The 66th season of Backyard Farmer, Nebraska’s must-see television program for gardening information, will premiere April 5 on NET.
Backyard Farmer offers answers to people’s gardening questions. Viewers submit questions on topics such as fruits and vegetables; insects; turf; annuals and perennials; weeds; trees and shrubs; and wildlife. A panel of experts from Nebraska Extension and University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s landscape services unit offers science-based recommendations.
This season will begin with a focus on how the landscape and gardens and all the plants, insects, diseases and critters that inhabit them wake up in the spring. In addition, Ken Dewey, a climatologist and professor of natural resources and geography with the university, will be on the show offering a weather outlook for the upcoming gardening season.
Backyard Farmer is coming off its highest-rated season ever according to producer Brad Mills. In addition, the Backyard Farmer audience on social media continues to grow. The show’s YouTube page recently surpassed 5.5 million views.
“Facebook, YouTube and the other social sites give us the opportunity to continue the conversations that are originally started on Thursdays’ during the live show,” Mills said.
Backyard Farmer’s social media presence is managed by Terri James, assistant extension educator.
In addition to submitting questions through the Backyard Farmer website, viewers can also connect with the panelists through their social networks.
Backyard Farmer viewers will have the opportunity to attend the filming of select live-to-tape episodes throughout the season. Special shows will be filmed at Harmon Park in Kearney on June 3, and the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island on Aug. 29. All live-to-tape shows will air at a later date.
Backyard Farmer airs live on NET at 7 p.m. each Thursday from April through the first part of September. The show is also live streamed on http://netnebraska.org/. The rebroadcasts air on NET at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and on Create (NET 3) at 2 p.m. Sundays and 5 p.m. Mondays.
