Whirlwind of events in agriculture, education

Dean’s Message by Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

Summer classes began Monday at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.  Welcome back to our Veterinary Technology community who comprise the on-campus courses.

While few college students have been milling about campus the past month, things have certainly not been quiet.

In fact, it seems to have been a whirlwind of activities and events since late May when the summer day camps and sessions began.  We appreciate the public partnerships for these successful programs.

I’ve got to say I love seeing the groups of young people at the livestock judging camp and the animal science Discovery Day. Nebraska Extension partners counted 99 participants attended on May 26!

Then, Nebraska Youth Range Camp brought 55 people – counting the teenagers and adult leaders at the camp. A huge shout out to the Nebraska Society for Range Management which coordinates this outstanding camp.

In past decades, the annual camp has been held in the Sandhills at the Halsey State 4-H Camp.

However, organizers opted a few years ago to return the range camp to southwest Nebraska for two seasons.  Here, at the college campus in Curtis, is where it all began more than 55 years ago.

Campers come from all parts of Nebraska and elsewhere for this unique, in-depth short course. The instructors and resources are from several agencies and sponsors.  The mission and content for the 4-day youth short course ties in closely with the animal science and range curriculum at NCTA.

It was great to see so many eager faces in their recreation time here outside of Ag Hall.  Thanks for coming to Curtis, youth campers and staff!

Agriculture Educators

We had a reunion of sorts at the annual conference for the Nebraska Agricultural Educators Association in Kearney last week.

Many of the graduates from NCTA and several from our predecessor, the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture (UNSTA), are now teaching in high school agriculture classrooms in Nebraska (and some across the border in Kansas, Iowa or South Dakota).

Dr. Doug Smith, who heads our agriculture education programs at NCTA, was recognized for his 10 years of teaching in Nebraska and NAEA participation.  Congratulations and thank you, Dr. Smith.

He and our alumni teachers who were attending the final afternoon sessions and evening banquet gathered for a group photo.  It was enjoyable for me to greet these fine individuals and thank them for their dedication to education and FFA programs plus ongoing support to NCTA.

Nebraska Cattlemen

I ended last week in Valentine at the mid-year meeting of Nebraska Cattlemen. We work closely with these beef industry partners.  Many producer/owners provide internships and employment for NCTA students and graduates.

Donors support NCTA students in our Heifer Link program, where applicants can earn a bred heifer from our campus herd when they graduate.  The heifers have been donated or sponsored with financial commitments. This is a way for graduates to start or expand their beef herd.

The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation provides scholarships to college-bound youth or continues support to college students studying animal science, feedlot management, animal health or a related career. The Foundation also gives financial assistance to the Aggie Livestock Judging Program.

Also, NCTA has a Collegiate Cattlemen club which is affiliated with Nebraska Cattlemen. I appreciate the strong relationship with this partnership. Nebraska’s beef cattle industry is a great stakeholder in NCTA.

Aggie Alumni Meeting

Reminder that the annual meeting of the Aggie Alumni Association will be online via Zoom at 12 noon C.T., on Thursday, June 23.  All alumni are invited to participate, says President David Fulton of Pleasanton. For details, please register in advance for the meeting link at  https://ncta.unl.edu/aggie-alumni.

Thanks for reading and Go Aggies!

NCTA Events:

June 23:  Aggie Alumni Annual Meeting, 12 pm CT, Virtual Zoom

June 24:  Critter Corral, 8 a.m.- 2 p.m., NCTA Vet Tech Complex

June 26-28, 28-30: Ag Teachers Boot Camp and Coaches Clinics, NCTA Campus

July 6: Agronomy Youth Field Day, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., NCTA

July 14:  NCTA at NAYI Career Fair, Lincoln

July 26: Crops Field Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., NCTA Farm

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.