The Grain Place Foundation hosted its annual Field Day Saturday, which included three keynote speakers, all of whom participated in a panel discussion at the end. Pictured from left are: Chris Helzer with the Nature Conservancy, Dr. Jesse Bell, KSU sociology professor Matthew Sanderson and Grain Place Farms founder Dave Vetter.

Regenerative agriculture is about working with nature – enhancing soil health, boosting biodiversity and building resilience – to create ecological wins and put money in the bank.

David Vetter (right), CEO of Grain Place Foods, leads a tour of the organic farm near Marquette during a Field Day in 2023. Tours of both the farm and the processing facility will be part of the morning session of the 2026 Field Day on July 18.

Emma Bullerman admits that there was a period where she thought she wanted to get out of Nebraska. Through her work at Prairie Plains, she’s come to fall back in love with her home state and is committed to following in her father’s footsteps to keep its ecosystems healthy.

Brian Brhel’s cattle graze on cover crops turning a row crop field into a temporary pasture meadow. (Photo by Brian Brhel)

The flowing waterway in this corn field north of Aurora on Thursday morning shows evidence of the 1.5 inches of rain that fell overnight as reported at the airport. That was in addition to the estimated 2 inches of precipitation received earlier in the week. Researchers say it’s not how much rain that fell on an acre of farm ground that counts as much as how much of it was retained by the soil. Studies show that healthy soil practices can increase corn yields by up to 25 bushels per acre.

This wetland along J Road and just south of Highway 34 near the Giltner Spur has been filled up by recent rains to the point that, by one estimate, more than 100 acres is now underwater.

David Haupt has joined the Center for Agricultural Profitability as a financial analyst, offering free, confidential one-on-one consultations to help Nebraska farmers and ranchers evaluate financial decisions and strengthen their business plans.

A wealth of research has linked protein to favorable lifestyle markers such as healthy body weight and/or weight loss, maintaining and building muscle, and overall diet satisfaction. Plus Nebraska-raised beef is simply delicious.

Local feedlot owner Preston Franzen stands near the feeding bunk of a pen of feeder calves at his Franzen Feeders yards near Stockham. As a former Western Nebraska ranch kid and now the president of the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen, he loves to talk about the challenges, opportunities and future of the beef industry.