Midwest FEEDS Practicum offers hands-on training for beef producers across the production year

Beef producers and industry professionals looking to sharpen their management skills and decision-making tools are invited to participate in the Midwest FEEDS (Forage, Education and Efficiency in Diversified Systems) Practicum, a hands-on, multi-session educational program hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Designed to strengthen beef production systems across the Midwest, the practicum leverages the region’s competitive advantages — including perennial pastures, annual forages, cover crops, crop residues and harvested feeds — while emphasizing practical application throughout the production year.

Held across five sessions in 2026 at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead, the program blends in-field experiences with in-depth discussions led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and Extension specialists.

SEASON-LONG, SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH

Participants will engage in hands-on learning tied directly to key decision points in beef cattle production, with sessions scheduled to align with seasonal management needs. In addition to practical instruction, the practicum emphasizes peer-to-peer learning, networking and idea exchange among producers and industry professionals.

Participants will also receive high-quality educational resources, including decision-support software, notebooks and curated University of Nebraska-Lincoln publications to support continued learning beyond the classroom.

The Midwest FEEDS Practicum is designed to help participants build confidence and capability in areas such as:

• Decision-making with advanced tools — Using decision support tools and NRC software to analyze diets, match forage availability with animal requirements and optimize beef production.
• Forage and grazing strategy — Developing effective grazing and pasture management plans, including weed control and fertility strategies tailored to individual operations.
• Breeding, calving and weaning management — Applying best practices for breeding, calving, weaning, cattle handling and facility design.
• Evaluating cattle performance — Assessing cow and calf performance, estimating body condition scores and determining nutritional needs across the reproductive cycle.

Participants will also experience cutting-edge research at ENREEC, with a focus on integrating cropland for forage and cow-calf systems.

2026 SESSION DATES

All sessions will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, Neb.:

• Feb. 28, 2026 — Health, Nutrition and Systems Thinking
• March 28, 2026 — Forage Systems and Breeding
• June 20, 2026 — Facilities and Pasture Management
• Aug. 29, 2026 — Weaning, Culling and Winter Feeding
• Dec. 5, 2026 — Stalk Grazing and Preparing for Calving

Cost and Registration

• $750 per individual
• $1,300 for two participants
• $500 for each additional participant

More information and registration details are available at: https://enreec.unl.edu/extension-education-engagement/midwest-feeds-practicum/.

Contact: Connor Biehler, email: cbiehler2@unl.edu, phone: (402) 624-8030.