News

Kearney, NE (January 22, 2026) The Nebraska Beef Council is seeking candidates in four districts to serve on the Board of Directors in 2027. The volunteer directors represent beef producers’ checkoff collections and investments on the state, national and international level. The board’s major responsibility is to oversee checkoff expenditures by determining promotion, research and education programs for checkoff investments. The term is four years and will begin on January 2, 2027.

Grass tetany and nitrate poisoning are issues that we typically associate with animals grazing. However, both issues can be a problem in winter when animal diets are limited by what they are fed. Is your herd safe from possible hay worries?

LINCOLN – Prepare your colored pencils, pull out your crayons and ready your markers, students! It’s time for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s (NDA) annual poster contest, open to all Nebraska students in first through sixth grades. This year’s theme is Nebraska Agriculture: Building the Future,

Are you looking to increase production from pastures or hay fields? Frost seeding or interseeding legumes might just work in your operation. Nitrogen is one of the key ingredients for productive pastures.

Nebraska Extension will offer a six-part webinar series in February 2026 designed to equip ranchers, landowners, and natural resource professionals with the latest research and management strategies for tackling invasive weeds, woody encroachment, and pasture pests. “Controlling Invasive Weeds & Pests in Pastures” will be held over three weeks, with webinars taking place on Mondays and Thursdays — February 9, 12, 16, 19, 23 and 26 — from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.

Just over a decade ago, beef sold in United States grocery stores was labeled with its country of origin. The requirement at the time was that beef be labeled as to where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. So beef from an animal born in Mexico and raised and slaughtered in the United States was labeled “Born in Mexico, Raised and Slaughtered in the U.S.” Beef exclusively produced in the U.S. was labeled, “Born, Raised, and Slaughtered in the U.S.” And imported beef was labeled with the country of origin listed on the box or package when it was inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before entering the U.S. market. That means all the beef in a box from Brazil was required to be labeled “Product of Brazil.” And, importantly, the law required that the foreign label be retained through retail sale, meaning all the way to the consumer.

From my Window When I was young, which does not seem like long ago, I often heard about the many changes in lifestyle my parents and grandparents experienced. They had gone from the horse and buggy days to watching a man set foot on the moon…on a television set.

Walt and Sonja Lurz were treated to five days in Deadwood by their children, Tiffany and Trav Howe, and Terry and Amanda Lurz, to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, which was January 21. On Sunday they all met in Spearfish to celebrate a dedication at church for their great granddaughter, Naomi Lea Lurz, who is seven weeks old. She is the daughter of Walt and Sonja’s grandson, Connor Lurz and wife Emma, who came from Oklahoma for the special occasion. Happy anniversary Walt and Sonja!

LINCOLN, NE, January 23 —The University of Nebraska’s Department of Agricultural Economics, in partnership with Rural Prosperity Nebraska, announces its online, non-credit course Public Participation and Engagement for the third semester running, beginning February 15. With the course open to the public, the curriculum focuses on helping community leaders and those involved in their communities enhance their work and locally-focused projects through public engagement planning knowledge and skills.

People often talk about having a “gut feeling” or are told to “listen to their gut” when making a decision. Do you know what your gut is trying to tell you? There are multiple things that your digestive system can do to get your attention. Do you know what your body is trying to tell you? Here are some of the things your gut could be trying to say.