12 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN November 2026 PEOPLE Rooted in Rodeo and Agriculture Growing up near Hayes Center, Rebel Adamson was surrounded by agriculture, horses and rodeo. Raised on her Where Roots Run Deep, New Paths Grow family’s cow-calf operation, her father also had a custom hay-grinding business while her mother was a veterinarian. With her agricultural background and an eye toward the future, she began forging her own path while attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Majoring in agricultural communications and participating in the Engler Entrepreneurship Program, she explored how she could use her skills and interests to make an impact in the ag industry. Following college graduation, she took a year to serve as Miss Rodeo Nebraska and traveled more than 50,000 miles across the country – a truly formative experience. Settling down after a busy year of service, she picked up where she left off with a full-time role at the Rural Radio Network, where she had interned during college. Listeners across the Midwest likely recognize her name and voice from the Nebraska Rodeo Update and Breaking the Barrier podcast, two signature programs she shaped. “I got to spearhead some coverage of rodeo and western events, which is probably my favorite project that I got to work on during my time there,” Rebel says. Just less than a year ago, she switched roles and started a new job on the Rancher Success Team at Vence, a company under Merck Animal Health. As a virtual fencing livestock management system for cattle, Rebel helps ranchers across multiple states adopt cutting-edge grazing and land management tools. As a woman in ag at the intersection of technology and ranching, she works remotely while embracing another exciting new role in her life – becoming a bride. Last fall, she got married and began a new chapter of life with her husband, Cade, the fifth generation on his family’s operation, Broken Box Ranch, near Cody. “It’s been fun to relocate and build on community up here in the Sandhills,” Rebel says. “We just enjoy working together, when the opportunity presents itself, of course, with my day job, too.” Her new local community has been very welcoming. Meanwhile, she remains a volunteer as a member of the Their roots may look familiar, but Rebel Adamson, Haley Miles and Sheridan Brumback are each carving out their own place in an industry full of opportunity. Their stories reflect a common thread in the many ways women are shaping agriculture – through the work they do, the communities they invest in and the future they are helping build. KELSEY POPE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Rebel Adamson and her husband, Cade, are the fifth generation on his family’s operation near Cody. Rebel grew up surrounded by agriculture, horses and rodeo, and she says women are the glue that holds communities and families together.
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