Nebraska Extension in the Central Sandhills

Check out the new April 4-H Newsletter here

Kyle Martens has been exploring rural landscapes his entire life. Martens, originally from the Sioux City, Iowa, area and currently in his third year in the natural resource sciences doctoral program in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources, has incorporated his passion for rural communities into his research by creating an online survey to help explore and measure resilience in Nebraska’s Sandhills.

The Sandhills Resilience Survey aims to highlight the connection between perceptions of resilience and outside forces that impact reliance on agriculture and natural resources, specifically in the Sandhills. By measuring participants’ views and opinions on natural resources, the economy and their communities, resilience can be used to address current and future challenges in the region.

“I had an opportunity to work directly with ranchers over the past couple of years, tracking eastern redcedar expansion and targeting areas for tree removal,” Martens said. “When you spend enough time with people, it’s hard to not take an interest in their families, their livelihoods and the changes they’ve experienced just in the last few generations.”

Some of those changes are not simply situations like eastern redcedar’s spread into grasslands, which is an ever-present struggle, Martens said. He also referred to employment opportunities, health care and education availability, and the increasing pressure to develop energy infrastructure or the region’s water resources.

“By capturing local perspectives on resilience, Kyle's work will help inform strategies that strengthen not just agriculture and natural resources, but also the social and economic networks that sustain rural communities,” said Gwendŵr Meredith, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources and adviser on Martens’ dissertation committee. “This survey is a crucial step toward ensuring that the Sandhills remain a thriving and adaptable landscape for generations to come.”

Martins said when one factors in an aging population and a declining tax base, it puts a strain on communities to make rapid socioeconomic or environmental decisions.

That is where his work on resilience comes into play. As part of his research, Martens’ survey will measure the connectedness of community services, employment, local government and the area’s natural resources. This information can then be incorporated into strategic planning efforts, while being tested against a range of future challenges or disasters in the Sandhills.

“Resilience research is more than understanding how to overcome obstacles,” Martens said. “It helps identify and create new pathways that allow for communities to actively navigate change.”

A recent example Martens highlights is Nebraska’s meat processing sector. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the centralization of large processors helped increase efficiency while meeting the supply and demand of the market. The disruption brought on by the pandemic sent shockwaves to not only the processors, but interconnected agribusinesses, consumer goods and the labor market. 

“Since that time, Nebraska has started to invest in smaller, more regional facilities, which creates an overlap in processing,” Martens said. “Having this redundancy is in part what can make the supply chain more resilient to future disruptions.”

Resilience research can have lasting impacts that extend beyond agriculture and natural resources, Martens said, including engineering, health care and economics. The growing recognition of how different sectors are interconnected is what makes these studies applicable to today’s society. 

“By researching resilience, I think we can help communities develop networks and resources that allow them to not just cope with change now, but also adapt and build a stronger community in the future,” he said.

For more information or to access Martens’ survey, click here.

Community development professionals, entrepreneurs and rural community members will gather April 23-24 in North Platte for the seventh annual Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference.

Registration is open through 4 p.m. April 24, with early bird rates available through April 11. To learn more or register, visit:

The CEC Conference Website

Hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Rural Prosperity Nebraska initiative, the conference offers hands-on learning experiences designed to strengthen local economies and inspire rural innovation. This year’s theme, “Moving Forward, Working Together,” highlights the power of collaboration in building resilient and thriving communities.

The conference is Nebraska’s only “walking conference,” where the nearly 30 interactive sessions take place inside locally owned businesses, allowing attendees to experience how entrepreneurship fuels community development and gain valuable insights into workforce development and small business support. By immersing participants in the city’s business ecosystem, the conference fosters meaningful connections between those invested in community development.

“North Platte is the perfect backdrop for this year’s conference,” said Ben Dutton, a Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension educator in North Platte. “With its vibrant small business community and recently renovated downtown business district, it showcases what the conference is all about — helping communities create opportunities for growth through entrepreneurship.”

Conference sessions will feature experts from across the country, as well as Nebraska entrepreneurs and community leaders, sharing innovative strategies and real-world solutions for fostering economic vitality. Topics will include business retention and expansion, funding opportunities for rural entrepreneurs, leveraging tourism for economic growth and strengthening rural ecosystems through public-private partnerships.

Beyond the sessions, workshops and roundtable discussions, the conference provides opportunities for networking and collaboration.

“I’ve known there’s been a strong sense of community between businesses, but this conference has really shown just how everybody communicates and works together in the community,” said Alexander Coon, who attended the 2024 conference in Sidney.

The conference is open to economic developers, chamber of commerce members, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, business owners, educators and anyone else committed to strengthening their local community.

More information at: https://ruralprosperityne.unl.edu/connecting-entrepreneurial-communities-conference/    or contact  Ben Dutton, (308) 532-2683, ben.dutton@unl.edu

Nebraska Extension will be offering one-day (eight hour) courses across the state to prepare individuals to pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aeronautical Knowledge Exam required to receive a Part 107 remote pilot certification or license to fly drones for commercial applications.
Registration is available online (Link) for each location. Pre-registration is required with a $275 registration fee. On-line registration closes the Monday prior to the event. Study materials, and light breakfast and lunch will be provided. An educational discount is available to students and educators through an application process available on the registration link.

April 25 (Friday)UNL Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center, 4502 Ave. I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361

Please contact Dr. Dirk Charlson for more information on this course at
Email: dirk.charlson@unl.edu or Cell: 402-460-0742 (Text or Call)

November 19, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. —Nebraska Extension Beef Educator, T.L. Meyer is celebrating 25 years at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. Through her 25 years at the university, Meyer has served in a variety of roles that each played a unique part in her career. Beginning at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center, Meyer started her career at UNL as a communications associate. “I was originally drawn to the role at West Central because I wanted to return to the Sandhills of Nebraska that I was familiar with growing up,” Meyer said. She served in the communications role for four years before becoming a research technologist at the center. Transitioning to the research role brought Meyer many opportunities. She was able to return to the hands-on work with cattle that she enjoyed and finish working on her master’s degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. “Pursuing a master’s degree was one of the greatest perks that I could work on while being an employee at the university,” Meyer said. Continuously learning new things is one aspect of her career that Meyer enjoys the most. Yet, Meyer has still found unique ways to utilize her academic degrees in different ways. At the start of her career, Meyer took advantage of her animal science and ag journalism degrees from Kansas State University while serving in the communications and research technician roles. In her role as a beef educator for Nebraska Extension in the Central Sandhills area, Meyer continues to utilize her knowledge of animal science and ag journalism to serve and act as a resource to ranchers in the Nebraska Sandhills. While her two degrees in animal science help serve ranchers in Nebraska, her degree in ag journalism helps reach them through her unique approach to social media. Meyer uses Facebook, Instagram, and X to reach her audience and continuously update them on changes in the industry and opportunities that could help them strengthen their operations. While only serving in her most recent role for five years, Meyer hopes to continue impacting ranchers in the Nebraska Sandhills and beyond by providing them with valuable sources of information. Accepting a communications role to return to the Nebraska Sandhills has now led Meyer to serve an industry she is passionate about in a place that feels like home. “The Beef State is the best place you can be a beef educator,” Meyer said.

To find T.L. Meyer on social media, search Central Sandhills Beef Educator on Facebook, Instagram, or X.

POLL SHOWS MOST RURAL NEBRASKANS HAVE ECONOMIC CONCERNS

 Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 1, 2024 — Most rural Nebraskans are at least somewhat concerned about their household’s cost of living, income and financial situation, according to the most recent report from the 2024 Nebraska Rural Poll, which focuses on the economy and trade policy.

Eight in 10 rural Nebraskans surveyed are either somewhat or very concerned about their household’s cost of living, nearly seven in 10 are concerned about their household income, and just over six in 10 are concerned about their household’s personal finances.  

 This is especially true for lower income households, the poll shows.

 Persons with the lowest household incomes are more likely to be concerned about their personal finances. Almost eight in 10 respondents with household incomes under $75,000 are at least somewhat concerned about their finances, compared to 44% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or more.  

 “In earlier released results from the 2024 Rural Poll, we found rural Nebraskans have been increasingly pessimistic about their current situation,” said Brad Lubben, Nebraska Extension policy specialist. “These economic concerns may be a primary factor behind the declining general sentiment of rural Nebraskans. Higher consumer prices due to higher inflation rates of the past few years have spiked the cost of living and left many rural Nebraskans with concerns for their economic well-being.” 

 The 2024 Rural Poll also asked a series of questions about trade policy and its importance to Nebraska.

 Fifty-five percent of rural Nebraskans surveyed think international trade is good for the state’s economy, while just 8% think it is bad. However, residents of the Panhandle are less likely than residents of other regions to agree. Just over a third of Panhandle residents surveyed (36%) say trade is good for Nebraska’s economy, compared to 66% of residents of the north-central region. While most respondents statewide think trade is good for the state’s economy, a smaller percentage (43%) think it is good for creating jobs in the state, compared to 16% who think it is bad. 

 Rural Nebraskans are less positive about international trade’s impacts on them personally, said Becky Vogt, the manager of the Rural Poll. At least four in 10 respondents think trade is good for their standard of living, while 35% think it is good for their job or business. Many rural Nebraskans think international trade is neutral for these items, according to the poll, but most respondents in agricultural occupations (67%) see international trade as good for their job or business. 

 When asked which factors should be used in determining U.S. trade policy, six in 10 respondents think protecting American jobs should be very important. Just over half think creating new export opportunities for the state’s agricultural producers and other businesses (55%) and lower prices for consumers (51%) should be very important considerations. Less important considerations include strengthening economic relationships with other countries (41%), strengthening and safeguarding political relationships with other countries (39%), creating choices for consumers (39%) and using trade policies to pressure countries that challenge U.S. economic and political priorities (27%). 

 “The Rural Poll findings help illustrate the complexities of trade and the economic impacts on Nebraskans,” Lubben said. “Trade provides consumers access to a global supply of goods and services that can increase choice and decrease costs. But trade can have differing implications for producers, where exports are good for the bottom line, but imports compete with domestic production.”  To learn more about rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of the economy and trade policy

Listen to previous and future webinar recordings at https://ruralpoll.unl.edu/webinars/.

The Center for Ag Profitability's webinar series focuses on topics related to farm and ranch management, profitability, economics and farm survival for producers and ag industry professionals in Nebraska and beyond. The live webcasts are typically presented at noon Central time on Thursdays. Registration is always free. View upcoming webinars and watch past recordings at CAP Webinars