Busy January for NCTA Aggies
Jan. 22, 2020
NCTA Dean’s Message
By Interim Dean Kelly Bruns, Ph.D.
Aggies are underway with their second week of spring semester classes at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture and I’d like to welcome new students to campus.
We had several students transfer or begin their college career after the break. Welcome to campus, new Aggies!
Our residence halls are filled with students bundled in winter gear and carefully making their way across campus, and when outdoors caring for the NCTA farm’s livestock and horses.
Before classes even resumed on January 13th, we had students back on campus. The livestock judging team had several workouts before their spring season started.
Report from a student
Emily Riley, a sophomore from Norton, Kansas, recently shared this team report on KRVN Radio.
“I started my livestock judging career in 4-H and FFA and chose to come to Curtis for my college studies in animal science.
Recently, our 12-member team returned to campus from our holiday break to spend four days on livestock evaluation workouts with our coach, Dr. Doug Smith.
We traveled to see livestock at Daigger-Orr Angus, Graff Cattle, Rennert Ranch, Darr Bull Development Yard, Ruggles Angus, and Oak Creek Boer Goats before heading east for a mock judging contest with our counterparts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Results from the mock contest were pretty good. My teammate, Garrett Lapp, was third in swine and I was in the top five in placings. We also saw great improvement in our reasons and from our freshmen teammates.
On January 16th & 17th my sophomore teammates competed in the collegiate livestock judging contests in Denver at the National Western Stock Show. We’re excited to get back into action for our 2020 season as our sophomore team competes at seven contests.”
As an animal science professor and former livestock judging team coach, I know very well the dedication and very long hours a livestock judging student commits to teamwork and this lifelong skill. I appreciate our students and Coach Smith, and wish them well at their next contest in Sioux City.
A second Aggie team heads to Denver this weekend with six students competing in the Intermediate competition of the Cattle Dog Trials. Good luck to our Aggies and Judy Bowmaster-Cole, sponsor. Also, a hat tip to the Outback Stock Dog Association and its members who will compete. Our Aggie team values the outstanding support of the OSDA and local producers who work our students on a weekly basis. Good luck, Aggies!
Welcome grain sorghum symposium
Next Wednesday, our NCTA agronomy division and students are host to the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board for their second annual symposium at campus. We welcome all producers from the region to this special program, along with sorghum growers from around Nebraska.
Activities begin with registration at 9 a.m. at the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center. The symposium and lunch is free of charge. They do ask for advance registrations by sending an e-mail to sorghum.board@nebraska.gov or at www.eventbrite.com, keyword: “2020 sorghum symposium”.
Welcome to campus, Aggie students and guests. We are glad you are here at NCTA!
NCTA is devoted to a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, and related industries. The college provides open access to innovative technical education resulting in associate degrees, certificates, and other credentials.
Upcoming events
Jan. 22 – FFA District 11 LDE contests, NCTA campus
Jan. 22 – Medicine Valley Chamber of Commerce directors, 12 noon
Jan. 23 – Curtis Rotary, noon, Ed Center
Jan. 25 – Market Beef Weigh In, 9 a.m.
Jan. 27 – Frontier County Extension Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 28 – Market Beef Weigh-in, 6 p.m.
Jan. 28 – UNL Beef Update simulcast, 7 p.m., NCTA Ed Center
Jan. 30 – NE Grain Sorghum seminars, 9 a.m., NCTA Ed Center
Jan. 30 – Curtis Rotary, noon, Ed Center
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