Riley Rienke
Riley is the owner and operator of Cottage Hill Farm, an operation that incorporates grains and produce. His farm consists of 1.25 acres of diversified vegetable production in a permanent bed system with living mulch walkways and 500 acres of milo, soybeans, oats, and alfalfa. His approach focuses on non-GMO products, with some acres managed […]
Jordan Uldrich
Jordan is a fifth-generation farmer working to build soil health through a holistic, systematic approach on his corn and soybean operation. Through a combination of conservation practices, he is experimenting with systems that use cover crops as a tool to reduce weed suppression and reduce inputs. Additionally, his focus on AMP (adaptive multi-paddock) grazing allows […]
Dennis Demmel
Dennis Demmel is semi-retired after farming 1,800 acres in Perkins County. He was a certified organic farmer from 2007 to 2016, and has since been an advocate for organic and regenerative practices as a way to build soil health and improve bottom lines, despite potential dips in yield. He also advocates for grazing systems, working […]
Zeke Brummels
Co-owner of Lightning Creek Cattle Company, Zeke runs a medium-sized cow/calf and niche grass-fed beef operation on 200 acres of tall grass prairie in northeast Nebraska, all of which was enrolled in CRP for 30 years prior to being adapted to grazing land. From 2020-2023, Lightning Creek used EQIP cost-share to assist with the removal […]
Daryl Obermeyer
Daryl has been experimenting with conservation practices for more than 50 years, proving that it’s possible to reduce input costs and improve efficiencies on his dryland corn, soybean, and cattle operation. Through rotational grazing, no-till, and cover crops, among other practices such as planting pollinator habitat, he has become a better land steward and manager, […]
Paul Poppe
Paul farms both owned and rented ground in north-central Dodge County, where his family has had roots since 1926. In addition to growing corn, soybeans, and hay, he raises 25 head of cows with two bulls that graze summer pasture and winter crop ground. Click the link below to learn more about Paul:Webinar: Reduced tillage […]
Will Corman
Will returned to his family’s farm in 2014 and has been working with his father, uncle, and cousin to build the operation’s profitability and sustainability ever since. Together, they manage roughly 5,000 acres of corn, wheat, and soybeans, as well as 120 cow-calf pairs. The Corman farm focuses on a number of conservation practices to […]
Brian Brhel
Brian Brhel comes from a diverse family farm near Denton, where “out of the box” thinking was and still is the norm. The farm consists of 400 acres of non-irrigated cropland and 300 acres of grass. He has built his farming operation over the past 22 years with a focus on soil building using livestock […]
Chris Trumler
Chris is a first-generation farmer and rancher, who graduated with an animal science degree from UNL in 1994. Through hard work, perseverance, and holding an off-farm job, Chris has been able to expand his operation to include cow-calf and yearling herds in addition to no-till alfalfa, corn, and soybeans on irrigated and dryland acres, implementing […]
Mike McDonald
Mike and his wife, Janet—both lifelong Nebraskans—live and farm near Palmyra. As a retired educator, Mike continues to learn and teach through peer groups, often offering his own fields as a learning lab for others. The couple’s 200 acres includes an orchard, bees, pollinator habitat, annual/perennial cover crops, and a diverse crop rotation focused on […]
Homer Buell
Homer is the fourth-generation co-owner of Shovel Dot Ranch, a 15,000-acre operation of hay meadows and pastureland. With a strong family history of ranching dating back to 1883, the Buell family is dedicated to making its ranch, land, and cattle the best it can through conservation and information systems focused on proper management. Homer has […]
Alex McKiernan
Alex’s passion for conservation is driven by his belief that good food can sustain healthy people and a healthy environment. Owner of Robinette Farms, Alex’s experience spans vegetable to meat production, using a broad range of techniques to build an operation that minimizes off-farm inputs, reduces detrimental environmental impacts, and provides opportunities for community education. […]