cattle picture        2008 Nebraska Grazing Conference
                                    August 12-13, Holiday Inn, Kearney, Nebraska

The planning committee is still finalizing the 2008 program, but below is the tentative list of topics and speakers. Actual presentation titles will be added when known. Past NGC participants will receive a brochure in June. See the end of this web page for topics and speakers of the first seven conferences and for information on ordering proceedings. For questions, or to receive additional brochures, contact the Center for Grassland Studies, 402-472-4101, grassland@unl.edu.

NEW THIS YEAR!!  The UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources will cover the conference registration fee for the first 20 high school students who pre-register by the August 1 deadline. Contact the Center for Grassland studies for details.

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Tentative 2008 NGC Program

Tuesday, August 12 [moderator, Roger Chesley]

  9:00   Registration (browse exhibit area, refreshments available)

10:00   Welcome, Roger Chesley, Callaway, NE

10:10   Opening Remarks to the Nebraska Grazing Community, Tom Hansen, rancher and state senator, North Platte, NE
10:30   Marketing grass-fed beef, Allen Williams, Tallgrass Beef Co., LLC, Sedan, KS

12:00    Lunch

12:45   National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Chuck Schroeder, Oklahoma City, OK

  1:30    TBA

  2:15    Modifying animal behavior, Ray Bannister, Wibaux, MT

  3:00    Break (browse exhibit area, refreshments available)

  3:30   Concurrent sessions:

Grazing Basics: Terry Gompert, UNL, Center, NE; Bob Scriven, grazing consultant, Kearney, NE

Grazing and Wildlife: Larkin Powell, UNL, Lincoln; Mel Neneman, National Wildlife Refuge, Valentine, NE; Ronnie Sanchez, Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District, Kearney, NE

  5:00    Adjourn (browse exhibit area, cash bar)

  6:00    Banquet

  7:00    Bullpen sessions: Allen Williams (beef marketing); Ray Bannister (animal behavior); panel TBA (grazing-related career opportunities)

  9:00    Adjourn

Wednesday, August 13 [moderator, Julie Elliott]

  8:30   Land monitoring for management decisions, Charley Orchard, Land EKG, Inc., Bozeman, MT

10:00   Utilizing Co-Products in a Beef Livestock Operation, Rick Rasby, UNL, Lincoln

10:30   Break (browse exhibit area, refreshments available)

11:00   Concurrent sessions:

Co-products: TBA panel 

Grassland Monitoring: TBA panel

12:00   Lunch

12:45   My operation and transitioning to organic production, John Ravenscroft, Three Bar Cattle Company, Nenzel, NE

  1:15   Winter grazing alternatives, Jerry Volesky, UNL, North Platte, NE
  1:45   Grazing managers adapting to high feed and fuel costs, TBA panel
  2:45    Wrap-up, evaluations and adjourn

HOTEL INFORMATION:
Holiday Inn
110 2nd Ave (Exit 272 on I-80)
Kearney, Nebraska
phone:    1-800-248-4460 (in Nebraska), or 308-237-5971
Make room reservations directly with the Holiday Inn (specify the Nebraska Grazing Conference). Rooms at Conference rate of $71.95 + tax per room (1-4 persons) per night are held until July 15, 2008.

For information on Continuing Education Units, contact Dana Larsen with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 308-534-2360 ext 3, dana.larsen@ne.usda.gov.

Printable order form.


 Ordering Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings

You can purchase copies of proceedings (one copy comes with registration) of the Nebraska Grazing Conferences for: 2001-2005, $5 each; 2006-2008, $10 each (includes s&h). Speakers and topics for 2001-2007 conferences are listed below. To order, send a check (payable to Nebraska Grazing Conference) to the Center for Grassland Studies, PO Box 830953, U. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0953 (note which year(s) you are purchasing). For orders outside the U.S., check with the Center  prior to ordering. Proceedings for all years will also be available for purchase at each Nebraska Grazing Conference while supplies last.

2001 Nebraska Grazing Conference
Making Money in the Beef Business, Barry Dunn, Range Livestock Specialist, South Dakota State University
Matching Production Systems to Resources, Don Adams, UNL Beef Specialist & Producer Panel
Challenges Evaluating the Economics of Grazing, John Lawrence, Livestock Economist,  Iowa State University
Profit Strategies with Stockers, Gordon Hazard, Stocker Grazier/Consultant, West Point, Mississippi
Grazing Strategies Before, During and After Drought, Pat Reece, UNL Range and Forage Specialist
Irrigated Pastures, Bob Scriven, UNL Extension Educator & Jerry Volesky, UNL Range Specialist
Choosing the Right Cow for the Job, Kit Pharo, Pharo Cattle Company, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado
Land Trust -- Forever is a Long Time, Lynne Sherrod, Colorado Cattlemen's Land Trust
Partnering for Conservation, Mike Kelly, Producer, Sutherland
Grazing Corn, Turnips, and Small Grains, Terry Gompert, UNL Extension Educator & producer panel

2002 Nebraska Grazing Conference
Cows, Grass, Dirt & Dollars, Dave Pratt, President, Ranch Management Consultants, Fairfield, California
Grazing Response Index Systems: Decision-support Tools for Optimizing Grazing Management, Patrick Reece,  rangeland ecologist, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff
Getting Started Grazing, Kim Stine, state range conservationist, NRCS, North Platte; Jan Joesph, range management specialist, NRCS, Valentine; producer panel: Scott Bodie, Burchard; Mark Keck, Crofton; Linda Kemp, North Platte
Restoring and Managing Diverse Grassland Plant Communities, Chris Helzer, land steward, The Nature Conservancy, Aurora
Management of Eastern Red Cedar to Improve Grazinglands, John Ortman, rangeland ecosystem science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
ARCView Mapping, Leah Carson, range management specialist, Upper Loup NRD, Thedford
Nutritional Benefits of Grass-finished Bison and Beef, Judy Driskell, professor, nutritional science and dietetics, UNL, Lincoln
Tenderness, Sensory Characteristics, and Value of Grass-Fed Beef, Chris Calkins, professor, animal science and food science & technology, UNL
Genetics for Grass-Fed Beef, Kit Pharo, Pharo Cattle Company, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado
Grass-fed Protein Sources, Producer panel: Dairy, Dave Wetzel, Page, Beef, Liz Sarno, Linwood; Poultry, Ray Seifer, Sutherland
Using Cattle to Manage for Biodiversity, Arnold Mendenhall, Audubon Nebraska, Lincoln
Two Best and Two Worst Decisions We Have Made on the Ranch, Mike Spearman, L Cross Ranch, La Garita, Colorado
Cattle Markets: Situation, Outlook and Issues, James Robb, Director, Livestock Marketing Information Center, Lakewood, Colorado

2003 Nebraska Grazing Conference
Low-cost Grazing Strategies, Greg Simonds, ranch management consultant, Utah
Matching Genetics to Resources, Jim Gosey, UNL
Winter Grazing and Supplementation of Cows, Don Adams, UNL
Building Localized, Producer-based Coalitions, Doug Whisenhunt, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and members of the Loess Canyon Rangeland Alliance
Stewardship of Grazing and Biodiversity, Bob Budd, The Nature Conservancy, Wyoming
Learned Grazing Behavior, Fred Provenza, Utah State University
Drought, producer panel moderated by Roger Chesley, Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition; with Homer Buell, Rose; Dave Hamilton, Thedford; Richard Mazour, Deweese
Irrigated Pastures, producer panel moderated by Bob Scriven, UNL; with Jim Choquette, Upland; Terri Edeal, Lexington; Terry Kucera, Sargent Bluff, IA; Ellis Schrunk, Bartlett

2004 Nebraska Grazing Conference
Carbon Trading: Adding Value to Grazing, John Caveny, Environmentally Correct Concepts, Inc., Illinois
Carbon Sequestration in the Great Plains, Martin Kleinschmit, Center for Rural Affairs and Nebraska farmer, Hartington
Using Weather Forecasting Tools to Make Grazing Decisions, Brian Fuchs, UNL
Variation in Climate and Herbage Production, Doug Goodin, Kansas State U.; Walter Schacht, UNL
Grazing Management to Meet Multiple Objectives: What We Have Learned, Jerry Holechek, New Mexico State U.
Food Animal Traceability, Greg Ibach, Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture
Additive Benefits to Rotation Grazing, R.L. Dalrymple, formerly with the Noble Foundation, Oklahoma
How Grasses Grow, Lowell Moser, UNL
Using Goats in Grazing Systems to Control Weeds, Lani Malmberg, Wyoming
Goats: The Ultimate Rangeland Scavengers, Chad Peterson, Nebraska farmer, Bassett
Producer Panel: Why I Do What I Do, Moderator, Sallie Atkins, Halsey; A.B. Cox, Mullen; Harlow Hill, Wauneta; Marlene Moore, Wallace

2005 Nebraska Grazing Conference

Animal Behavior as it Relates to Grazing, Temple Grandin, Colorado State University

Integrated Management of Red Cedar, Stevan Knezevic, UNL

Cedar Tree Control, Gordon Gosnell, Maxwell; T.J. Walker, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Irrigated Pastures, Jim Choquette, Upland; Josh Wendell, Dickens

Economic Considerations in Buying a Ranch, Burke Teichert, Deseret Ranches, Ashby

Monitoring Cattle Markets and Input Costs, Jim Carr, Burwell

Increasing Productivity with Dung Beetles and  Soil Organisms, Pat and Dick Richardson, University of Texas

Rotational Grazing Without Fences for Livestock and Wildlife, Terrence Bidwell, Oklahoma State University

Wildlife and Grazing, Orvin Bontrager, Servi-tech, Inc., Aurora; William Vodehnal, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission; Martin Batterman, Bridgeport

Pasture-finished/Grass-fed Beef Production and Marketing, Walter Bohaty, Bellwood; Paul Rohrbaugh, Steinauer; Kevin Fulton, Litchfield

Grassland Monitoring, Terry Gompert, UNL; Greg Carlson, Verdigre; Clem and Laurie Wagner, Center


2006 Nebraska Grazing Conference

Using Animal Behavior to Manage Grazing, Fred Provenza, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Highlights of the Grazing Livestock Systems Undergraduate Major, Walter Schacht, UNL, Lincoln, NE
Making Cents with Grazing Yearlings, Terry Klopfenstein, UNL, Lincoln, NE
Promoting Grassland Biodiversity, Mark Humpert / Gerry Steinauer / Jarren Kuipers, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln / Aurora / Beatrice, NE; Chris Helzer, The Nature Conservancy, Aurora, NE
Irrigated Pastures, Jerry Volesky, UNL, North Platte, NE; Bob Scriven, grazing consultant, Kearney, NE; J.D. Anderson, producer, Arapahoe, NE
Holistic Grazing Planning – From the Grass Roots Up, Byron Shelton, Buena Vista, CO
Setting Up Grazing Systems, Harlow Hill, Maddux Cattle Co., Wauneta, NE; Jon Immink, Endicott, NE; Lon Larsen, McWhorter-White Ranch, Brewster, NE
Conservation Easements: A Private Path to Permanent Protection, Dave Sands, The Nebraska Land Trust, Lincoln, NE
Measuring Success in Grazing Management: A Balanced Approach, Barry Dunn, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX
Birds and Grazing, Silka Kempema, UNL, Lincoln, NE; Jeff Drahota, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kearney, NE; Dan Kim, Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, Wood River, NE
Winter and Summer Grazing Options, Larry Wagner and Julie Williams, DVM, Wagner Land and Livestock and Bijou Hills Grassfed Meat, LLC, Chamberlain, SD; Rob Mitchell, USDA - Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, NE
Breeding Grasses for Improved Beef Cattle Income Per Acre, Ken Vogel, USDA - ARS, Lincoln, NE
Integrating Pasture with Row Crop Production, John Sellers, Grassland Systems Program Coordinator for Leopold Center and producer, Corydon, IA


2007 Nebraska Grazing Conference

Opening remarks, Bob Scriven, grazing consultant, Kearney, NE
MIG on range and pasture: similarities and differences, Jim Gerrish, American GrazingLands Services, May, ID
Managing soil and water in range and pasture systems, Jim Richardson, USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lincoln, NE
Goat management: Mark Goes, Instructor, Southeast Community College-Beatrice; Jim Jenkins, Callaway, NE; Michelle Wendell, Brewster, NE
Technology tools for grazing: Rob Ravenscroft, Lincoln, NE; Patrick Reece, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), Scottsbluff, NE; Jerry Volesky, UNL, North Platte
Ethanol’s effect on cow-calf producers, Darrell Mark, UNL, Lincoln, NE
Modifying livestock grazing behavior to benefit wildlife and meet land management objectives, Derek Bailey, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Evening workshop on monitoring grazing lands, conducted by Jim Gerrish, who made three documents available online that he used in the workshop:

             Pasture Condition Score sheet
             Guidelines for using the Pasture Condition Score sheet

             Inventory Template (this is also in the 2007 NGC proceedings)
Stocking/restocking according to weather and cattle cycles, Harlan Hughes, professor emeritus at North Dakota State University and regular columnist for BEEF magazine, Laramie, WY
Stocking decisions: a grazier's perspective, A.B. Cox, Mullen, NE
Leases for resource management: Harlan Hughes; J. David Aiken, UNL, Lincoln, NE; Al Steuter, Johnston, NE
Managing with fire: Tim Tunnell, The Nature Conservancy, Aurora, NE; Dana Larsen, USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ord, NE; Rich Bringelson, Doniphan, NE
Yesterday's success and tomorrow's promise, panel of "seasoned" graziers (Boyd Adkinson, Benkelman; Frank Bruning, Bruning; Jack Maddux, Wauneta) followed by panel of "developing" graziers (Rod Christen, Steinauer; Rod Frank, Madrid; Curt Morrow, O’Neill)

 

 

 

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