Roundup from the Dean’s Desk

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

Aggies are very fortunate at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture to have started 2022 with plentiful opportunities for hands-on, practical experiences at campus, in travels, and with Nebraska agriculture producers.

This Dean’s Desk roundup is full of good news about our Aggies and stakeholders plus what’s ahead in February.

Eight students majoring in Agriculture Education at NCTA are assisting District 11 FFA this week. They will be gaining hands-on experience in reviewing agricultural proficiency awards for Supervised Agricultural Experiences, as well as conducting interviews for State FFA degrees.

Beef Business

Aggie Livestock Judging Team members and their coach, Dr, Doug Smith, head to their busiest weekend of the season with a road trip to three judging contests. They compete Friday at the Heart City Bull Bash in Valentine, Saturday at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic, and Sunday at the Iowa Beef Expo in Des Moines.

James Lee and Aggie students are hosting a public program on February 15 to learn more about the proposed beef packing plant at North Platte. You are invited to join us at 7 p.m. at the NCTA Ed Center to hear from Trey Wasserburger, one of the investors of the Sustainable Beef, LLC effort.

Cattlemen’s Classic opens this weekend at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney. In addition to the Livestock Judging Contest on Saturday, NCTA will have a display so stop to say hello to Andela, Rulon or one of our alumni volunteers.

Celebrate Youth

It’s National 4-H Month. Did you know Aggie students can continue their 4-H careers program in the NCTA Collegiate 4-H Club?  Look for the various 4-H program events in your county during February.

Next week, NCTA will highlight some activities planned by Nebraska FFA chapters for National FFA Week February 19 to 26. Our Collegiate FFA Chapter at NCTA is officially recognized as FFA Alumni.

Women in Ag

NCTA Aggies will attend the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference in Kearney on Feb. 24 to 25. They are looking forward to interacting with peers and mentors in the agriculture industry.

Mary Rittenhouse, faculty advisor and academic lead for Agribusiness Management Systems, encourages registrations from producers and agribusinesses at https://wia.unl.edu/conference.

Celebrating Fifty

Noteworthy anniversaries among three of our uniquely Nebraskan agricultural partners is observed in 2022.  We appreciate the volunteers, members, and directors of these organizations, and note their achievements of 50 years.

• Nebraska Natural Resources Districts – the 23 conservation districts have locally-elected boards of directors, work closely with state and federal partners, plus the University of Nebraska and NCTA. We appreciate the support from the Middle Republican NRD office and staff here in Curtis.  Signup is underway through March for orders from the NRD Conservation Tree Program.  Happy 50^th anniversary, NRD partners!

•  Ag Builders of Nebraska – At its annual meeting in January, ABN members observed the group’s 50^th anniversary. The organization was established in 1972 to advocate for the University of Nebraska, particularly the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and campuses including NCTA. Members and directors are all volunteers, nominated by peers in Nebraska agriculture.

• Nebraska Association of County Extension Boards – If you are involved in Nebraska Extension, you are familiar with the role of county extension boards which direct county programs for 4-H youth and adult education programs, and much more. NACEB met Tuesday to celebrate the more than 500 individuals who represent all 93 counties. This includes Frontier County Extension. Congratulations to Jo Bek, professor emeritus in animal science of NCTA, who serves as the NACEB treasurer. Jo received the Friend of Extension Award, presented Tuesday.

We hope to see some of you on campus February 15^th for the public program about the beef packing industry in Nebraska. Bring your neighbors and families to learn more about the meat processing industry. James Lee and other Aggie student organizers will provide refreshments.

NCTA Campus Events:

Feb. 11-13: NCTA Livestock Judging Team competes at Valentine, Kearney and Des Moines.

Feb. 12-19:  Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic, Kearney, NCTA exhibit

Feb. 15:  Sustainable Beef LLC public program, 7 p.m., Ed Center

Feb. 19:  NCTA Crops Judging, West Texas A&M contest, Canyon

Feb. 19-26:  National FFA Week

Feb.  24-25:  NCTA Women in Ag Conference, Kearney

Feb. 26: NCTA Shotgun Sports Team at MPCC match, North Platte

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.