18 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2026 Producer Panel 2025 Nebraska Beef Summit ANNALEE STARR | KRUTSINGER BEEF INDUSTRY SCHOLARS PROGRAM STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN Nebraska beef producers gathered on Nov. 13, 2025, for the annual Nebraska Beef Summit. Each fall, the senior class of the Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars partners with Nebraska Cattlemen to organize the Nebraska Beef Summit, a program built to bring real-world industry issues to the students. Students select the speakers, shape the agenda and choose topics they believe reflect the most pressing challenges across the beef sector. The summit connects producers and students in meaningful conversations that prepare the next generation to lead in agriculture. This year’s summit featured a producer panel moderated by Jessica Sperber, Ph.D., Extension assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The panel featured Luke Fuerniss of Schiff Cattle Company, Logan Pribbeno of Wine Glass Ranch, Luke Kovarik of Kovarik Cattle Co., and Rusty Kemp of Sustainable Beef LLC. Together, the panelists represented the cow-calf, seedstock, yearling, feedyard and packing sectors. Their discussion covered the issues shaping cattle production today. LAND ACCESS AND COST Although each panelist works in a different part of the supply chain, they shared one underlying truth: accessing land looks dramatically different from how it did a generation ago. Upfront costs, market fluctuations and government regulations make it feel impossible for the next generation to start. The panelists offered advice from their own experiences. Pribbeno spoke to the challenge of working with leases, landlords and rising land values. He emphasized the value of clear communication, being stewards of the land and honoring expectations with landowners. He noted that long-term access is built on trust. For many young people, land access remains one of the biggest hurdles to entering the beef industry. Kovarik saw this firsthand when he began building his own herd and recommended that students get an FSA beginner farmer loan. “When I started, I didn’t have any capital, so I went and got an FSA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loan,” he said. From there, Kovarik built his commercial and registered herds through cow leasing. His path reflects what many young Nebraskans face today – wanting to run cows but lacking the capital to buy land outright. Both Kovarik and Pribbeno expressed optimism about what the next decade holds. Kovarik noted the massive generational turnover ahead and believes that it will create opportunities for young cattlemen willing to work hard, build equity and step into the operation as retiring producers transition out. LABOR: HIRING, RETENTION AND THE REALITY OF MANAGING PEOPLE Labor continues to be top of mind across every sector of the beef industry and was echoed across the panel. For some operations, finding people is the challenge. For others, the challenge is keeping the right people. On the ranching side, Pribbeno explained how Wine Glass Ranch has built a workplace that retains employees long term. “We’ve had really good luck keeping the right people,” Pribbeno said. “I give a lot of praise and I give a lot of time off. Two main guys take seven or eight weeks off annually. They work hard, and I want them to stay.” Wine Glass also utilizes experienced seasonal workers from South Africa who request to return each year. He joked about the advantages of their May calving system: “Calve in May; it’s more fun when you’re calving on green grass in a T-shirt. It’s a good day.” On the packing side, Kemp described the opposite problem: too many applicants, not enough housing. “We had over 4,000 applicants for about 850 positions,” he said. “Social media created a lot of buzz for the new plant, and people were driving from multiple states to apply.” But even with the strong applicant pool, Kemp emphasized that employee housing remains one of the most significant bottlenecks for North Platte. “The whole state is short on housing,” he said. “A lot of our people are living in hotels or commuting long distances. We need affordable options that fit their price range.” Sustainable Beef employs a full-time caretaker to manage company housing. Through that approach, they plan to retain workers by being a single-shift beef processing facility, meaning parents work when kids are in school and are home in time for dinner. “We don’t want people driving long distances in bad winter roads, but the market will eventually correct. It always does,” Kemp said. PERSPECTIVES
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