The fifth annual UNL conference is scheduled for April 22-23 at Lincoln's Embassy Suites.

"Our day-to-day preoccupation with water quantity, which intensified with our recent drought and ongoing interstate water compact negotiations, has often overshadowed water quality issues that all of us in the Great Plains need to be concerned with in order to protect our way of life," said Kyle Hoagland, UNL Water Center director.

The conference will address integrated approaches to water quality improvement, economics of water quality, agriculture and biofuels issues, ecology and culture of water quality, challenges to water quality from agricultural pesticides and other potential contaminants, and Northern Plains groundwater quality.

Key speakers on the conference's first day include:

* G. Tracy Mehan III, former assistant administrator for water for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will talk on integrated watershed approaches for the 21st century.

* Former Wall Street Journal environmental editor Frank Allen, who will discuss journalism's duty in reporting on water issues.

* Bruce Babbitt, former Arizona governor and former U.S. secretary of the interior under President Bill Clinton.

"We are expecting a lively discussion from a panel composed of Nebraska water sages," said UNL Water Center assistant director Lorrie Benson. Panelists are longtime UNL environmental studies professor Bob Kuzelka, Prairie Fire newspaper publisher W. Don Nelson, former UNL Water Center director Warren Viessman, Steve Oltmans of Olsson Associates and consultant Dennis Grams, former EPA administrator.

Registration is online at http://watercenter.unl.edu/WaterConference/. For help with the registration process, contact Jackie Loomis at UNL's School of Natural Resources, (402) 472-7550, or e-mail jloomis3@unl.edu.

BURWELL An educational program to discuss the benefits of purchasing and storing corn byproducts is set for Tuesday at the Burwell Legion Club.

A supper will begin at 7 p.m. and the program will start at 8 p.m.

The program will help producers look at ways to reduce beef production costs. One method that may fit into a producer's feeding operation is purchasing corn byproducts when they are priced cheaper, then storing them for winter feeding.

UNL Extension has been doing storage research of ethanol byproducts for several years.

Dr. Aaron Stalker, UNL Beef Range System specialist, and Dr. Mike Ward, beef nutritionist for McNess Feeds, will be guest speakers at the event. A panel of ranchers Bob Price, Lynn Jeffres and Ron Morgan will discuss recent re- search.

For more information, call Big Red Feeds at (308) 346-5532 or Steven Niemeyer at (308) 346-4200.

The Nebraska Pork Producers and Nebraska Dry Bean Commission are offering a $1,000 grand prize in the New Pork & Beans Recipe Challenge.

"Today's pork is leaner than ever, while dry beans are a great source of low-fat fiber and protein," said Jane Reeson of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association. "People have combined the two for ages to create flavorful and nutritious meals, and we're excited to have the chance to try some new favorites."

To enter the contest, recipes must use either boneless pork loin or tenderloin and any dry edible bean, canned or dry-packaged.

In addition to the $1,000 grand prize, the runnerup will receive $500 and the third-place winner will receive $250. Recipes, which must be typed and mailed, are due by July 15. Culinary students and experts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will assist in judging all recipes, including preparing and judging the top selections.

The top recipes will also be featured at the 2008 Nebraska State Fair, where they will be demonstrated at the Cooking Stage in Ag Hall.

Typed recipes should be sent by July 15 by mail only to Lynn Reuter, Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, 4502 Ave. I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361, or Jane Reeson, Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Box 277, Giltner, NE 68841.

For more information on the contest, visit www.nepork.org, contact Reeson at (402) 849-2532 or call Reuter at (308) 632-1258.

PWL