78 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2025 PEERS MILESTONE MOMENTS MIKE BOEHM, PH.D. | VICE PRESIDENT FOR AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, HARLAN VICE CHANCELLOR, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN As we begin 2025, it’s valuable to reflect on the milestones we reached in 2024 at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. A standout moment occurred on a chilly October morning when the first cattle arrived at the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) near Mead. This $7.4 million facility, featuring stateof-the-art pens, a 240-head feeding area and a cattle-handling space with an enclosed classroom, is a significant investment in Nebraska’s beef industry and was launched this fall after several years of fundraising, planning and construction. It has quickly become a global showcase for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) commitment to sustainable beef production, hosting tours for producers and ag ambassador groups from around the world. We are grateful for the industry support that made this possible and look forward to seeing what we can learn from the research taking place there. Another major highlight was when cattle were unloaded at the Haskell Ag Lab near Concord for the first time in several years, marking the start of the Great Plains Heifer Development Center. Extension educator Connor Biehler and professor Rick Rasby, in collaboration with South Dakota colleague Kiernan Brandt, launched the program designed to improve reproductive efficiency, longevity and heifer development strategies. The first year, 11 producers from four states consigned 132 heifers, achieving an 88 percent pregnancy rate and meeting body condition goals. This initiative offers low-cost but high-return opportunities for producers to optimize herd management and profitability, a great example of collaboration to help Nebraska’s producers make data-driven decisions that directly affect their profitability. UNL further committed to supporting the beef industry by funding the $5 million ADAPT project through the Grand Challenges Initiative. This five-year project focuses on developing accurate, cost-effective tools to measure greenhouse gas emissions from grazing cattle. The ADAPT team, combining expertise from grazing systems, remote sensing and greenhouse gas flux, aims to provide Nebraska’s producers with actionable, science-backed data to enhance sustainability and profitability. The project uses cutting-edge technologies, including satellites, drones and ground-based sensors to address greenhouse gas emissions in grazing systems, which has had very little research support to this point. As the beef industry faces complex challenges, we know collaboration is essential to ensuring our efforts are maximized and correctly directed. In May, we hosted a meeting with Colorado State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service at ENREEC to set priorities for beef industry research. The focus was on optimizing production systems, addressing climate change and adapting to evolving industry needs. This meeting highlighted the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration to improve efficiency, sustainCONTINUED ON PAGE 80 Spreading It Around is Better By Design. West Point Design (402) 372-2408 2074 S Hwy 275 West Point NE 68788 www.westpointimp.com Horizontal Distributor designed by West Point Design Berma Distributor NEW FEATURE! Power Lift Kit CALL TODAY! Pull Type or Truck Mount Styles 16T to 34T Sizes Available!
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