Nebraska Grazing Conference To Be Held In August

The 2022 Nebraska Grazing Conference will be held August 9 and 10 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, NE with a program bridging grazing lands conservation and management.

The conference will begin with a field tour from 9:30 am to 11:30 am at the Cottonwood Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) northeast of Bertrand, NE and move to the Linder WPA, which is 1.5 miles from the first stop. Discussion topics include conservation practices and grazing management. Scheduled speakers are producers Tim Hawk and Robert Steinbrink and Brad Krohn, Project Leader with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. There is no fee to attend the field tour.

This year’s conference features speakers presenting topics related to conservation, invasive species management, grazing systems, and wildlife management. The featured speaker for the Conference is Steve Kenyon, a producer from Alberta, Canada.

Another highlight is the recognition of the 2021 Leopold Conservation Award recipient. This year’s recipient is the Switzer Ranch and will be represented by Sarah Sortum. Other speakers include Dirac Twidwell, Dan Uden, and Cheryl Dunn from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Keith Harmoney from Kansas State University; David Augustine from USDA-ARS; Ben Wheeler of Pheasants Forever; and John Laux from Nebraska Game & Parks Commission.

Sponsor and exhibitor booths will showcase new programs, equipment, and products to conference participants. Additional information about becoming a sponsor or exhibitor is outlined on the NGC webpage. Questions related to booth space may be directed to Brent Plugge at (308) 236-1235 or [email protected].

There have been a few changes to this year’s conference format. Please note that the conference has been shortened and will be held over two days with the Field Tour being held on Tuesday morning of the first day. Conference sessions will begin on Tuesday afternoon following the field tour and conclude with Steve Kenyon speaking at the Tuesday evening banquet. The second day will open with a breakfast buffet and the conference will conclude following the Wednesday morning sessions around noon.

To learn more about the conference, or to register (after July 15), go to https://grassland.unl.edu/nebraska-grazing-conference-registration. Questions about the conference may be directed to Daren Redfearn, chair, Nebraska Grazing Conference at [email protected]