78 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN March 2026 PEERS A STRONG FUTURE TIFFANY HENG-MOSS | INTERIM NU VICE PRESIDENT FOR AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND INTERIM UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN VICE CHANCELLOR, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES Here in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), we are well into another busy spring semester. Our students are deep into classes, preparing for summer internships and, for our graduating seniors, interviewing for jobs or weighing graduate school and other next steps. We are also gearing up for the state FFA convention and, not too long after that, will we begin preparing for graduation and the arrival of a new freshman class. The time certainly passes quickly. Members of our second Elite 11 cohort, along with their families, had a memorable start to the semester when they were invited to dinner at the Governor’s Mansion to celebrate their success. Each student had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share how they became interested in veterinary medicine. They also heard directly from Gov. Jim Pillen about his experiences as a pre-vet student back in his undergraduate days at UNL. It was a special evening and a fitting way to recognize these students whose dedication to Nebraska and its agriculture industry is both evident and inspiring. Many producers, particularly those in the Nebraska Sandhills, are familiar with the Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes (CRAWL). This spring, we were pleased to name Dan Uden, an assistant professor in the UNL School of Natural Resources, as the center’s new interim director. Uden replaces Craig Allen, who retired after founding the center and directing it for four years. Uden previously served on the CRAWL team as a resilience spatial scientist after earning both of his graduate degrees in natural resources from Nebraska, with Allen serving as his advisor. He grew up on a farm near Wood River, gaining firsthand knowledge of agriculture that has informed his work building resilience in agricultural landscapes – work he plans to continue in his new role. His efforts with the center have focused on developing tools to help ranchers, farmers and land managers manage their land more resiliently, using technologies such as GPS, remote sensing and geographic information systems. Faculty with CRAWL have also been researching the effects of different rangeland management strategies at the university’s Barta Brothers Ranch. Started by Allen and Walter Schacht, former director of the Center for Grassland Studies, this project represents a partnership among multiple departments, schools and centers. Uden, Allen and Gwendŵr Meredith from the center have partnered with professors from the Beef Innovation Hub through a university-wide research initiative to further the understanding of the feed efficiency in grazing systems. Uden also serves on a project investigating how the Conservation Reserve Program affects water resources in irrigated landscapes. This March, Nebraska Extension is launching a new statewide initiative aimed at improving reproductive success in second- and third-year cows. Led by Extension livestock educator Aaron Berger, the initiative brings together Extension educators and specialists to deliver integrated, research-based education across Nebraska. Extension educators report that up to 40 percent of cows may fail to rebreed following their first calving, limiting herd longevity and increasing replacement costs. These reproductive challenges affect not only individual operations but CONTINUED ON PAGE 82 Solid Rock Red Angus Private Treaty Red Angus Bulls Registered, Range-Ready, Delivery to Nebraska! www.SolidRockRedAngus.com www.SolidRockRedAngus.com Joe Frasier (719) 740-1124 solidrockredangus@gmail.com Available in March 2026 Call/text/email to get on our mailing list: Catalog will be mailed & online.
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