Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition Board of Directors

Jim Carr
Chairman

Jim Carr has been the Chairman of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition since 2007, and has been involved with NGLC for eight years.

He and his wife, Becky, rent and own a backgrounding feed yard and lease and manage several ranches. Jim is also involved with the Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Cattlemen. He and Becky have two daughters: Kelie and Sarah, and one granddaughter, Gracie.

Jim says he feels the grazing lands in Nebraska are the most important resource we have in the state. “With the programs that NGLC is conducting, we will help other producers to improve their range.”
 

Scott Cotton
Vice Chairman
250 Main St., Ste. 8
Chadron, NE 69337
308-432-3373
email

Scott currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, and has been with the group since 2006.

He has been involved in grazing lands and ranching since early childhood. From 12-30 years of age he was a hired cowhand for large ranches while running his own cattle and pasture. He finished four college degrees in Animal Science and Range Management before starting work as a Range Extension professional with the University of Wyoming, Colorado State University and now the University of Nebraska. As a past Section president for the Society of Range Management and Natural Resources Chair of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, he has integrated management of grazing at work and at home for the last 38 years. Scott was one of the first people certified as a Professional Rangeland Management Consultant, and has tried to encourage wise management of this resource every day.

Scott has been involved three years with the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, ten years with the Colorado Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, and two years with the Wyoming Grange when it was first discussing the need for technical grazing assistance. He has made two presentations at National Grazing Conferences.

Scott has also been actively involved with: Society for Range Management, National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Farm Bureau, Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska, Nebraska Cattlemen, 4-H, Future Famers of America, Nebraska Livestock Emergency and Disaster Response Service, Soil and Water Conservation Society, and a number of local organizations.

He is married and has six children, all who are grown but one. He also has one brother who is a producer in Wyoming and Montana as well as a 32-year ag teacher, and one sister, who is a producer in Florida. His family has a long history of managing grasslands, cattle and horses back to 1882 in southeastern Montana.

Scott says, “Grazing lands support the bulk of agriculture production in our state. Nothing rings truer than landowners helping other landowners learning to manage using the best approach. I have watched groups of landowners make significant improvements on the face of three states. No other group has had this direct of impact for better conditions and cultural sustainability. It’s a privilege to be associated with this group.”
 

Sherry Vinton
Treasurer
80687 Haney Lane
Whitman, NE 69336
308-544-6492
email

Sherry and her husband Chris have been land stewards with the Cowboy Logic program for several years, and Sherry has served as Treasurer of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition since 2008.

After studying accounting at UNL, Sherry returned to the Sandhills ranch owned and operated by her husband Chris’s family for five generations. Sherry is an active partner in the current ranching enterprise along with her husband and three children. She is a current member of the Grant County Planning Commission, serves on the board of directors for Nebraska Farm Bureau and is also on the board of the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund. She is a former school board member and market advisor for Farm Credit Services.  A member of St. Mary’s Parish in Mullen, she enjoyed teaching CCD for 12 years.

Combining environmental, agricultural and land use planning interests, Sherry is an advocate for private property rights information and education.  She was a featured speaker at the 2006 Stewards of the Range national conference held in Salt Lake City and the Land Owners Association of North Dakota 2006 state conference in Bismark, ND.  Chris and Sherry are members of Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen and Stewards of the Range. 

Rod Christen
Board Member
Rt. 1, Box 62
Steinauer, NE 68441
402-869-2221
email

Rod Christen is the third generation of his family to ranch and farm on their place near Steinauer, NE. He and his family run cow-calf pairs and feeders, finish cattle for direct marketing, and raise their own seedstock through artificial insemination. The Christens own and rent pasture and farmground and have a rotational grazing system that includes winter grazing. They also raise corn, beans and wheat on rotation.
 
Rod has been involved with NGLC since 2005, and is also active in the Southeast Nebraska Grassland Association; Southeast Nebraska Cattlemen, where he served as past President; and the Nebraska Cattlemen, including being “Pit Boss” at Beef Pit at State Fair and serving as one of three NE Cattlemen representatives on the NE Land Trust Board.

Rod has been married to his wife, Amy, for 14 years. They have two daughters, Dana, 7, and Leah, 3, and a son, Evan, 5 months old.

Rod said he feels NGLC is especially important to protect our rare tall grass prairie resource as well as other grasslands. “I feel the best way to manage conservation and sustainability is through grasslands; which is being threatened more and more by mismanagement and row crops. I choose to be involved because I feel it is a responsibility as a land owner and farmer/rancher to help protect this way of life and sustainable resource for future generations.”

Kevin Fulton
Board Member
RR 1, Box 23
Litchfield, NE 68852
308-446-2520
email

Kevin currently serves as a board member of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, and has been involved with the organization for four years.

He has been actively involved in farming and ranching for over 40 years, and is currently the owner and operator of Fulton Farms, a 2,800-acre certified organic grazing operation in Sherman county. His enterprises include cow/calf, organic grass finished beef, custom grazing, organic wheat, goats, pastured poultry, and ag/ecotourism. 

Kevin is also actively involved as a speaker throughout the U.S. promoting organic and sustainable agricultural systems.Kevin is involved with numerous organizations at various levels, some of which include: NSAS, PASA, OEFFA, NEAC, AGBA, OGBC, HMI, AGA, ALBC, Loup Basin RC&D and the Nebraska Food Coop.

He is married to Dr. Amy Spang Fulton and has two daughters, Colleen and Cami, and a son, Timothy.

Kevin says, “Grazing lands make up a significant portion of the land area in Nebraska. However its value is often overlooked when compared with other crops. Forages raised on our grazing lands are by far the most sustainable crop we produce. This also provides the economic basis for many businesses in our state. It is important that we protect and manage this resource wisely and educate those who are the caretakers of our grazing lands. NGLC is committed to this philosophy and I am honored to be a small part of their efforts.”

Ross Garwood
Board Member, NE Cattlemen's Association
HC 86 Box 17
Amelia, NE 68711
308-348-2256
email

Jim attended the University of Nebraska where I received a B.S. in Agriculture (Natural Resources Management) and an M.S. if Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife.  He is a business partner in a family farming/forage operation in east-central Nebraska.  As The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara/Sandhills Program Director, Jim oversees management of the Conservancy’s Sandhills properties and associated grazing programs and work with private landowners and partners to promote sound resource management and financial stability.

Jim is currently a Sandhills Task Force board member, a member of the Cherry County Natural Resources Committee, and serve as the treasurer of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Valentine, Nebraska.  He also serves on the Nebraska Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee and is involved in local, regional and national initiatives in support of beginning farmers/ranchers and rancher conservation collaboratives such as the NGLC and the Sandhills Task Force.  He is a member of The Wildlife Society (the professional organization for Wildlife Biologists) and The Nature Conservancy and serve on many grasslands and/or conservation committees.

Jim has been married to Sharon for nearly 20 years; and has one son, Nathan, who enjoys the outdoors and spending time in the Sandhills or on the family farm.

"I believe that farmers and ranchers are generally very good stewards of grasslands and that conservation of grasslands is directly related to the financial well-being of private landowners.  Thus, organizations and initiatives that empower young farmers and ranchers and enhance the sustainability and economic viability of all grazing managers, are good for conservation and good for agriculture."  
 

Lynn Myers
Board Member
20720 Road 100
Lewellen, NE 69147
308-577-6356
email

Lynn is currently a board member of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, and has been involved with the organization for “way too darn many years,” he says, basically since the inception of the group.

Lynn grew up on a family farm and ranch and he and his wife, Marlene, now own and manage her family’s place, which was homesteaded in 1907 and proved up in 1909, making this the 100th year of ownership of this ranch. They also own and lease additional land in their cow-calf operation. Both of Lynn’s children are still involved in the ranch partnership. Although they don’t currently live on the ranch, they return to help when they can. Son Creston is an optometrist and lives in Alliance, and daughter Carissa (married name Arnold) lives in Cozad and is a doctor of physical therapy.

Lynn was previously involved in the Nebraska Cattlemen, and has also been secretary/treasurer of his local fire district for 35 years.

Lynn says, “I think it’s awful important that we take care of our resources. One of our goals is to always leave it in better shape than what it was when we took over. The people in this industry are the most production minded in the world. Most of us do such a good job at production; but we are the worst at marketing. That’s why we have so many problems with environmentalists; we haven’t promoted what we’ve done. Much of this land would not be in such good of shape if we hadn’t done what we have.

“We can’t continue to sell what we offer for below cost. People will pay unlimited amounts for recreation, but won’t pay for food. We are the only industry that has to pay retail for all our inputs, then take less than wholesale for what we produce. I don’t want to ranch ‘just for the experience’ — I have enough experience at this point. I want to get paid what our products are worth.

“I want to try to promote good stewardship because we are the original environmentalists — people need to realize we take good care of the ground, because we live here.”

Mitch Stephenson
Board Member
5611 Abbey Court #2
Lincoln, NE 68505
307-321-5827
email

Mitch grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska near Hyannis, and has lived and worked on ranches in many areas of the west. Currently he is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying range science.

Mitch has been involved with NGLC for less than a year, and said he chose to be involved because, “I feel that NGLC has a great many things to offer in helping to build sustainable rangelands. In the short time that I have been involved with NGLC I have learned a great deal from those who give of their time to share the wealth of knowledge that is available around the state. I have a deep interest in the use and conservation of the rangelands in the state of Nebraska and while I feel that I will gain more from my involvement than I can give, I am hopeful that I can be of some benefit in supporting Nebraska rangelands.”

Mitch is also a member of the Society for Range Management. His family lives on a ranch in central Wyoming and he has four siblings scattered around the western United States.

Paul Swanson
Board Member
5155 W. 12th St.
Hastings, NE 68902
402-385-6428
email

Paul serves as a board member of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and has been involved with the organization since the late 1990s. He is an organic farmer and works to utilize grazing for soil improvement.

Paul also serves as a board of director for the Center for Rural Affairs and is a member of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, Holistic Management International and Practical Farmers of Iowa. He is married with two adult children.

Paul says, “Proper grazing management offers our greatest opportunity to regenerate worn out soils and improve better soils.”

Broc worked for the Rex Ranch after college and learned holistic management. Today he manages his family’s cow-calf and yearling operation in central Sheridan county where he uses holistic principles.  Broc wants to share what he's learned and learn from those that have the experience to help his generation of managers continue the excellence.

Broc says, "I believe that grasslands are the most sustainable resource in the world and should be utilized and improved with good management by good managers. I want to help promote the good management."

Broc is married to Heidi and they live in Alliance, NE.

Michelle Wendell
Board Member
155 Barton St.
Brewster, NE 68821
308-547-2256
email

Michelle Wendell has been involved in agriculture her whole life, growing up on a farm in southwest Nebraska. Michelle and her husband Jack operated a pivot irrigated farm near Dickens, Neb., for 25 years, using sustainable methods of farming including crop rotation, large scale composting, soil biota friendly inputs and intensive grazing.

The Wendells sold their farm in 2005 and purchased a ranch in Blaine County. They soon realized about 30 percent of the forage on their ranch was not being utilized with cattle, so they started a goat operation. Currently, the Wendell ranch is certified organic and goats are utilized for weed and brush management.

Michelle is the owner of G.O.A.T.S. Company, which stands for Grazing Operation Attuned to Soils. She contracts her goats for custom grazing and travels the state with them to demonstrate what a powerful alternative to chemcial control they can be.

Michelle has been involved with NGLC since 2006.

Bob Broweleit
Advisor, Sandhills RC&D
PO Box 28
Mullen, NE 69152
308-546-0636
email

Bob Broweleit is the Sandhills Resources Conservation and Development Coordinator at the USDA-RC&D office in Mullen. Prior to his USDA appointment, he worked for the Kansas State University Cooperative Extension in Phillips County Kansas and for the University of Nebraska Animal Science Department. While at UNL, he earned a B.S. in Agronomy 1983 and a Master’s Degree in Range Management in 1998.
Bob has served on various agency committees and assisted the implementation of numerous RC&D projects. He is also a cow-calf herd owner and partner in his family ranch, Bent Bar C Cattle Company. Bob has been involved with NGLC since 2008.

Brent Plugge
Advisor, UNL Extension
1400 East 34 St.
Kearney, NE 68847
308-236-1235
email

Brent serves as a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator based out of Kearney, Neb., with a focus on livestock production systems. In this capacity he also serves as an advisor to the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, and has been involved with the organization since 2000.

Brent is married to Tami, who works at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and has three children — two are currently attending college at the University of Nebraska, and a 5-year-old who he says “takes up most of our free time.” Brent is also involved with the Nebraska Cattlemen.

Brent says he “has a strong commitment to the stewardship of our natural resources. In addition I enjoy educating producers involved in agriculture. Sound science-based information coupled with sound experience can have an impact on our industry.”

Jerry Volesky
Advisor, UNL
402 W. State Farm Road
North Platte, NE 69101
308-696-6710
email

Jerry D. Volesky is the Range and Forage Extension Specialist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and works out of the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte. He serves as advisor to the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, and has been involved with the group for 10 years.

Jerry says, “The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition is a unique organization that has grassland managers and producers as the stakeholders.  It provides a great forum for exchange of ideas, information and education on the sustainable and profitable management of grasslands.”

Jerry is also involved with the Society for Range Management, previously serving as president of the Nebraska chapter; the American Forage and Grassland Council; and the West Central Weed Management Area.

Jerry is married to Teresa and has one son, Nicholas.