8 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN September 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 LESSONS ONLY THE LAND CAN TEACH ERIC HANSEN | NORTH PLATTE NC PRESIDENT-ELECT I’ve spent most of my life looking across the Nebraska Sandhills, checking cattle, watching the grass respond to different conditions and treatments, and learning lessons that only the land can teach. If there’s one thing I’ve come to believe, it’s that cattle ranching has never really been about the cattle alone. It’s about stewardship. The cattle are our livelihood, but the land and our families are our foundation. When you’re fortunate enough to ranch on the same ground that your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents cared for, you gain a different perspective. You realize you’re not the first steward of that land, and you certainly won’t be the last. Every decision you make – whether it’s moving cattle to a fresh pasture or creating new rotational systems with fence and water development – affects what the next generation will inherit. I’ve learned that Mother Nature always has the final say. She’s humbled every rancher with drought, blizzards, floods, fires and years like this that have tested both resolve and faith. But she’s also shown us that healthy grasslands are remarkably resilient when we manage them with care. I’ve always said the Sandhills are surprisingly tough for how fragile they are. Healthy soil grows healthy grass. Healthy grass supports healthy cattle. And healthy cattle support the families who make their living on the land. Years ago, many of us measured success by how many cows a pasture could carry. Experience has taught me that a better measure is how healthy that pasture is after the cattle leave. If the grass has recovered, the roots have grown deeper, the wildlife is thriving and the soil is holding moisture, then we’ve done our job. Good stewardship isn’t about taking everything the land can give today – it’s about making sure it has even more to offer tomorrow. The best ranchers I’ve known were never afraid to try new things. They were never afraid to fail and learn from it. And, they always respected the wisdom passed down from previous generations, but kept an open mind. Better grazing management, improved genetics, thoughtful development and conservation practices have all helped make our operations stronger without losing sight of the values we were raised with. Today, I enjoy watching younger cattlemen bring new ideas to the industry. They understand technology in ways I never imagined, but the principles remain the same. Respect the land. Take care of your livestock. Be a good neighbor. Leave things better than you found them. That’s the kind of legacy worth leaving. Nebraska’s grasslands are among our state’s greatest treasures, and they’re productive because generations of ranchers have understood their responsibility to care for them. These wide-open spaces provide wildlife habitat, protect water resources, capture carbon in healthy soils and produce high-quality beef. None of that happens by accident. It happens because someone is willing to think beyond this year’s calf crop and invest in the future. When people ask what I’ve accomplished over the years, I don’t start with cattle numbers or market prices. I think about the pastures that are healthier today than CONTINUED ON PAGE 46
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