletion, 34 percent disagreed and 29 percent had no opinion. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent.

"I hadn't expected this," Allen said. He'd been told that groundwater depletion and pollution wasn't a major issue with the general public.

"We found almost the opposite. There are some very strong opinions on both sides of this question," said Allen. More than half of the rural Nebraskans surveyed support environmental damage and cleanup regulations, he added.

Asked whether requirements for preventing environmental damage should be relaxed to reduce business compliance costs, 58 percent said no; 19 percent said yes and 23 percent had no opinion.

Asked about relaxing environmental cleanup regulations to reduce business compliance costs, 63 percent said no; 20 percent said yes and 17 percent had no opinion.

"Rural Nebraskans understand the role of environmental regulations at a much greater depth than I had anticipated," Allen said. "I'd expected a stronger view of wanting to reduce government involvement in the environmental arena."

Farmers' and non-farmers' views differed somewhat on the poll's environmental questions, Allen said. Those differences probably are due to different perspectives and experiences. For example, farmers deal with environmental regulations daily and may tend to view them as more of a burden than non-farmers. They also are more aware than non-farmers of the steps they've taken to improve environmental quality in their operations.

"I think these differences reinforce the fact that there needs to be an ongoing dialogue between farmers and non-farmers," Allen said.

Non-farmers need to better understand what steps producers are taking to reduce environmental impacts and farmers need to understand that non-farmers are concerned about the environmental implications of their agricultural activities.

"What needs to be discussed is a balance and the trade-offs between environment and food production," he added.

Other poll findings: "As I look at this data overall, I think it shows that rural Nebraskans are thinking about stewardship of the land. They're aware of their environment and care about protecting it," Allen said.

Researchers continue to analyze poll results. Information on other aspects of the poll will be available later this year.

The poll was sent to randomly selected rural residents living in towns and the country in Nebraska's 87 rural counties. Respondents' average age was 53. Three-quarters were married, 73 percent were male, 70 percent lived in town, 60 percent lived in communities smaller than 5,000 people and 18 percent were farmers or ranchers. Respondents had lived in their current community for an average of 32 years.

The Rural Nebraska Poll was conducted in cooperation with IANR's Cooperation Extension and Agricultural Research Divisions.

Editor's note: This is the second of several articles reporting results of the first-ever Rural Nebraska Poll. Stories about other facets of this study will be provided as results become available.

UNL Libraries to Help Preserve Historical Literature

The University Libraries has joined a national effort to identify and preserve historical literature about agricultural development and rural life published from 1820 through 1945. The project will preserve a significant sector of U.S. history for future generations of scholars and farmers.

Cornell University is leading the cooperative preservation effort on behalf of the U.S. Agricultural Information Network. To conduct the project, Cornell was awarded an $850,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has subcontracted with each of the states involved in the project.

The foundations of the project were laid in 1993 when USAIN commissioned a report entitled "National Preservation Program for Agrucultural Literature." The current project implements part of that report by identifying and ranking historical literature for each of the following nine states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Rural life will be the focus, represented by many types of historic publications. Once the rankings are done, four of the states will select about 6,819 early and valuable volumes which will be preserved on microfilm.

In Nebraska, the Co-Project Directors are Katherine L. Walter and Rebecca A. Bernthal, Head of the C.Y. Thompson Library. For more information, contact Bernthal at 472-4404.

A & E's 'Straight Dope' Examines Nebraska Quicksand

Quicksand - Nebraska style - will be shown in all its messy glory Oct. 6 on "Straight Dope," a program on the Arts and Entertainment Network.

Darryll Pederson, hydrologist with the UNL Division of Conservation and Survey, and Jim Goeke, associate professor and research hydrogeologist at the West Central Research and Extension Station in North Platte, appear on the program.

"Straight Dope," televised at 10 p.m. (CDT) Sundays, is based on a long-running newspaper column in which readers ask questions to be answered by experts on a topic. A reader asked if there is such a thing as quicksand and producers of the show were referred to Pederson, who took them to a bog near Paxton, Neb.

Pederson, who has studied quicksand in Nebraska for 12 years, said quicksand, or more correctly, sand boils, are common in Nebraska's Sand Hills, and in other parts of the world where a supply of underground water seeps slowly upward through a heavy concentration of sand.

Fortunately, he said, the density of the sand and water mix keeps less-dense humans from sinking more than waist deep in the mire, a point demonstrated by the show's host, Mike Lukas, who donned a wetsuit and plodded warily into the sand boil, about 40 feet across and 25 feet deep.

Chancellor Moeser, center, cuts a birthday cake at a Sept. 18 celebration marking the 20th year of the Center for Great Plains Studies. Assisting the chancellor are Linda Ratcliffe, public relations representative for the center, and John Wunder, center director.


Center For Great Plains Studies Celebrates 20th Year

The year was 1976. Several professors at UNL decided it was time to get together to discuss their common research and teaching interests - about Nebraska and the Great Plains. They wanted some formal way to recognize their informal discussions and curiosity about our region. The eventual result was the founding of the Center for Great Plains Studies and its charter as approved by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

A large number of faculty founded the center 20 years ago. Many are still active faculty at UNL, including Maurice Baker, agricultural economics; Margaret Bolick, curator of botany, Nebraska State Museum; Miguel Carranza, sociology and ethnic studies; Ralph Grajeda, English and ethnic studies; Gregory Hayden, economics; Keith Jacobshagen, art; Frances Kaye, English and Native American studies; Merlin Lawson, geography; Tice Miller, theatre arts and dance; Gary Moulton, history; Paul Olson, English; Linda Pratt, English; Keith Sawyers, architecture; Randall Snyder, music; Robert Spence, art; Robert Stoddard, geography; Michael Voorhies, curator of vertebrate paleontology, Nebraska State Museum; Leslie Whipp, English; J. Allen Williams, Jr., sociology; David Wishart, geography; and George Wolf, English.

Others are emerita and emeritus faculty from UNL who continue to maintain a strong interest in center activities, such as Warren Caldwell, anthropology; M. Marie Fischer, community and regional planning; Raymond Haggh, music; Leslie Hewes, geography; Robert Knoll, English; William Long, English; Frederick Luebke, history; Charles McIntosh, geography; Paul Schach, modern languages and literatures; T. Mylan Stout, geography; Joseph Svoboda, archivist.

Still others have moved on to other universities or careers, but continue to help out with center programs and publications. These founders include Brian Blouet, geography; James Gibson, anthropology; Elizabeth Grobsmith, anthropology; Elaine Jahner, English and Native American studies; and Roger Welsch, English and anthropology. Two founders, Robert Beadell of music and Erv Goldenstein of curriculum and instruction, now deceased, also made significant contributions to the Center's success.

In many ways, this broad base of support has ensured the center's quality, its strong national and international recognition beyond our region and its longevity. Today, 20 years later, the Center for Great Plains Studies consists of fellows from all of the University of Nebraska campuses, has published numerous books and journals, and produces Great Plains classes, seminars and public projects. It is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary regional research and teaching institute in North America.

'Precision Decisions' Conference Slated for Nov. 11-12

The latest "nuts and bolts" in precision agriculture using satellites and computers will be presented and discussed Nov. 11-12 at a regional conference and trade show in Omaha.
"Precision Decisions `96" will feature presentations by agricultural producers using the technology, as well as specialists from the industry, UNL, Iowa State University and Purdue University.

"The conference will demonstrate potential tools that will help producers fine-tune their management practice in the future," said Elbert Dickey, assistant dean for NU Cooperative Extension. "By understanding the impact of producer's decisions about inputs or lack of them, the producer will be better able to take advantage of practices that will bring more dollars on the bottom line."

Precision agriculture, or site-specific production, uses computers and satellites to tell producers exactly what yields are in every square foot of a field. In this way, problem areas can be identified and better managed, Dickey explained.

Each day of the conference features speakers in general and breakout sessions. The states of Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois are represented through more than 30 producers, university specialists, U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers, and businesses representing computer technology and agriculture.

Kicking off the event beginning at 10 a.m. Nov. 11 are keynote topics and speakers - "Precision Farming and You: The Big Picture," by Doug Harford, a Mazon, Ill., producer; and "A Status Report: Where is Precision Farming Today?" by USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists Tom Colvin of ISU and Jim Schepers of UNL.

Other topics throughout the conference include equipment and software comparisons, putting together a precision farming package, what the dealers and researchers say about a global positioning satellite and remote sensing, how precision agriculture fits in with center-pivot irrigation, how precision farming pays off, how to read yield and management maps, and who owns precision farming data.

The early registration fee of $129, due by Oct. 28, includes a "Guide to Precision Farming" book, lunch on both days and continental breakfast. Additional persons from the same farm or business can attend the conference for $119 each. Registration after Oct. 28 is $140. Application is being made for continuing education credits (CEU).

For more information, call (800)254-3509, or a local Cooperative Extension office. Hotel reservations should be made directly with the Holiday Convention Centre at 72nd and Grover streets, phone (402) 393-3950.

The conference is sponsored by Nebraska Farmer and Wallaces Farmer, both Farm Progress magazines, in cooperation with Cooperative Extension at Iowa State University, and the NU Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Horsemen's Conference Oct. 19 at UNL

Demonstrations on horsemanship and an update on horse management will be featured in the second Nebraska Horsemen's Conference scheduled for Oct. 19 at the UNL Animal Science building.

There will be jumping, trail riding, cutting and farrier demonstrations at the conference, according to Wayne Kramer of Lincoln, conference co-chair and member of the Nebraska Horse Council, a co-sponsor of the event.

Speakers will discuss the relationship of conformation to function in the horse, lameness, equine reproduction, legal aspects of horse ownership, facility considerations for horse farms, new Lancaster County Equine Show Facility, current status of the equine industry in the United States and horses on the Internet.

The guest speakers include: Gary Stauffer of O'Neill, Neb., NU extension educator in Holt County; Dr. Kenton Morgan, veterinarian at Bayer Animal Health, Eagle, Neb.; Kathy Anderson, UNL horse specialist; Al Stark, manager of computer clientele services, UNL; Rod Rehm, Lincoln attorney; Charles Willnerd of Roca, Neb. and Gary Bergman of Lincoln, NU extension educator, representing the Lancaster County Agricultural Society; John Hertner of Kearney, Neb., president of the American Paint Horse Association; and Kramer.

The conference begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 5 p.m on Oct. 19. Admission, including lunch, is $25 for those over 16 years of age and $10 for those under age 16 if purchased by Oct. 15.

To obtain registration materials, contact Kramer at 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509-5007, phone 471-2541 or 797-5865.

The conference is sponsored by NU Cooperative Extension within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Nebraska Horse Council.


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