Agricultural Economics Department
Date of this Version
8-28-2019
Citation
agecon.unl.edu/cornhuskereconomics
Abstract
In 2017, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources (IANR) and Nebraska Extension made a commitment to implement a multidisciplinary Beef Systems Initiative (BSI). The BSI is administered by the Center for Grassland Studies and is comprised of six projects designed to develop and support the implementation of beef production systems that optimize feed resource use, natural resource conservation, and producer success in Nebraska through improved management of perennial grasslands and systems of integrated crop-beef cattle production. In addition to the BSI, a parallel project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is studying the best practices for incorporating beef cattle into cropping systems while improving ecosystem services to ensure sustainability. Both of these efforts include components focused on producer and community outreach through Nebraska Extension. To this end, an agricultural lenders panel and five geographically identified producer panels have been formed to provide input and feedback on the project results as they become available. Recently, the lenders panel met for the first time to provide their perspectives about the important information that should be communicated to producers who are considering developing an integrated beef enterprise.