By Scout Nelson
The Nebraska Ranch Practicum, conducted by Nebraska Extension at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, continues to equip ranching professionals with valuable knowledge and practical skills. For more than 25 years, the program has combined the latest agricultural research with hands-on learning to help participants improve ranch productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.
Held over eight sessions from June through January, the practicum takes place at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte and the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory. The program follows an entire growing season and production cycle, allowing participants to understand how ranch operations change throughout the year.
According to Troy Walz, Extension Livestock Systems Educator and Coordinator of the Nebraska Ranch Practicum, the program focuses on helping ranchers make informed decisions that benefit every aspect of their operations.
“We want to strengthen their economics, sustainability and efficiency of their livestock operation,” Walz said. “We want them to learn how to make decisions and think through how that’s going to affect everything else in their operation.”
Participants receive training on pasture grasses, grazing systems, calving practices, cattle reproduction, body condition scoring, and ranch economics. University researchers also share the latest scientific findings and management strategies during the sessions.
Walz explained that observing pastures throughout different seasons helps participants better understand plant growth and environmental challenges such as drought and wildfires.
“What a plant looks like in June is different than what a plant looks like in September,” he said. “They can understand how the grasses change in that time as they ID them.”
The program teaches ranchers to view cattle, grasslands, and finances as a connected system.
“We look at the cattle and the grass and the economics as a system, and when you think about it that way, if you change one thing, it’s going to affect your whole system,” Walz said. “If you’re going to change the month when you have your cows calve, how is that going to affect how much you have to feed them over the winter?”
Jerry Volesky, Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture, Extension Range and Forest Specialist, said the program helps participants strengthen areas where they may lack experience.
“We’ve had people who were pretty good on the range and grazing management side of things but their skills in animal nutrition, for example, may have been lacking,” Volesky said. “Or somebody that may have had a really strong animal science background but may not have the skills related to the economics. Our objective is to put all three of those together.”
Participants will also learn how to assess pasture health, identify grasses, maintain records, and use data for future planning.
“We’ll have a close look out in the field how the grasses look compared to a month ago,” Volesky said. “We’ll also spend the time teaching the participants about good range health, what makes rangeland healthy and how you assess the condition of that pasture. If you have your records and you use those records, it’s a useful tool for planning your next year’s grazing. You can build yourself a personal database for your particular ranch or pasture you manage and get a good sense of what to expect.”
The hands-on approach allows participants to work directly with cattle and observe pasture conditions in real time.
“The challenges facing ranchers are constantly changing, and so are the opportunities,” Walz said. “We want to sustain our natural resources through good range management practices and a sound understanding of grazing systems. At the same time, we want to ensure the long-term sustainability of ranching families and their operations by helping them become more efficient and achieve their goals.”
The Nebraska Ranch Practicum remains an important educational initiative, helping ranchers adopt better management practices while supporting the long-term success of the livestock industry.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-erdinhasdemir
Categories: Nebraska, Education, Livestock, Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle