Currently on Summer Recess

The club is currently on summer recess through October 5. There are no upcoming events scheduled at this time, but we’re looking forward to returning this fall with new programs and gatherings.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club Social Event at Fiddlestick’s Lounge

The Nebraska Agribusiness Club invites members, friends, and prospective new members to join us for a social event at Fiddlestick’s Lounge in Fallbrook on Tuesday, May 12, from 4:00-6:00 PM.

This casual gathering is a great opportunity to connect with fellow agribusiness professionals, introduce guests to the Nebraska Agribusiness Club, and learn more about the people and organizations helping support Nebraska agriculture.

We are also pleased to welcome Kevin Clark, President & CEO of AKRS Equipment, who will provide an update at 4:30 PM on the various business units operating under the AKRS umbrella.

NABC members will receive two drink tickets, and guests will receive one drink ticket for attending the event.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
Speaker Update: Kevin Clark, President & CEO of AKRS Equipment, at 4:30 PM
Location: Fiddlestick’s Lounge
Address: 575 Fallbrook Blvd, Ste 109, Lincoln, NE 68521

Fiddlestick’s Lounge is a cozy, hidden-gem bar located in Lincoln’s Fallbrook area, adjacent to Zipline Tap & Grill. The lounge offers a comfortable and stylish setting for cocktails, craft beer, and conversation.

RSVP

Please RSVP by Thursday, May 7 if you plan to attend as an NABC member or if you will be bringing guests. This will help Fiddlestick’s Lounge plan staffing and support for the event.

We look forward to seeing you there and welcoming both familiar faces and new guests to the Nebraska Agribusiness Club community.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club Speaker on April 6th will be Nebraska Mesonet Manager-Ruben Behnke

Mesonet Manager- Ruben Behnke

The Nebraska Mesonet is a collection of 63 high quality, standardized weather and soil observation stations located throughout Nebraska. A mesonet is designed to capture weather phenomena. These phenomena include thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards. \ Ruben Behnke has been the Mesonet Manager since 2023 after spending over five years with the South Dakota Mesonet. Ruben is a climatologist who studied Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and earned a Ph.D. in Forestry and Conservation Science from the University of Montana. Ruben will talk about their Mesonet network. He will give an update on current climate warming trends. These trends are as he and his team see them in Nebraska.

This NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at our regular meeting spot. The venue is the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528. Lunch will start at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:10 PM until 1:00 PM. . Guests lunch fee is $20 at the door.

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org. Bring your weather questions and stories but please let me know if you can attend by Tuesday, March 31st.

March 2nd Nebraska Agribusiness Club Meeting will be at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Offices

Laura Field

Sawyer Willrett

Our speakers will include members from the Nebraska Cattlemen’s leadership team. Laura Field is the Executive Vice President. Sawyer Willrett is the Director of Member Services for the Cattlemen. They will speak on the state of the Nebraska Cattle Industry. They will discuss some issues with shrinking herd sizes. They will also address higher than normal input costs for their ranchers and producers as we enter 2026.  As a reminder we will be meeting at their offices located at 4611 Cattle Drive Lincoln, NE 68521-4309

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org. If you plan on attending this week, let me know by Thursday, February 26th. This way, I can order the correct amount of Beef Brisket Sandwiches from Mulberry BBQ for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Offices at 4611 Cattle Drive Lincoln, NE 68521-4309. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. The program will start at 12:00 PM and run until 1:00 PM. Guests lunch and attendance fee is $20 at the door.

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Thursday, February 26th, to help us with our meal count for the meeting.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club—February 2nd , 2026: Meeting with speaker Seth Mitchell, the Executive Director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association.

Seth Mitchell will be our speaker for our February meeting. Seth is the Executive Director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA), a role he started in early 2025. He brings leadership and national pork industry experience from programs with the National Pork Board. Hailing from an Illinois show pig background and educated at the University of Illinois. Mitchell is recognized for his deep industry immersion and potential as a young leader, focusing on bringing innovation and a strong voice to the state’s pork sector. 

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org , if you plan on attending by Tuesday, January 27st, so I can order the correct amount of BBQ for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM. We are still accepting annual memberships at this meeting for $100 and guests for individual lunches are $20 cash at the door.

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Tuesday, January. 27st, to help us with our meal count for the meeting.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club—January 5th , 2026: Meeting with speaker Kiel VanderVeen Co-Owner of Nebraska Vegetable and Protein

Kiel VanderVeen, will be our speaker for our January Meeting. Kiel is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional who operates Blueprint Financial Planning in Nebraska City.  Kiel and his wife Mimi are also owner/operators of Nebraska Vegetable and Protein (NVP).  Supporting locally grown food, Nebraska Vegetable and Protein (NVP) which is an innovative aquaponics farm in Nebraska City, NE.  That raises Atlantic salmon and hydroponic greens was founded in 2023, but tragically, a devastating electrical fire in October 2024 destroyed their facility, killing all crops and fish.  They have rebuilt their facility with the help of individual members, investors, and sales to local restaurants of their greens and salmon. They use an integrated systems to grow fish and plants together, aiming to provide fresh, local protein and veggies, but their future now rests on community support. 

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Nebraskavegetableandprotein/

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org , if you plan on attending by Wednesday, December 31st, so I can order the correct amount of food for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM. At this meeting will be accepting annual $100 individual memberships and $250 for corporate membership donations for 2026, guests and individual lunches are $20 cash at the door.

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Wednesday, Dec. 31st, to help us with our meal count for the meeting.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club—December 1st Speaker will be UNL Professor Jay Parson, who leads the Center for Agricultural Profitability (CAP) on UNL’s East Campus

Dr. Jay Parsons will be our Speaker for our Monday, December 1st meeting. He is a Professor and Director of the Center for Agricultural Profitability in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also serves as the Nebraska Extension Ag Profitability Program Area Leader overseeing the Ag Profitability team of Extension Educators and Specialists. Dr. Parsons’ research, Extension, and teaching program focuses on farm and ranch management decision making, risk management, and production systems analysis. He teaches Advanced Farm Management and is an active participant in interdisciplinary research projects evaluating economically sustainable and resilient systems for integrated crop and livestock production in Nebraska. Dr. Parsons has 25 years of experience helping farmers and ranchers throughout the country understand decision making in the presence of uncertainty and emerging risk management tools available for agricultural producers.

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org , if you plan on attending by Wednesday, November 26th (quick turnaround this time), so I can order the correct amount of food for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM. At our December meeting we will be accepting $100 membership donations for 2026, guests and individual lunches are $20 cash at the door.

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Wednesday, Nov. 26th, to help us with our meal count for the meeting.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club—November 3rd Speaker will be Wesley Wach, from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

Posted on October 17th, 2025 by Nebraska Agribusiness Club Edit

At our November 3rd Nebraska Agribusiness Club Meeting, we will have Wesley Wach as our speaker. Wesley is the Demand and Utilization Coordinator for the Nebraska Soybean Board. Wesley will share with the club some of the issues Nebraska Soybean producers are facing in today’s agricultural markets.

Wesley Wach,
Nebraska Soybean Board Staff

Wesley is currently the Demand and Utilization Coordinator for the Nebraska Soybean Board. He is a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Agricultural Economics along with a minor in Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship and Agricultural Communications. He is also a co-owner of High Ridge Beef, LLC and works part-time for his family’s Wach Farms, in Hayes Center, NE.

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org , if you plan on attending by Thursday, October 30th, so I can order the correct amount of food for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM. At this meeting or our December meeting we will be accepting $100 membership donations for 2026, guests and individual lunches are $20 cash at the door.

NABC Business
We are working on additional speakers for our December Meeting as well as the first 5 months of 2026.  If you know of someone working in agriculture in Nebraska who would be a good speaker for our club, please contact me or one of our NABC Board members:

Loren Isom loren.isom@unl.edu
Clausen, Gerald gclausen58@gmail.com
Dayle Williamson daylewilli@aol.com

Speaking of our NABC Board need of more board members to contribute and help with the management of the meetings.  Please let me know if you would be open to helping with the club with recruitment, speakers, logistics, planning our Agricultural Tour, etc.?   We will need help from our membership, if the club is to continue into 2026 and beyond.

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Thursday, Oct. 30th, to help us with our meal count for the meeting.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club—October 6th Speaker will be Ray Ward Chairman of the Board of Ward Laboratories.

Our Nebraska Agribusiness Club Meeting is starting back up after our Summer Break on Monday October 6^th for a lunch meeting.  Our speaker will be Ray Ward Ph.D and Chairman of the Board for Ward Laboratories  https://www.wardlab.com/ 

Ward Laboratories was founded in June 1983 when Ray and Jolene Ward relocated to Kearney, Nebraska, setting up a soil testing laboratory in a three-bay garage. From the very beginning, Dr. Ward’s mission was to help agricultural producers make informed, sustainable decisions by providing accurate analysis and conservative recommendations. This commitment to responsible nutrient management quickly gained producer trust.

Raymond C. Ward
Chairman of the Board , CPSS, CPAG, CCA

Dr. Ray Ward’s journey from a young boy to a pioneering agronomist is a testament to resilience and innovation in agriculture. Born during the Great Depression, Ward grew up on a struggling farm in Western, Nebraska. His early experiences with soil erosion and low crop yields ignited a passion for continued improvements in farming practices.

Today, Ward Laboratories occupies a nearly 32,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility, processing thousands of samples while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and quality. Though we’ve long outgrown that three-bay garage, our guiding principle remains the same: to provide quality analytical results so producers can make informed decisions with confidence.

Please RSVP as a member or a guest to me Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org , if you plan on attending by Thursday, October 2nd, this week so I can order enough food and drinks for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE 68528. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM. As always lunch is included in your yearly membership, guests and individual lunches are $20 cash at the door.

NABC Business
We are working on speakers for our November & December Meetings as well as the first months of 2026.  If you know of someone working in agriculture in Nebraska that would be a good speaker for our club please contact me or one of our NABC Board members:

Loren Isom loren.isom@unl.edu
Clausen, Gerald gclausen58@gmail.com
Dayle Williamson daylewilli@aol.com

Speaking of our NABC Board we are in need of more board members, to contribute and help with the management of the meetings.  Please let me know if you would be open to helping with the club with recruitment, speakers, logistics, planning our Agricultural Tour, etc.?   We will need help from our membership, if the club is to continue into the 2026 and beyond.

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Thursday, Oct. 2nd to help us with a meal count for our meeting.

Nebraska Agribusiness Club Meeting on May 5th Speaker will be Andrew Uden of HerdDogg, Inc.

Andrew Uden is the CEO of HerdDogg which was born from the belief that with the right tools and a fresh approach, they can help cattlemen achieve a better balance between high animal health, ranch prosperity and a flourishing family life.

UPDATE MEETING LOCATION FOR MAY WILL BE:
Nebraska Cattlemen
4611 Cattle Drive
Lincoln, NE 68521-4309
(402) 475-2333

Andrew Uden’s latest start-upcompany,HerdDogg is an electronic cattle ear tag device that ‘watches’ your cattle 24/7, logging minute temperatures & movement changes often invisible to the human-eye & providing an early-warning system for health & estrus.  With Mobile alerts & daily pull lists their customers can intervene fast, preventing outbreaks,  performance loss & missed cycles.  HerdDogg’s tough Bluetooth enabled tags continually monitor individual activity & temperature levels to keep you informed of every animal’s health & heat status.  Andrew will share with us the growth of his company and how they are innovating (building the plane as they are flying it) to meet their customers biosecurity needs for herd health.

Please RSVP as a member or a guest, if you plan on attending by Thursday, May 1st, so we need a quick response to this meeting, so we can order enough food and drinks for everyone attending.

The NABC Lunch-n-Learn will be held at the:

Meeting Update
Nebraska Cattlemen
4611 Cattle Drive
Lincoln, NE 68521-4309
(402) 475-2333

Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program starting at 12:00 p.m. and ending at 1:00 PM.

Monday, June 2^nd Summer Tour, we will need an idea at our meeting for those that are interested in attending our day long tour of Lincoln Premium Poultry and other agricultural business stops.

June 20th – Lincoln Saltdog’s Farmer Appreciation Night Game (Members get 1 free Berm Ticket)

RSVP to Doug.Carr@NUFoundation.org by Thursday, May 1st to help us with a meal count for our meeting.