2025 ENREEC Overview

21st Century Beef Club Visit

The 21st Century Beef Club visited the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center handling facility to check out the handling systems and to learn about the animal behavior work and processing work being done. They toured the rest of the KFIC and then heard from Animal Science faculty on use of technology. They also heard updates on intake behavior, palm oil, and byproducts. Graduate students showcased their research and also engaged with thought-provoking questions from the attendees. The group also visited the plant phenotyping site while at ENREEC.

4-H Workshops

• During the following workshops, students explored and made projects ready to exhibit at the county fair. 
  • Art Academy
  • Clover College for Clover Kids
  • Home Creations
  • Let's Explore S.T.E.M.
  • Outdoor Adventures

4RS Nutrient Stewardship Field Day

4RS Nutrient Stewardship Field Day brought together experts to discuss nutrient management. The day featured informative presentations and hands-on demonstrations, offering participants valuable information on improving agricultural practices. Attendees had the opportunity to earn CEUs. This collaborative event highlighted the importance of advancing soil health, crop yields, and water quality.

AC-Planta Japan Visit

Nebraska On-Farm Research is making global connections. Representatives from Ac-Planta of Japan visited with NOFRN Lead Educator Adam Leise and toured ENREEC to learn about Nebraska agriculture and possible partnerships.

AED/CPR and First Aid Training for Staff

Jess Wagner with UNL Campus Rec led AED/CPR and First-aid training for employees at ENREEC. The training provided an opportunity to obtain life-saving skills to use in emergency situations.

AFAN Lunch and Learn

AFAN (Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska ), in partnership with UNL Feedlot Specialists and the Nebraska Animal Science & Biosystems, recently hosted a lunch & learn event focused on feedlot cattle housing systems at ENREEC. The day featured: Interactive talks and tours, In-depth research on the pros and cons of under-roof housing, and Design considerations for modern feedlots.

Ag Builders Network (ABN) Meeting

Agriculture Builders of Nebraska conducted their summer meeting at ENREEC this week, including a tour highlighting the plant phenotyping (Spidercam) research area, Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center, NFarms & drone use in Nitrogen Management. 

Photos on the related Exposure page: https://go.unl.edu/n9pm

Ag Innovation North Central Executive Director Visit

Ag Innovation North Central regionally connects land-grant universities. The executive director, Jeanette Thurston, visited ENREEC to learn about some of the cutting edge technology at ENREEC.  North Central is one of five regional associations tasked with facilitating collaboration between regional and national agricultural research programs. Spanning 12 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) in the heartland. 

Agrifirm S.A., Uruguay Visit

Agrifirm affiliate beef producers and representatives from Uruguay toured the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center.

Ambiente Czech Restauranteer Visit

The Ambiente Restaurant Group delegation from the Czech Republic (hosted by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Nebraska Department of Agriculture) spent time at ENREEC getting firsthand information on beef research & production in Nebraska. They also visited with the Nebraska Animal Science, UNL Department of Food Science and Technology & UNL Ag Research.

Argentina - CREA Ranqueles Region Visit

Agronomists and farmers from a CREA (Cordoba, Argentina, Regional Consortium of Agriculture Experimentation) Ranqueles Region Group visited the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center as part of their tour of feedlots across the United States.

Ashland-Greenwood Field Trip

Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools 7th grade learned about protecting groundwater.  Lower Platte North NRD, Saunders County Extension & 4-H led sessions on cover crops to reduce pollution, center pivot irrigation, well flow meters, nitrate testing & measuring wells.  Activities also included building aquifer models & learning about the Spidercam and how drones are used in ag.

Australian Commodity Group Visit

Lachstock Consulting of Australia brought a group of commodity brokers and farmers on a Midwest Crop Tour to the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center.

Bayer/Corteva (Argentina) TAPS and NOFRN Visit

Representatives of Bayer and Corteva Argentina visited ENREEC to learn about the Nebraska On-Farm research program and UNL TAPS (Testing Ag Performance Solutions) plots.

Beef 706 and Merck Animal Health

Beef 706 was hosted by UNL faculty Drs. Sperber & Wicks in partnership with Merck Animal Health offered participants the opportunity to discover the carcass under the hide! The agenda included a visit to the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center and learning on East Campus - including live cattle evaluation, carcass growth physiology, and a carcass cut out demo.

Beef Scholars Summit

Each Fall, the senior class of the Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars and Nebraska Cattlemen develop a program of strong speakers addressing current industry issues for the Annual Nebraska Beef Summit. The Nebraska Beef Scholars Summit included expert speakers, panels, and discussions on the latest innovations shaping the beef industry.

BeefPoint Mission Tour

Visitors from Brazil and Paraguay taking part in the BeefPoint Mission tour spent some time at the Feedlot Innovation Center and checked out the oats before cattle are put in the field.

Beginning Farmer Round Table Discussion

Beginning farmers discussed crop sustainability in Nebraska during a round table discussion.

BQA - Beef Quality Assurance Training

The ENREEC Feedlot and Beef Systems Initiative crew, along with local producers and cattle feeders, brushed up on their beef cattle health & handling practices at Beef Quality Assurance training.

Brazil/Zinpro Visit

Zinpro sponsored a tour of feedlots across the U.S. for some of their Brazilian clients. ENREEC was one stop they made to learn about cutting edge technology and research in ruminant nutrition in the beef state.

CHS Nutrition Team Consultants FIC Visit

CHS Nutrition feed consultants toured the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center and discussed updates on university research and industry trends UNL Feedlot is focusing on, to share with their customers.

Claas German Students Visit

Students from the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences in Germany and spent 6–8 weeks at UNL conducting research and gaining experiential learning opportunities related to their thesis projects. Their participation was supported by a grant from the CLAAS Foundation in Harsewinkel, Germany. They had the opportunity to go for ride-alongs in the Claas combine at ENREEC.

Clearpath Visit

An ENREEC visit from a delegation with Clear Path provided the opportunity to check out innovation involved with NFarms, phenotyping, and the Feedlot Innovation Center. Info was shared on how this research ties in with Nebraska On-Farm Research Network and helps answer questions in production ag.

Combined Beef Council - Nutrition Adventure Visit

The Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri Beef Councils hosted a group of registered dieticians from across the US to engage in an interactive beef nutrition education tour this week. The Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center served as a site for active discussion on finishing and feeding out cattle, animal welfare practices, debunking common consumer misconceptions and the nutrition profile of beef. The goal of this program is to collectively provide these health professionals with the tools to share their newfound knowledge with clients and patients.

Congressman Don Bacon - Saunders County Economic Development Forum

Discussion with Congressman Bacon focused on the future of Saunders County.

Cornerstone/NU Federal Relations Teams Visit

Cornerstone ag team visited ENREEC and other IANR entities to learn about the University's role in agriculture and the projects, research, and programs the University is involved with.

Crop Production and Soil Health Clinic

The Crop Production and Soil Health Clinic provides the opportunity for agribusiness professionals and farmers to learn about regenerative practices, see in-field demos, and boost your profitability with research-based insights for corn and soybean systems. The agenda included topics ranging from research updates in plant pathology, entomology, soil fertility and weed control to tools for soil health assessment and results from biochar applications.

Crop Production Clinic

Participants at the 2025 Crop Production Clinic at ENREEC rotated between Pest Management & Pesticide Training and Crop, Economics, Soil & water Management sessions throughout the day.

Crop to Food Innovation Research & Extension Experiences for Undergraduates

The Crop-to-Innovation Research & Extension Experiences for Undergrads covered a lot of ground at ENREEC learning where food comes from. They visited the phenotyping research with the Spidercam, Feedlot Innovation Center, NFarms and learned about crop production. The students came from: Florida International University, Texas Christian University, Cornell University, University of Puerto Rico at Ponce, Christopher Newport University, Pennsylvania State University, Bryn Mawr College, Huntingdon College, University of the Virgin Islands, and Fort Valley State University.

Cuming County Livestock Producers

Members of the Cuming County Cattle Feeders group stopped in at the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center and Beef Systems Initiative unit for an interactive tour and discussion.

Delegation from the State of Bahia, Brazil

The visit from the delegation from Bahia, Brazil included discussion and visits concerning ENREEC, NFarms, Plant Phenotyping, and Carbon Sequestration.

Delegation from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Visit

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute hosted state representatives of Rio Grande do Sul & included a visit to ENREEC. While in Nebraska the group is learning about sustainable water use & conserving/protecting natural resources. Flood events & periods of prolonged droughts have challenged their state.

DocTalk TV FIC Visit

Dr. Dan Thomson with DocTalk TV visited the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center where the hard work that the graduate students have been putting in during the feedlot fall run was showcased.

Dodge County Cattlemen Tour

The Dodge County Cattlemen Tour included a visit to the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center to not only see the facility, but to hear about the latest updates in beef research.

DWFI Feedlot Innovation Center Tour

The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute's "Wate for Food Global Conference" tour was sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board, Midwest Dairy, and Nebraska Soybean Board as part of the 2025 global conference, and showcased Nebraska’s rich agriculture, research and innovation which creates a living laboratory for food and water security. This tour focused specifically on the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center.

DWFI Global Conference Tour

ENREEC hosted multiple groups in state for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute's "Wate for Food Global Conference". Delegates explored our research facilities to learn about different natural resource management strategies and precision ag technology techniques utilized in our integrated cropping and cattle system. Their tour stops included:

• ENREEC Overview
• Phenotyping/Spidercam
• Carbon Sequestration
• NFarms/Nitrogen Management
   

East Butler Soybean Day

During this experiential visit, students got a close-up look into the world of soybeans. With soybean fields as their classroom for the day, they explored the different stages of soybean growth, soybean pests and diseases. They found out how soybeans are harvested while getting up-close to a combine. They were also excited to see how drones and technology play an important role in production agriculture.

El Salvador Agronomic Advisors

Sentinel Fertigation hosted a group of agronomic advisors from El Salvador at a visit to ENREEC, where they learned about current technology, production agriculture in Nebraska, and visited the phenotyping research area.

Ethiopia Representative Tour

Former Minister of Water & Energy of Ethiopia visited ENREEC, leading efforts on private sector investments in water, agriculture, and energy in Ethiopia, including the introduction of center pivot technologies.

Farm Credit Services Beef Producer Visit

Farm Credit Services of America hosted beef producers from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota at ENREEC. The group learned about the latest beef production research, technology, and practices being utilized at the Feedlot Innovation Center.

Farm Credit Ag Visit

A group from Farm Credit Services of America learned about ongoing ruminant research at ENREEC. This included a tour of the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center and a stop at the carbon sequestration site pasture.

Flame Weeding Workshop

Participants learned how to properly flame all major Midwestern weeds at the annual flame weeding workshop. Flame weeding has gained interest as a method for weed and pest control in organic farming.

French University - AgroParisTech

A delegation from AgroParisTech, including the Dean and Chief International Officer, visited ENREEC to explore phenotyping technology, agronomy and integrated livestock systems during their tour of Midwestern agricultural operations.

Greater Omaha Packing Company Feedlot Innovation Center Tour

Representatives from Greater Omaha Packing Company visited the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center to learn about the latest in beef production and innovation.

Greater Omaha and U.S. Meat Export Federation Mexican Delegation

The Greater Omaha Packing Company hosted the U.S. Meat Export Federation Mexican Delegation at ENREEC and visited the Feedlot Innovation Center where feedlot operation and research were highlighted, as well as why finishing cattle in Nebraska is proven and practical.

Husker Nutrition Conference

It was standing room only for the 2025 Husker Nutrition Conference! Over 160 feedlot consulting nutritionists, allied industry, academia, and students met at ENREEC to discuss all things feedlot nutrition and management. Highlights of the day included a Cattlefax market outlook from Mike Murphy and a 10-yr review of feedlot mortality from Dr. Jacob Hagenmaier. Back by popular demand, 14 graduate students from 4 institutions presented lightning talks on their feedlot focused research.

Interim IANR VC Tiffany Heng Moss Visit

As part of her visits across the state, IANR Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss, interacted with ENREEC faculty, staff and students over breakfast at ENREEC.

Introductory Crop Scout Training

Nebraska Extension hosted the Introductory Level Field Crop Scout Training at ENREEC. Summer employees in the agriculture industry as well as corn and soybean growers interested in improving crop management skills attended. It was particularly beneficial for new employees preparing for the CCA exam and served as an excellent refresher for experienced staff. The training provided comprehensive and detailed instruction designed to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and confidence to meet their job requirements. University experts led the sessions.

KETV Channel 7 - Jess Sperber Interview on What's Driving Beef Prices

Nebraska Extension Feedlot Specialist Jess Sperber visited with KETV Ch. 7 at the Feedlot Innovation Center to discuss cattle/herd numbers, efficiency in beef production and quality beef products when considering current beef prices. 

Interview and story: https://tinyurl.com/yzyntw4t

Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center Donors Luncheon

Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center donor open house featured a tour of the facilities in operation with the second set of cattle in and a demo of an autonomous pen scraper prototype.

Kobe University Student Visit

Kobe University students enjoyed an awesome fall day in Nebraska while seeing corn harvest, cattle and feedlots, phenotyping research, and learning about ENREEC.

Lafayette County Missouri Cattlemen

Producers with the  Lafayette County (MO) Cattlemen visited the Feedlot Innovation Center with a great deal of interactive discussion.

Lamar, Colorado FFA

 A group of high school students enroute to the National FFA Convention from Lamar FFA Colorado included a stop at ENREEC to see the Feedlot Innovation Center and other beef facilities onsite and to learn about beef research.

Landlord/Tenant Cash Rent Workshop

The Landlord/Tenant Cash Rent Workshop included: Current Nebraska cash rental rates and land values; Best practices for agricultural leases; Contract considerations; Financial considerations for farm succession and transition; and Q&A session for leasing questions. The workshop was presented by: Anastasia Meyer and Jim Jansen, agricultural economists from the UNL Center for Agricultural Profitability.  

Mauritania Officials Visit

Mauritania's Minister of Professional Development, and team of advisors, visited ENREEC this week to learn about Nebraska beef production and collaborate on vocational training.

Mead Public High School Animal Science Class

Mead Public High School's Animal Science class took a field trip to the feedlot innovation center to learn about different cattle handling and housing facilities.

Midwest Feed Practicum

The first Midwest FEEDS practicum provided hands-on sessions covering health, nutrition, and decision-making strategies for cattle management.

Midwest Livestock Services Beef Finishers Tour & Program

Midwest Livestock Service hosted a visit to ENREEC for beef producers from the Seneca, KS area. The visit included updates on beef research and touring the feedlot innovation center. The interactive visit provided an opportunity to not only share the latest in research and in the beef industry but also was an informal platform to hear producer perspectives.

National Junior Angus Association

National Junior Angus Association "Raising the Bar" and Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) annual conference was held at UNL Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This annual event provides opportunities for junior members to learn, network and develop as future industry leaders. We helped them continue "Raising the Bar" while they visited the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center and north feedyard.

Nebraska Department of Agriculture's Corn and Cranes Tour

Nebraska Department of Agriculture's Corn and Cranes tour made a stop at ENREEC to learn about Nebraska agriculture. The Corn and Cranes tour was in conjunction with Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Corn Growers, The Nature Conservancy, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Program, and FNBO.

Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Annual Update Meeting

The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network update at ENREEC was a chance for farmers to share & learn from local, regional & statewide results from research taking place at the farm level.

NFarms Ribbon Cutting

The completion of the NFarms facility at ENREEC was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 13, 2025. This milestone provides a new hub for advancing research on new technologies/tools & fostering partnerships in ag. 

More info & photos: https://go.unl.edu/nfarmsribboncutting

OPPD - Marketing Executives’ Conference

Omaha Public Power District hosted the Marketing Executives’ Conference which included a visit to ENREEC. The afternoon was filled with stops throughout ENREEC that helped the group learn about the role and importance of agriculture in Nebraska.

Pennsylvania and NE Congressional Staff

Congressional staff visited ENREEC to engage in dialogue with University of Nebraska faculty and staff about the future of agricultural innovation & national resilience.

Platte Valley Cattlemen

The Platte Valley Cattlemen visited the Feedlot Innovation Center at ENREEC.

Premier Animal Science Events Practice

Saunders County 4-H youth participated in the annual Nebraska 4-H Premier Animal Science Event (PASE).  This competition includes a variety of categories such as judging livestock, poultry, and companion animals, animal welfare judging, a livestock skill-a-thon and livestock quiz bowl. In weeks prior, participants studied for the quiz bowl and poultry judging competitions at ENREEC. The Junior poultry judging team received 1st place with one team member winning first overall individually.

Private Pesticide Applicator, Nitrogen Management and Chemigation Training

Producers took the opportunity to brush up on their pesticide and nitrogen management training and earned certification during the annual training courses at ENREEC.

Purina Animal Nutritionists

Animal nutritionists from Purina visited the Feedlot Innovation Center at ENREEC to discuss research on feedlot technology, diets, and strategies for backgrounding and growing cattle.

R.A.V. Fonden (Denmark) Visit

R.A.V. Fonden from Denmark organized a visit (with assistance by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development) to ENREEC for a group associated with the agricultural industry. The delegation worked their way across the Midwest learning about ag and food production in the U.S. and will complete their visit with a trip to Washington D.C.

Raymond Central Freshmen Ag Visit

It was a fast-paced visit at ENREEC with the Raymond Central freshmen class - that allowed the class to make several site visits and learn about various ag topics and do a few hands-on activities during their time at ENREEC.

Region V Soil Judging Contest Practice

ENREEC provided soil judging practice pits for the 2025 Region V Soil Judging Contest for approximately 200 university students over the course of several days.

Roller Crimper Workshop

Nebraska Extension Roller Crimper workshop at ENREEC included lively discussion and demonstrations.  Roller Crimpers are commonly used by farmers looking for an alternative to reduce herbicide inputs and/or improve weed management with their cover crops.

Rural Radio Network Roadshow

ENREEC participated in the Rural Radio Network Roadshow in the fall 2025. Radio broadcasters were on site and featured Feedlot Innovation Center, NFarms and learn more about ENREEC, our partnerships, impact and more. 

The recorded interviews are at: https://tinyurl.com/4kcy26p7

Saunders County Livestock Association KFIC Tour

The Saunders County Livestock & Ag Association included the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center on their Twilight Tour.

Saunders County Soybean Growers Lunch & Learn

Saunders County Soybean Growers Organization members heard about progress of the new soybean processing facility in David City from AGP & Frontier Co-op at yesterday's lunch & learn. The plant will have the capacity to process over 50 million bushels of soybeans per year when operations begin in 2025.

Southeast Nebraska Cattlemen's Tour

The Southeast Nebraska Cattlemen got a close-up look at the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center during a visit to tour the facility and learn about current beef research.

Soybean Management Field Days/TAPS

Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Soybean Board conducted Soybean Management Field Days at four different farms across the state, providing an opportunity to learn about cutting edge soybean management, production practices and technologies, while networking with fellow farmers and industry experts. At ENREEC, the event included a tour of the TAPS plots.

Soil and Water Conservation Society

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS - Nebraska)  included ENREEC as a stop for their recent state meeting. Participants took a tour of the cover crop plots and learned about how the crops impact soil health.

Soil Health Assessment Training

Participants at this year’s Soil Health Assessment Workshop got their hands dirty  learning and identifying qualitative signs of soil health and preparing samples for lab analysis.

Southwest Missouri Cattlemen

Southwest Missouri cattlemen visited ENREEC to get a close-up look at cow-calf and feedlot unit practices.

Soybean Science Institute

Teachers at Soybean Science Institute learned how they can incorporate soybean science into their curriculum. The training is for Middle and high school educators - a hands-on, multi-day program designed to explore the role of soybeans in science, math, economics and agriculture.

Summer Grazing Field Day

Cattle producers discussed strategies to beat the slump in summer grazing at the Grazing Field Day at ENREEC.

TAPS Plot Tour

Participants in the TAPS Plot Tour had the opportunity to see the TAPS fields and hear updates from Tidal Grow and Arva Intelligence Corp.

TAPS Summer Field Day

ENREEC hosted UNL TAPS participants for a field technology update. 2025 UNL-TAPS Irrigated Corn and Soybean Competitions at ENREEC have 45 teams. Each team was assigned a “farm” comprised of four randomized plots within the same field, totaling approximately one-half of an acre. The 2025 TAPS Competition lineup at ENREEC includes Sprinkler Corn, Nitrogen source for corn, and Soybeans. Each competition is designed to challenge and inspire, offering valuable insights and data to help participants refine their practices and stay ahead in the ever-evolving field of agriculture.

Technology in Action: Improving Pasture and Cattle Management Field Day

Technology in Action: Improving pasture and cattle management producer field day was conducted at ENREEC. Virtual fencing, water monitoring systems, and cereal rye management in cow calf/operations were among topics discussed between Nebraska Animal Science PhD students, producers and Nebraska Extension.

Tekamah FFA FIC Tour

The Tekamah FFA Chapter visited ENREEC to explore the UNL feedlot system on their way to the state FFA competition.

Transition to Organic Farming Conference

The Transition to Organic Farming Conference provided insightful information for those thinking about transitioning to organic farming & those that are newly certified organic farmers. The program included information about the certification process, crop management, marketing & panel discussion. Sponsored by Nebraska Extension and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service - National Organic Program - Transition to Organic Partnership Program.

United States Precision Livestock Farming (USPLF)

The U.S. Conference on Precision Livestock Farming checked out the latest in research & innovation at ENREEC with presentations and tours including and focused on: virtual swine industry tour, phenotyping research, Feedlot Innovation Center, industry and educational booths & an NFarms exhibit. Visitors learned about the latest research and innovation. The tour included visits to facilities such as the Spidercam Field Phenotyping Facility, Feedlot Innovation Center, and a virtual tour of Sandy Pine — a new swine facility.  

Countries represented at the ENREEC visit included: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, England, Germany, Honduras, South Korea, and United States.

See the video:  https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/24990

UNL Feedlot Management Class FIC Tour

UNL Feedlot Management class students visited the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center to connect what they learn in class to the innovation driving modern cattle feeding. 

UNL Irrigation Systems Management Class In-Field Lab Day

UNL's Irrigation Systems Management class came to ENREEC for an in-field lab day. This course looks at water flow rates, plant uptake, irrigation scheduling techniques and measuring soil water content to develop an understanding of modern irrigation technology.

UNMC/IANR Administrators

University of Nebraska Medical Center - UNMC and Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources are exploring ways to collaborate and utilize strengths, infrastructure, and networking to increase the health and wellbeing of Nebraskans. A kickoff event at ENREEC opened doors to start thinking about new partnerships.

UNMC Rural Health Visit

Participants of UNMC's annual rural health professionals workshop toured and heard from unit managers at the feedlot and cow/calf units. At ENREEC farm operations they learned about farm machinery and bin site safety.

Urban GmbH Visitor (Germany)

Representatives from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Urban GmbH from Germany visited ENREEC. Urban develops advanced feeding systems in the beef, dairy and sheep industry across Europe.

USDA Secretary of Ag Rollins Visit

US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, to gain insight into ongoing ag research at UNL and discuss industry challenges with some of Nebraska's ag leaders.  

Story: https://instituteofagriculturenaturalresources.exposure.co/us-secretary…

USDA-NRCS - Windbreak Design & Renovation

This USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Nebraska Forest Service course addressed the wide variety of knowledge and skills needed to inventory and design windbreaks and shelterbelts associated with the conservation practice standard 380 – Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment and Renovation. 

Waverly FFA Boosters Feedlot Innovation Center Visit

A small delegation with the Waverly FFA Boosters visited the Feedlot Innovation Center to get a close-up look at operations and research.

Western States Water Council Meeting

The Western States Water Council is a government entity, an instrumentality of each and every participating state, consisting of representatives appointed by the governors of 18 western states. They stopped at sites across Nebraska go learn about water technology and infrastructure.

York FFA Chapter

York FFA Chapter got in some poultry judging practice time with Saunders County Extension and 4-H Educator Cole Meador before heading to the National FFA Convention.

Youth Crop Scouting Competition

Nebraska Extension's Youth Crop Scouting Competition took place at ENREEC. This annual event provides opportunity for students with an opportunity to learn the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for corn and soybeans, while exploring emerging crop scouting technologies and gaining valuable experience for future careers in the ag industry.

YQCA Training

4-Hers showing livestock in Nebraska are required to complete quality assurance certification through Youth for the Quality Care of Animals -YQCA. Saunders County Extension & 4-H held their annual session at ENREEC, providing our county's youth the opportunity to learn from the national program focused on food safety, animal well-being, & character development.

Ag Literacy Festival

Program location - Saunders County Fairgrounds, Wahoo, NE. For over 25 years, fourth graders from the Saunders County and Omaha areas have learned about agriculture and its importance in their daily lives at the Saunders County Ag Literacy Festival. With continued growth in urban areas, many youth don’t have a connection with or the opportunity to visit a farm. This limited exposure to agriculture often means many aren't aware of the vital role ag plays in Nebraska and everyday life. The coalition is led by Nebraska Extension. Aimed primarily at urban youth, Extension organizes the festivals and partners with commodity groups, businesses and organizations for program content, presentations, and funding. The festival provides an excellent way for students to learn about a wide range of agricultural concepts, from production to products, in a fun and interactive environment.  

Photos and story: Cultivating Connections by Nebraska Institute of Agriculture & Natural Resources - Exposure 

Eastern Nebraska Corn & Soybean Expo

Program location - Fremont, NE (locations rotates between Fremont and ENREEC). The Eastern Nebraska Corn & Soybean Expo covered a variety of topics from optimizing nitrogen use in corn production and preparing for crop diseases going into 2025 to a TAPS (Testing Ag Performance Solutions) participant panel to equip producers planning for the next growing season. The expo was sponsored by Nebraska Extension, the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Corn Board

Barta Brothers Ranch Field Day

The Bartas Brothers Ranch field day highlighted ranch & research updates...prescribed burning, patch-burn grazing, cattle nutrition/reproduction, managing Eastern red cedar, prairie chicken research, windbreak mulching experiments. 

Photos/story: go.unl.edu/bbr25

Fall Stakeholder Meeting

The fall stakeholder meeting helps determine the course of future research projects and programs at the Barta Brothers Ranch.

Ranch Tour

Barta Brothers Ranch was the setting for a tour for a group of researchers from Texas A&M and Oklahoma State University.

Adult and Pediatric FA/CPR/AED Training 

Staff participated in Adult and Pediatric FA/CPR/AED Training 

Ag Literacy Festival 

The Ag Literacy Festival at Haskell Ag Lab focused on providing hands-on learning about agriculture for 2nd-4th grade students.

Allen FFA Service Project - Mulching

The Allen FFA Chapter spread mulch in the Northeast Arboretum at the Haskell Ag Lab as part of a community service project for their chapter.

Biology Day for High Schoolers

More than 70 high school students from five area schools recently attended the Haskell Ag Lab’s second Biology Day. The day offered a deep dive into a diverse range of ecological topics including soil, pollinator, and wildlife conservation, spatial planting, windbreak design, and toured the Northeast Arboretum at HAL.

Biology in Action Day

Over 50 students participate in the Haskell Ag Lab's Third Biology in Action Day. They attended sessions on soils erosion with Leslie Johnson (Extension Educator), native plants with Ian Peterson (Extension Educator), wildlife in Bridget Gross (School of Natural Resources Recruiter), arboretum tour with Jorden Smith (Nebraska Forest Service), and windbreaks with Pam Bergstrom (NFS Agroforester). Students had to compete to develop a wind break recommendation using information they learned throughout the day.

Dixon Board of Supervisors

The Dixon Board of Supervisors were given a tour of the Haskell Ag Lab operation. They learned about the history of the Ag Lab, ongoing research, different implements that are used, and more about the Great Plains Heifer Development Center.

4-H Workshops

• 4-H Rocketry Class
• 4-H Service Project - Native Plants
• Engineering Explorers Camp
• Cloverkid Summer Camp Activities (Space, Plants, STEM) - Ages 5-7
• Robot Camp - 8-14 yrs old 
   

Forestry in Action: A Service Project and Workshop

The Haskell Ag Lab hosted a day of hands-on service and fun 4-H activities in the Northeast Nebraska Arboretum. 4-H Youth spread mulch, picked up sticks, and pulled weeds. After a provided lunch, the afternoon offered several 4-H activities that participants could prepare for fair submissions.

HAL Advisory Committee Meetings

The HAL Advisory Committee is made up of individuals in the northeast area to advise Haskell on events or research that they think others in their communities would like to see.

HAL Ag Career Days

The Haskell Ag Lab has hosted five different career days since 2022 for high school students. Students have had the opportunity to learn about three career areas of their choosing from several ag sectors: Agribusiness, Ag Communications, Ag Equipment, Ag Education & Extension, Ag Tourism, Animal Science, Crop Production, Forestry, Food Science, Horticulture & Floriculture, Soils & Nutrients.

Beyond learning these topics, students also visited higher education institution representatives to learn about the agricultural programs they offer: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL, Little Priest Indian College, Morningside College, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Nebraska Indian Community College, Northeast Community College, South Dakota State University, and Wayne State College.

HAL Career Development Events Invitational

UNL Haskell Ag Lab hosted a CDE Invitational for over 180 FFA students across 16 schools. Students participated in Agronomy, Environment and Natural Resources, or Meats Judging. Sponsors also included: Tyson Meats, Lower Elkhorn NRD, and Junck Seeds.

See the story at:  https://instituteofagriculturenaturalresources.exposure.co/hal-cde-invitationalnbsp/share

Northeast Nebraska Crops Update

The event included topics on corn and soybean diseases, Nebraska On-Farm Research, emerging soybean pests, industry partner product updates, and more. 

Private Pesticide Training

Producers took the opportunity to brush up on their pesticide applicator training and earned certification during the annual training courses at HAL.

Reduce Your Risk: Taking Action on Nitrate for Healthier Homes and Communities

Attendees learned how high nitrate levels in drinking water can affect their health, as well as options for mitigating those high nitrate levels. They also were able to have their water tested by the Lewis and Clark Natural Resource District and by the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District. 

Soil Judging - Land Evaluation Practice

Land Evaluation Practice was conducted at HAL for Bancroft Rosalie and Allen high schools.

Soybean Management Field Day/TAPS

Topics include the soybean TAPS competition, white mold, and soybean market update - 30 teams were competing in the 2nd annual Soybean TAPS competition across the state. Attendees learned from last year’s contest and progress of the 2025 season, along with current research being conducted on controlling white mold and an overview of the current soybean markets. They also heard from MEG Corp about soy biodiesel and local Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Soybean Association representatives.

Soybean Science Institute

The Summer Soybean Institute gave teachers a hands-on learning experience in soybeans and agriculture. The Haskell Ag Lab participants had the opportunity to tour HAL and visited with many different experts that work with soybean producers. They also were able to tour Norfolk Crush, the new soybean crushing plant in Norfolk, Nebraska. This year’s Institute hosted several middle and high school educators that teach math, science, and agriculture. These teachers learned how they can incorporate soybean science into their curriculum. This program is a collaboration between the Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Extension, and the Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Springfest

Springfest participants learned about growing fruit in their backyard with Carol Larvick. There were several youth activities throughout the morning as well.

The Heartland of Rocketry (T.H.O.R.) Launches

T.H.O.R. organizes regular rocket launch events where members can safely test and showcase their rockets, fostering a sense of accomplishment and community. T.H.O.R. believes in the power of rocketry to ignite curiosity, foster STEM education, and build a community of like-minded individuals. Heartland Thunder 2025 was T.H.O.R.'s largest event ever at Haskell. 28 college students from both UNL and SDSU got their Level 1 or Level 2 certifications, and 32 certification flights overall. T.H.O.R. organized a couple of dozen fun flights.

Tree-rific Trees! (elementary schools)

Tree-rific Trees event for second grade students. Topics included: Arbor Day, tree identification, tree bark textures, animals living in trees, food from trees, and root systems. We have two schools, and 70 students attend.

Cover Crop Grazing Conference

The Cover Crop Grazing Conference provided comprehensive insights into grazing management, focusing on the integration of cover crops and annual forages to enhance cattle operations. Attendees learned about the risks associated with nitrates and prussic acid in grazing and explored strategies for safe and efficient cattle management. The session on virtual fencing technology highlighted the potential to revolutionize grazing by offering increased flexibility and efficiency. Interactive panel discussion allowed participants to gain practical insights and solutions from producers who have successfully incorporated cattle and cover crops. The event also featured a trade show and poster session showcasing innovative research from University of Nebraska–Lincoln students, addressing real-world challenges in integrated systems. A tour of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center concluded the event, demonstrating winter grazing practices and the integration of forages to maximize productivity in beef research herds. 

(This conference was not held at SCAL, but at the Clay County Fairgrounds and involved clientele from the SCAL region.)

IANR Roads Scholars Tour

The IANR Roads Scholars Tour visited the South Central Ag Lab.

South Central Ag Lab Field Day

UNL South Central Agricultural Laboratory Field Day was full of interactive discussion and demos tailored to help growers gain insight into practical practices and tools to consider incorporating into their own operations.

South Central Agricultural Lab Weed Management Field Day

UNL South Central Agricultural Lab Weed Management Field Day included on-site demonstrations of new technology and new herbicides for corn, soybean and sorghum. Tours focused on weed management in soybean and sorghum, as well as a tour on weed management in field corn. Field experiments provided information for weed control options with various herbicide programs.

South Central Agricultural Lab Winter Data Sharing Workshop

Results from 2024 research projects conducted at SCAL were presented and research projects planned for 2025 were also discussed.