8 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN March 2026 NC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Craig Uden*, Johnson Lake, (308) 325-0285 PRESIDENT-ELECT: Eric Hansen*, North Platte, (308) 530-3899 VICE PRESIDENT: Jaclyn Wilson*, Lakeside, (308) 762-3196 PAST PRESIDENT: Richard (Dick) Pierce, Miller, (308) 440-2489 SECRETARY/TREASURER: Laura Field, Lincoln, (402) 326-7743 MEMBER SERVICES VICE CHAIR BY REGION 1 – Bill Baldwin, Mitchell, (308) 641-5011 2 – Lydia O’Brien, Whitman, (308) 546-7349 3 – Alfredo DiCostanza, Norfolk, (612) 590-7395 4 – John Kennedy, Primrose, (308) 396-1505 5 – Weston Svoboda, Sargent, (308) 215-0244 6 – Bob Wiseman, Hershey, (308) 530-3137 7 – Todd Schlueter, Blair, (402) 533-3741 8 – Becky Funk, DVM, Lawrence, (308) 360-3179 9 – Vacant PRODUCER COUNCIL CHAIR: Dwight Dam, Hooper, (402) 720-4250 VICE CHAIR: Reiss Bruning, Bruning, (402) 768-3332 FEEDLOT COUNCIL CHAIR: Daron Huyser, Lexington, (308) 233-4368 VICE CHAIR: Joel Weber, Dorchester, (402) 946-4551 ALLIED INDUSTRIES COUNCIL CHAIR: Austin Woltemath, Lincoln, (402) 310-2294 VICE CHAIR: Kenny Stauffer, Grand Island, (402) 435-0665 ~ COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP ~ AG POLICY AND RESEARCH CHAIR: Steve Wellman, Syracuse, (402) 269-7024 VICE CHAIR: Lewis Coulter, Bridgeport, (308) 631-8240 ANIMAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION CHAIR: Jeff Heldt, Scottsbluff, (308) 641-5781 VICE CHAIR: Scott Reynolds, DVM, Broken Bow, (308) 870-0970 BRAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS CHAIR: Matt Blackford, Thedford, (402) 322-1377 VICE CHAIR: Robert Star, Hershey, (308) 520-3488 MARKETING AND COMMERCE CHAIR: Chance McLean, Stromsburg, (402) 366-2254 VICE CHAIR: Marshall Hansen, Omaha, (402) 616-4541 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT CHAIR: Sam Drinnin, Grand Island, (402) 910-0233 VICE CHAIR: Logan Pribbeno, Imperial, (308) 883-7770 TAXATION AND EDUCATION CHAIR: Stephen Sunderman, Norfolk, (402) 750-0149 VICE CHAIR: Kelly Terrell, Gothenburg, (308) 930-2162 MEMBER SERVICES CHAIR: Quentin Dailey, Lexington, (308) 293-1144 NEBRASKA LIVESTOCK MARKETING ASSOCIATION REP. Bryce Dibbern, Interior, S.D., (308) 293-7766 UNL EXTENSION REPRESENATIVE Erin Laborie, Beaver City, (419) 494-3872 UNL REPRESENTATIVE Deb VanOverbeke, Lincoln, (402) 714-5879 * member of the Executive & Finance Committee INSIGHTS INNOVATING THE HERD, BUILDING BETTER FOR TOMORROW LOGAN PRIBBENO | NC NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR | IMPERIAL March in Nebraska cattle country is when the herd’s future takes shape – the thought of new calves, grazing plans coming together and everyone anxiously watching for the first flush of grass. On operations like ours, March means one more month of cornstalk grazing while we gear up for calving on the range. No mud-choked pens, no endless battles with snow or slop and midnight barn checks. Instead, cows are dropping calves on clean, growing grass as the season turns. It’s low stress, natural and lets us focus on what matters – healthy pairs spreading out on fresh pasture. Right now feels like the perfect moment to talk about innovating the herd with the kind of practical tools progressive ranchers are putting to work every day. Things that save time, stretch forage, cut labor and even put extra dollars in the pocket. Tools like PastureMap for smarter grazing calls, halter collars for flexible herd control and programs like Grassroots Carbon that turn good stewardship into real revenue. These aren’t extras; they’re ways we’re building herds that are tougher, more efficient and ready for whatever comes next. Tools like PastureMap make grazing planning feel less like guesswork and more like strategy. The app lets us map out rotations ahead of time; track each pasture’s productivity and grazing history; forecast grass growth using weather data; and adjust stocking rates or moves on the fly as conditions change. Not to mention it allows for easier coordination for the crew. This year will be the first with a herd of virtual fencing collars on the ranch. During the winter, we slowly allocated the downed corn in the cornstalk fields, shifting the herd remotely from our smartphones. The bigger payoff will be pairing out with a smart phone and getting better utilization of paddocks to further increase rest. Another first this year was creating a revenue stream via a carbon program that aligns with our vision of building soil and forage resilience with rest and rotation of our native range. In essence we are turning environmental stewardship into a financial asset. Each year for five years we will give a season-long rest to one quarter of our CONTINUED ON PAGE 89 Ranchers, stockmen and feedlot folks alike, we’re in this together, building stronger bonds and a brighter future one season at a time.
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