NCTA Aggies at festivals and fairs

Sept. 8, 2021

NCTA Dean’s Message by Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

We’ve had a whirlwind of activity here at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture campus and we’re only three weeks into the fall semester!

The month of September promises to be equally busy, if not more, as our Aggie recruiters are booked all month with college fairs. The NCTA student teams are competing or hosting contests, too. See some of the upcoming events below.

Fall Festivals

Our agricultural area observes the heritage of the region with fall festivals, celebrating the pending harvests of crop and livestock production, as well as the bonds of rural and community people.

Aggie students and staff, along with local and returning alumni, will be among those observing two local celebrations. The Wellfleet Fall Fest is this weekend, Sept. 11-12, and features a packed two days of activities. The Curtis Fall Festival is Sept. 17-19. Both feature parades, food, and community fun!

Volunteers organize and conduct these community events. The college appreciates the support of area residents. Our NCTA students enjoy sharing community service and partnerships in activities such as games in the park, food contests, baking treats to serve others, joining in the parades, and lending a hand in set-up and clean-up. Join us at these local festivals.

Students and their dogs

The Aggie Stock Dog Team is in action both weekends in Wellfleet and Curtis. Watch team members and their dogs this Saturday in the stock dog trial hosted by Eddie Merritt of Wellfleet. He and Kelly Popp have dedicated extensive time and resources in helping our NCTA students. They’ve coached beginners and veterans, supplied cattle or sheep, loaned young dogs for training, and boosted the Aggie program with their generosity.  

Almost daily, one can find students or alumni out at Kelly and Jo Popp’s farm south of Curtis practicing, training dogs to work cattle or sheep.  We value the friendship of such outstanding mentors to NCTA students.

Aubrey Kelley, a 2^nd year veterinary technology student from Lincoln, is president of the NCTA Aggie Stock Dog Team. Just a year ago, as a freshman, Aubrey started training a young border collie owned by Kelly Popp. Possum and Aubrey hope to be in their first trial on Saturday.

NCTA’s team opens monthly public trials Sept. 18-19 in the Livestock Teaching Center arena. Stock dog team has nearly 20 members this season, with Leighlynn Obermiller as faculty sponsor and coach.

Husker Harvest Days

NCTA will be at Husker Harvest Days, which is billed as the World’s Largest Totally Irrigated Working Farm Show, on Sept. 14-16 in Grand Island.

Our NCTA booth is again located at the tent east of the University of Nebraska Big Red Building, Lot 827.

We look forward to working with our partners from University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Nebraska Extension and others from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

NCTA Aggie and CASNR Husker alumni will gather at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. I’d like to meet more of our alumni so if you are at HHD on Sept. 15, please stop by the tent at Lot 827 and say hello.

College Fairs

This year in September, we switch from state fairs to in-person college fairs. College-bound students looking for an ideal fit for career development can attend academic extravaganzas, called Educational Planning Programs.

Our Aggie recruiters, Rulon and Andela, will be present at most college fairs which started this week at Mullen, Alliance, Chadron and Scottsbluff-Gering. They wrap up college fairs at Lincoln area schools by mid-October.

I hope to see you at a community festival or Husker Harvest Days in the next two weeks. Go Aggies!

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and for the success of student teams in competitive activities including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.

Aggie Events:

Sept. 10-11:  Aggie Rodeo to River Falls, Wisconsin

Sept. 11-12:  Wellfleet Fall Festival

Sept. 13:  EPP College Fair, Ord and Broken Bow

Sept. 13:  COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic, 6-7 p.m., Student Union

Sept. 14:  NCTA Round Robin Team Roping, 6:30 p.m., Mill Park

Sept. 14-16: NCTA at Husker Harvest Days

Sept. 16-18:  Aggie Rodeo at MPCC Stampede, North Platte

Sept. 17-19:  Curtis Fall Festival

Sept. 17-19: Aggie Ranch Horse Team to Henderson, Colorado

Sept.  18-19: Aggie Stock Dog Team hosts public trial, LTC, Curtis

Sept. 18-19:  Aggie Shotgun Sport Team, Midland meet, Lincoln

Sept. 21:  COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, 5:30-7 p.m., NCTA Student Union