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Nebraska has a long-standing tradition of tackling some of the most critical environmental and agricultural challenges facing our communities. Today, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is proud to welcome Mark Stone as the new head of the Biological Systems Engineering Department.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is an R1 research university, and half of its research expenditures are for projects related to agriculture and natural resources. In Nebraska, where agriculture is at the heart of the state’s economic engine, that focus on the ag research has a big impact. Our guest today is Derek McLean, dean of UNL’s Agricultural Research Division and director of the Nebraska State Experiment Station.

For more than a decade, the University of Nebraska’s Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program has been giving students the skills they need to develop businesses and non-profits before they even earn their degrees. One of these students, UNL senior Elijah Riley, has used his time in the program to grow a non-profit that introduces urban youth to fishing, camping and other outdoor activities.

Nebraska is one of the top cattle-producing states in the United States, and it has a long history of working with cattle producers through Nebraska Extension. Last year, the University of Nebraska launched a new extension program to help cattle producers optimize heifer development and reproductive efficiency. Connor Biehler with Nebraska Extension joins us

The Beef Quality Assurance program is a nationally coordinated, state implement program designed to ensure that the beef that ends up on grocery store shelves is safe and ethically produced. In Nebraska, which has one of the most active BQA programs in the nation, the program is coordinated by Jesse Fulton, who joins us today

Cattle producers and researchers are continuously searching for ways to improve the productivity and environmental sustainability of beef production. Growth promotants, such as implants – a small pellet that is administered under the skin of the animal’s ear -- are a tried-and-true way to achieve improved production efficiency and produce more beef with fewer resources. Jessica Sperber, Assistant Professor and Feedlot Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins us.

As consumers become more interested in the environmental footprint of goods and services, farmers, processors and others in the agricultural industry are looking for ways to more fully understand the environmental impact of agriculture – and to reduce that impact when possible. A new tool from the University of Nebraska aims to help producers do exactly that. Elliott Dennis, associate professor of agricultural economics, joins us

At the Univesity of Nebraska and other colleges and universities around the country, new programs are helping students to develop entrepreneurial skills and even to start their own businesses while they are still students. Among these programs is the University of Nebraska’s Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, which my guest today, graduate student Halle Ramsey, is here to discuss.

The University of Nebraska has a long history as a leader in beef genetics research. Beef genetics help dictate feed efficiency, reproductive success and many other dimensions of beef production. Today UNL scientsts are taking genetic research one step further, investingating how genentics influence an animal’s microbiome, and how that microbiome in turn impacts a host of attributes from methane production to susceptibility to disease. Matt Spangler, a professor of animal science at UNL joins us.

Nebraska is well known for livestock production, particularly cattle. Now, university and USDA researchers have published a new report that indicates that integrating cover crops into livestock operations offers environemental benefits that also have the potential to boost profits. Jay Parsons, director of the Center for Agricultural Profiability at the University of Nebraska joins us.