8 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN August 2025 NC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Richard (Dick) Pierce*, Miller, (308) 440-2489 PRESIDENT-ELECT: Craig Uden*, Johnson Lake, (308) 325-0285 VICE PRESIDENT: Eric Hansen, North Platte, (308) 530-3899 PAST PRESIDENT: Jerry Kuenning*, Lemoyne, (308) 883-8382 SECRETARY/TREASURER: Laura Field, Lincoln, (402) 326-7743 MEMBER SERVICES VICE CHAIR BY REGION 1 – Jaclyn Wilson, Lakeside, (308) 762-3196 2 – Lydia O’Brien, Whitman, (308) 546-7349 3 – Allan Louthan, Stanton, (402) 841-6601 4 – John Kennedy, Primrose, (308) 920-2828 5 – Jim Edwards, Ord, (308) 750-0881 6 – Bob Wiseman, Hershey, (308) 530-3137 7 – Heath Clausen, Leigh, (402) 750-4433 8 – Becky Funk, DVM, Lawrence, (308) 360-3179 9 – Erica Schluntz, Naponee, (308) 920-3191 COW-CALF COUNCIL CHAIR: Travis Chrisman, Wauneta, (308) 883-6781 VICE CHAIR: Jake Johnson, Hastings, (402) 984-8824 FARMER-STOCKMAN COUNCIL CHAIR: Dwight Dam, Hooper, (402) 720-4250 VICE CHAIR: FEEDLOT COUNCIL CHAIR: Ryan Danehey, Manhattan, Kan., (308) 440-8267 VICE CHAIR: Daron Huyser, Lexington, (308) 233-4368 SEEDSTOCK COUNCIL CHAIR: James Felt, Wakefield, (402) 287-2488 VICE CHAIR: Kristian Rennert, Elm Creek, (308) 440-9463 ALLIED INDUSTRIES COUNCIL Jake Pullen, Aurora, (308) 380-9040 ~ COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP ~ ANIMAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION CHAIR: Jeff Heldt, Scottsbluff, (308) 641-5781 CHAIR-ELECT: Scott Reynolds, DVM, Broken Bow, (308) 870-0970 BRAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS CHAIR: Matt Blackford, Thedford, (402) 322-1377 CHAIR-ELECT: Robert Star, Hershey, (308) 520-3488 EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CHAIR: Suzanne Jagels, Davenport, (402) 469-3374 CHAIR-ELECT: Kelly Terrell, Gothenburg, (308) 930-2162 MARKETING AND COMMERCE CHAIR: Chance McLean, Stromsburg, (402) 366-2254 CHAIR-ELECT: Marshall Hansen, Omaha, (402) 616-4541 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT CHAIR: Sam Drinnin, Grand Island, (402) 910-0233 CHAIR-ELECT: Logan Pribbeno, Imperial, (308) 883-7770 TAXATION CHAIR: Stephen Sunderman, Norfolk, (402) 750-0149 CHAIR-ELECT: Steven Wellman, Syracuse, (402) 269-7024 MEMBER SERVICES CHAIR: Quentin Dailey, Lexington, (308) 293-1144 NEBRASKA LIVESTOCK MARKETING ASSOCIATION REP. Bryce Dibbern, Interior, S.D., (308) 293-7766 UNL EXTENSION REPRESENATIVE Erin Laborie, Beaver City, (419) 494-3872 UNL REPRESENTATIVE Deb VanOverbeke, Lincoln, (402) 714-5879 * member of the Executive & Finance Committee INSIGHTS IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL DARON HUYSER, LEXINGTON NC FEEDLOT COUNCIL VICE CHAIR My name is Daron Huyser and I’m a third-generation cattleman with M&M Feeders in Lexington. I have been given the opportunity to serve as the Nebraska Cattlemen Feedlot Council vice chair. There is a new kind of excitement in the cattle business with record prices for feeders and fat cattle. The challenges of the environment and cattle health do not cease with higher markets. The feedlot business is not for the faint of heart. For those of us lucky enough to have it in our blood, it is an exciting challenge each day, but it can get long, weary and overwhelming at times. We are constantly choosing between work and our families, knowing that neither choice is without sacrifice. The volatility of the cattle markets causes stress that never goes away but also provides the shot of adrenaline needed to stay for the long haul. We must protect this way of life with integrity and grit that goes far beyond showing up every day. Our feedlot’s motto is “We treat your cattle like family” and, while that is true, I have learned it is more than just the cattle. Every interaction, every transaction, every mistake and every hard day is an opportunity to show your character. This way of life throws curve balls at every turn – the cattle don’t perform, the weather is a barrier to growth, the markets not holding, the customers come and go, the available workforce is less and the cost is high, the bank requires more and more – I could go on and on. How we handle the highs and lows of the business is a far greater legacy than the size of the operation, the performance of the cattle in the yard or the profitability at the end of the year. Character is shaped, molded and sometimes chiseled in the fast pace of the feedlot. Higher prices may come and go, but the people you surround yourself with are the true profit. I am proud to serve with the Nebraska Cattlemen as a voice at the table. I have the unique perspective of being involved at the cow-calf level all the way through the finishing phase, which allows me to rub shoulders with many different players in the business, from nutritionists, seedstock producers, truckers and packers. This involvement has provided many opportunities to see the character of the industry in the good times and the bad times, and we work with some of the best in the business. A lot of us are raising the next generation, and I believe that our integrity is the most important lesson to pass on, especially as this business is faced with new challenges and rising prices. I encourage cattlemen to be part of the discussion and continue to be involved. Nebraska Cattlemen staff and leadership have a voice in shaping our state policies so that we can continue to raise the best beef and sustain our way of life. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” – John Wooden ~NC~ Every interaction, every transaction, every mistake and every hard day is an opportunity to show your character.
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