Women in Ag’s ‘Herd That!’ livestock conference  

The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program, along with the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program, are excited to announce the third annual Herd That! Conference, Sept. 19 to 20 in Broken Bow, Nebraska.  

A horsemanship demonstration will be one of the highlights of the program, along with the keynote speaker Calli Thorne.  

“We are thrilled to be bringing back the Herd That! Conference for women who raise livestock or work in the livestock sector,” said Jessica Groskopf, director of Nebraska Women in Agriculture. “Livestock production is vital to our state. This event will focus on giving women the knowledge, tools, and skills they need to be successful in this facet of the agricultural industry. More importantly, it will provide participants the opportunity to expand their network.”  

The two-day conference will bring a variety of speakers and topics for attendees to learn from.  

On Tuesday afternoon, participants will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at various educational stations at the Custer County Fairgrounds and tour of Adams Land and Cattle. The day will wrap up with a tour and dinner at Kinkaider Brewing. On Wednesday morning participants hear from Keynote speaker Calli Thorne and participate in workshops from industry leaders at the One Box Convention Center. On Wednesday afternoon, legendary horseman Curt Pate will provide a horsemanship demonstration.    

Adams Land and Cattle is headquartered in Broken Bow and has the capacity to finish 125,000 head of cattle at its three Nebraska feedlots. Its backgrounding network comprises up to 100,000 head in more than 85 locations across the country.  

Thorne is a keynote speaker, global leadership trainer, mindset coach and multi-business entrepreneur. Thorne grew up on her family’s farm and ranch in northwest North Dakota and currently operates multiple enterprises, including a backgrounding feedlot, cow/calf operation, yearlings and a direct-to-consumer beef retail business.  

For more than a decade, Pate has conducted demonstrations and clinics on stockmanship, colt starting and ranch horsemanship throughout North America and Europe. A nationally recognized stockmanship instructor, Pate teaches techniques on how to put the proper pressure on cattle at a different angle and at varying amounts to help move them comfortably and without a negative experience—for the stockman or the livestock.  

“The way we handle our animals is more important than ever to our industry,” said Jesse Fulton, director of Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance. “As caregivers, we need to be sure we are handling our animals in the lowest stress- environment possible.”  

Registration is open now on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website, https://wia.unl.edu. The two-day early bird registration fee is $125, which will increase on Sept. 6.