10 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2026 RUMINATIONS 4611 Cattle Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521 Phone (402) 475-2333 | Fax (402) 475-0822 nc@necattlemen.org | www.nebraskacattlemen.org NEBRASKA CATTLEMEN STAFF EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | Laura Field lfield@necattlemen.org VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING | Jeff Stolle DIRECTOR OF MARKETING | John Roberts DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | Libby Schaneman DIRECTOR OF PRODUCER EDUCATION | Bonita Lederer DIRECTOR OF STATE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | Matthew Melchor DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES | Sawyer Willrett DIRECTOR OF PRODUCER RELATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT | TaraLee Hudson ACCOUNTANT/BOOKKEEPER | Kathy Abel OFFICE MANAGER | Ashley McClinton MEMBERSHIP FIELD STAFF | Hannah Pearson Nebraska Cattleman is published monthly, except for May and July, by the Nebraska Cattlemen, 4611 Cattle Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521 – (402) 475-2333. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MAGAZINE PRODUCTION: CINCHED UP LLC ncmag@necattlemen.org EDITOR | Lisa Bard MANAGING EDITOR | Jessie Topp-Becker COPY EDITOR | Larisa Willrett DESIGNER & MATERIALS COORDINATOR | Megan Field ADMINISTRATION | Leslie McKibben CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Coe | Natalie Jones STATE & REGIONAL ADVERTISING Amber Coleman | (402) 340-1588 acoleman@necattlemen.org NATIONAL ADVERTISING Wendy McFarland | (334) 271-6100 mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com Working for Nebraska Beef Producers PASTURE TO PLATE TO PLATE NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN VIEW NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN DIGITAL VERSION BY SCANNING THE QR CODE. AMPLIFYING YOUR VOICE LAURA FIELD | NC EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT As 2025 wound down, I was at home reading the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) Cattle Guard magazine. The words of my friend and colleague Erin Spaur resonated with me. As Erin reflected on her 10 years of service to CCA, she wrote, “The association amplifies individual voices; it does not replace them.” In the final few months in 2025, the ringing of the phone caused my heart to race and my blood pressure to rise. 2025 brought record-high cattle prices, the smallest cow herd in the United States in 75 years, the closure of the United States-Mexico border, the longest federal government shutdown in history, and a series of comments and discussions that brought much emotion and chaos to end the year. Cattle producers’ attention was at an all-time high after comments about importing beef from Argentina – with the goal of lowering beef prices in the United States. What followed was a series of activity that culminated in cattle markets reacting to the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) “Plan to Fortify the U.S. Beef Industry.” Nebraska’s agricultural commodity organizations rallied together with Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) to send a letter to Nebraska’s federal delegation, seeking clarity and voicing support for cattle producers. I appreciate my colleagues for their support and advocacy. President Trump and his administration doubled down on the comments after the release of the plan. Cattle industry groups made trips to Washington, D.C., and the finger-pointing started. Questions of who started what, who said what, who made who mad, and a series of comments and social media posts did nothing but sling mud. While most in the industry were unified in their concern with what was happening, the divisiveness was intriguing. Adjustments to tariffs on certain products, including beef, were announced next, and like each of the previous announcements, the market moved as the uncertainty continued. None of the proposals or comments would do anything to ease the pressure caused by a tight cattle supply – the market was doing what the market was supposed to do, and little was going to change that. Growing the cow herd takes time. The toughest blow came on a Friday afternoon in late November with the call that Tyson Foods made the decision to permanently close its beef-processing plant in Lexington. The NC Board of Directors released a statement expressing its disappointment. While the tight cattle supply is a reality, there is no better place to raise and produce cattle and beef than Nebraska, making this news especially difficult. As the closure draws nearer in January, Nebraska Cattlemen stands ready to support the resilient and strong community of Lexington, Dawson County and all who are affected by this change. The events of 2025 proved to me that the strength of membership and engagement certainly is the amplification of voices, not the replacement. May 2026 bring us many more opportunities to represent you and your interests. Thank you for your membership and engagement. ~NC~ “The association amplifies individual voices; it does not replace them.” — Erin Spaur
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