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Most of you who are reading this will know who said, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” but have no clue who wrote “There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.” The first, of course, was spoken by Dorothy, the Lion and the Tin Man in the 1939 classic Wizard of Oz as they trekked through the scary forest. The second one is a bit more of a challenge. Aldo Leopold, the father of modern-day ecology, is who crafted the ponder-worthy quote. I know I am one of those who loves all things outside and am confident that I could not live without wild things.

LINCOLN, NE - The announcement from President Trump unveiling the tariff-free importation of 300,000 metric tons of beef could not have come at a worse time for Nebraska’s cow/calf producers. Right now, thousands of Nebraska ranchers are in the process of selling newly weaned calves and Nebraska remains The Beef State with over 6.15 million head of cattle located in the state, second only to Texas. Unfortunately, the market’s reactions to the announcement are as troubling as they are predictable. At the producer level, this means lower prices at the time of year when millions of cattle producers are making marketing and herd retention decisions. At the consumer level, given that the United States imports around 2.5 million tons of beef product, most of it being lean trim for hamburger, it is doubtful this influx makes much of a difference on retail prices.

If grazing is one of your goals for a fall cover or forage crop, planting date matters. Every week we wait now means less growing season and less fall production. While seeding early is best, some species handle later planting dates better than others.

Western Nebraska ranchers and land managers face major challenges with invasive grasses invading the rangeland and Pine Ridge. Estimates of over 20 percent, or approximately 2.3 million acres, of the Nebraska Panhandle alone are infested with invasive grasses, predominantly cheatgrass. In addition to impacting the environment and native forb and grass forage production for livestock, cheatgrass poses an extreme fire hazard when mature.

LINCOLN, NE ~ August 21, 2026 - In response to President Trump’s Truth Social post regarding beef imports, Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) President Craig Uden issued the following statement, “The President’s statement on Truth Social today could not have come at a worse time for producers who are making critical decisions regarding heifer retention and herd expansion. Long-term market stability is imperative for herd expansion, and this type of shortterm messaging hinders beef cattle producers by creating uncertainty instead of letting a cyclical market do its job.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (Aug. 14, 2026) - Nebraska Sorghum will host its 2026 Nebraska Sorghum Field Day Wednesday, September 9, near Indianola. In partnership with Nebraska Extension, the field day will give growers a firsthand look at sorghum, also known as milo, varieties and management trials while connecting them with researchers, Extension specialists and industry experts.

SCN research-4554 - In addition to SCN, other damaging nematode species like root-knot nematode (RKN) can cause root damage, limiting the plant’s water and nutrient uptake, and reducing yield. ST.

Over the past three years, the quantity of beef produced from domestic cattle decreased year-overyear while domestic beef consumption increased year-over-year. This is Exhibit 1, demonstrating severe market failure in the downstream, beef side of the supply chain.

It’s that time of year when fresh produce is abundant. In-season foods range from tomatoes, peppers and corn to watermelon, cantaloupe and apples. This is when families turn to home food preservation to save their harvest and enjoy the spoils year-round.

From my Window Explain to me how is it possible for beef producers in the United States to increase their herds and fill a void in a few short months? This is the challenged imposed on cattle ranchers in the USA, and part of the irrational reasoning behind the importation of 300 metric tons of foreign ground beef, duty free, to be sold at a reduced price to hopefully bring down the hamburger cost at your local grocery store. Of course, this is a question on the minds of most everyone on the farms and ranches in this agricultural country in which we reside.