36 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2024 PEOPLE ‘FEEDLOTS OF PEOPLE’ JESSICA RUDOLPH | NC DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP-RETENTION With NC Members Hannah and Adam Guenther Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) members Hannah and Adam Guenther come from different backgrounds yet weave their marriage and professional lives together to raise beef and advocate for the industry in West Point. Adam Guenther grew up on his mother’s family’s feedlot, Ulrich Cattle Inc. After his parents, Jean and David married, his father worked on the operation, and Adam witnessed the feedlot grow from five pens to 35 pens. Paving a different path after college, he worked in construction management in Texas for five years before approaching his parents about returning home to the family business. Luckily, his family agreed to a trial basis of two years, which has evolved into a career. Adam says he had much to learn when he moved back while they expanded the feedlot. He recalls putting in lagoons and having various contractors around who provided new learning experiences. Adam is now the feedlot manager and says he does a little of everything at the operation alongside six employees. He believes that every animal is unique, and there is always something new to learn about cattle. Hannah was raised in nearby Oakland, but does not have an agricultural background, so she learned the basics of cattle production when she met Adam. Hannah is not afraid to ask numerous questions about cattle production, and Adam says it helps him evolve as a producer. She now works in the Cuming County Extension office as a food, nutrition and health Extension educator, where she communicates about the beef lifecycle from pasture to plate with consumers. “My job is providing research-based nutrition information to Nebraskans of all ages to live happier, healthier lives,” she says. Through living on the feedlot and her role with Nebraska Extension, Hannah found a passion for sharing beef recipes and details about life on a feedlot through her Instagram account, “Feedlots of People.” While she did not intend to become an advocate for agriculture, she feels that the perception of feedlots and the beef industry has changed over the past few years and believes that consumer confidence in beef has increased. It’s a plus that her job intersects with Adam’s. Hannah and Adam knew of each other in high school and reconnected when Adam moved home from Texas, marrying after six months of dating. “Adam said ‘I love you’ for the first time after I cooked him meatloaf,” Hannah jokes. Adam’s dad passed away soon after he returned to the feedlot, and the couple was thrown into the feedlot management lifestyle with little training. While Adam was catapulted from employee to feedlot manager with urgency, he credits his customers for sticking with the family business through the unexpected transition. The couple says they are grateful for the challenges of the first few years of marriage because it allows them to prioritize their family and spend time with their daughter, Charlotte. Their favorite activity as a family is going to the lake, putzing around on their boat and simply enjoying time
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