The Inaugural Nebraska State of Beef Conference was held November 4-5, 2014, in North Platte. There were 180 people in attendance. Additionally 26 companies supported the event through vendor booth sponsorships. This gave producers a chance to hear speakers discuss research-based concepts and visit with vendors who could supply the tools they need to manage their operations.
Most speakers wrote a proceedings paper to accompany their presentations and those are available below.
This conference is planned to be a biennial event – hosted next in 2016.
PDF version of complete set of conference proceedings (PDF 2.4MB, 86 pgs)
NOTE: All links below are to PDF files.
Table of Contents
Future of the Beef Industry - Why Rebuild?
Jim Robb, Livestock Marketing Information Center
Economics of Rebuilding the Cowherd
Kate Brooks, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Determining Unit Cost of Production
Aaron Berger, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Educator
Rebuilding the Cowherd from a Feeder and Packer Perspective
Tom Brink, Brink Consulting and Trading
Terminal and Maternal Breeding Programs
Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Utilizing Residues and By-products to Offset Limited Pastures
Karla Jenkins, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center
Annual Forages to Complement or Replace Pastures
Jerry Volesky, UNL West Central Research and Extension Center
Producer Panel - Using Resources to Create Profit Center
Moderator: Randy Saner, UNL Extension Educator
Panel Members:
Rosemary Anderson, Anderson Ranch, Whitman, Nebraska
John Maddux, Maddux Cattle Company, Wauneta, Nebraska
Steve Scholz, Lincoln Co. Feeders, Stapleton, NE
Entrepreneurship, Thinking Outside the Box, and Rebuilding the Cowherd
(paper titled: Beef Production Without Mature Cows)
George Seidel, Colorado State University
Use of Technology to Improve Cowherd and Feedlot Efficiency
Kelly Bruns, UNL West Central Research and Extension Center
Health and Biosecurity Considerations When Rebuilding the Cowherd
Richard Randle, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Importance of Early Conception and Factors Influencing It
Rick Funston, UNL West Central Research and Extension Center