Activity
Summer Grazing Tour
Date:
–
Time:
10:30 am –
8:00 pm
Northern Panhandle of Nebraska
Contact:
Ron Bolze, (402) 321-0067, ron@nebraskagrazinglands.org
Mark your calendars for the 2018 Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC) –Nebraska Extension joint Summer Grazing Tour scheduled for June 14 and 15, 2018 in in the northern Panhandle of Nebraska.
Thursday, June 14
• Estate Planning session at the new Chadron State College (CSC) Range Complex featuring ranch estate planning attorney, Pam Olsen. Free lunch included. 10:30 AM- 2:30 PM (MT time)
• CSC Mari Sandoz Heritage Center and C F Coffee Gallery Tour led by former CSC history faculty Tammi Littrel. Center located on the west side of CSC campus. 3:00- 4:30 PM
• Twilight Bird Tour at Smith Lake south of Rushville, NE led by Erin Divine, Coordinating Wildlife Biologist for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, World Wildlife Fund Grasslands Ecologist Kevin Ellison, and Marlin French, Crescent Lake NWR Biologist. Meet in the northeast corner of the Chadron Walmart parking lot at 6 PM.
Friday, June 15
• Early Morning Bird Tour at Chadron State Park. Meet in northeast corner of Walmart parking lot at 5 AM.
• 2018 Summer Grazing Tour - The 2018 tour will feature two northern Nebraska Panhandle ranchers that manage very different grazing resources.
Flying Heart Ranch located in the rugged Pine Ridge ponderosa forest north of Hays Springs. The ranch has been operated by the Dave Kadlecek Family since being homesteaded in 1890. The ranch varies from gentle hills to deep canyons. This fully operational ranch is managed in a manner to improve its aesthetic beauty and wildlife carrying capacity. The Flying Heart is rich in Lakota Indian history. Beaver Creek was important to various Lakota people, particularly Chief Crazy Horse and his followers. Significant landmarks reminiscent of those people remain in the area. More may be learned about this area by reading the book, To Kill an Eagle: Indian Views on the Last Days of Crazy Horse, by Edward and Mabell Kadlecek. These are mystical lands where if one closes their eyes they may hear the echoes of drums and singing in the winds. Tour will visit the burial site of Crazy Horse. The ranch has about 10 miles of trails suitable for hiking and offers many opportunities for wild flower study and wildlife and scenic photography. Mule deer, whitetail deer, Merriam turkey, elk, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, porcupine, badger, Bald and Golden eagles abound on the ranch as well as many other birds. Hunting opportunities for deer and turkey are available. Beaver Creek flows year around through the western part of the ranch. There are numerous food plots with varied planting to encourage the presence deer, turkey and other wildlife and bird species.
Terrell Farms/Ranch is a unique family owned farm and ranch south of Hay Springs on the western part of the Sandhills. Owned and managed by the Vern and Marjean Terrell Family, the operation consists of farming, cow/calf, stockers, feeders, and sheep. Terrell Farms has become excellent stewards of the land with their farming and grazing techniques increasing the health of the ecosystem as well as decreasing the cost of production. Through monitoring and creative ideas they have been able to connect each enterprise into a profitable and rewarding occupation. There is currently 94 different pastures, 118 improved water sites and live water access within 26 of the pastures. The Terrell’s have increased the grazing carrying capacity by 50% in five years. Terrell Farms cropping system uses minimal and no-till planting techniques to decrease soil disturbance and erosion. They have also incorporated a cover crop rotation with a diversity of species to increase the activity within the soil. The cover crops also are used for winter supplement to livestock. These techniques improve water and nutrient cycling, soil structure and organic matter. Terrell’s uses a highly adoptive management plan that allows them to change their enterprises to natures benefit. They work with the National Resource Conservation Service, United States Fish and Wildlife, World Wildlife Fund-US, Nebraska Extension and other conservation entities to hold field days and workshops to share both successes and failures with other producers.
Tour Registration at the Hay Springs city park (west end of town) 7:30-8:30 AM. $20 per person.
Preregister for each event no later than Friday, June 8th by calling the Sheridan County Extension office 308-327-2312 or e-mailing sheridan-county@unl.edu. Specify which activities you plan to attend. Grazing tour is $20 payable the day of. All other events are free of charge. For more information, contact Ron Bolze, NGLC Coordinator, at 402-321-0067.
Thursday, June 14
• Estate Planning session at the new Chadron State College (CSC) Range Complex featuring ranch estate planning attorney, Pam Olsen. Free lunch included. 10:30 AM- 2:30 PM (MT time)
• CSC Mari Sandoz Heritage Center and C F Coffee Gallery Tour led by former CSC history faculty Tammi Littrel. Center located on the west side of CSC campus. 3:00- 4:30 PM
• Twilight Bird Tour at Smith Lake south of Rushville, NE led by Erin Divine, Coordinating Wildlife Biologist for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, World Wildlife Fund Grasslands Ecologist Kevin Ellison, and Marlin French, Crescent Lake NWR Biologist. Meet in the northeast corner of the Chadron Walmart parking lot at 6 PM.
Friday, June 15
• Early Morning Bird Tour at Chadron State Park. Meet in northeast corner of Walmart parking lot at 5 AM.
• 2018 Summer Grazing Tour - The 2018 tour will feature two northern Nebraska Panhandle ranchers that manage very different grazing resources.
Flying Heart Ranch located in the rugged Pine Ridge ponderosa forest north of Hays Springs. The ranch has been operated by the Dave Kadlecek Family since being homesteaded in 1890. The ranch varies from gentle hills to deep canyons. This fully operational ranch is managed in a manner to improve its aesthetic beauty and wildlife carrying capacity. The Flying Heart is rich in Lakota Indian history. Beaver Creek was important to various Lakota people, particularly Chief Crazy Horse and his followers. Significant landmarks reminiscent of those people remain in the area. More may be learned about this area by reading the book, To Kill an Eagle: Indian Views on the Last Days of Crazy Horse, by Edward and Mabell Kadlecek. These are mystical lands where if one closes their eyes they may hear the echoes of drums and singing in the winds. Tour will visit the burial site of Crazy Horse. The ranch has about 10 miles of trails suitable for hiking and offers many opportunities for wild flower study and wildlife and scenic photography. Mule deer, whitetail deer, Merriam turkey, elk, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, porcupine, badger, Bald and Golden eagles abound on the ranch as well as many other birds. Hunting opportunities for deer and turkey are available. Beaver Creek flows year around through the western part of the ranch. There are numerous food plots with varied planting to encourage the presence deer, turkey and other wildlife and bird species.
Terrell Farms/Ranch is a unique family owned farm and ranch south of Hay Springs on the western part of the Sandhills. Owned and managed by the Vern and Marjean Terrell Family, the operation consists of farming, cow/calf, stockers, feeders, and sheep. Terrell Farms has become excellent stewards of the land with their farming and grazing techniques increasing the health of the ecosystem as well as decreasing the cost of production. Through monitoring and creative ideas they have been able to connect each enterprise into a profitable and rewarding occupation. There is currently 94 different pastures, 118 improved water sites and live water access within 26 of the pastures. The Terrell’s have increased the grazing carrying capacity by 50% in five years. Terrell Farms cropping system uses minimal and no-till planting techniques to decrease soil disturbance and erosion. They have also incorporated a cover crop rotation with a diversity of species to increase the activity within the soil. The cover crops also are used for winter supplement to livestock. These techniques improve water and nutrient cycling, soil structure and organic matter. Terrell’s uses a highly adoptive management plan that allows them to change their enterprises to natures benefit. They work with the National Resource Conservation Service, United States Fish and Wildlife, World Wildlife Fund-US, Nebraska Extension and other conservation entities to hold field days and workshops to share both successes and failures with other producers.
Tour Registration at the Hay Springs city park (west end of town) 7:30-8:30 AM. $20 per person.
Preregister for each event no later than Friday, June 8th by calling the Sheridan County Extension office 308-327-2312 or e-mailing sheridan-county@unl.edu. Specify which activities you plan to attend. Grazing tour is $20 payable the day of. All other events are free of charge. For more information, contact Ron Bolze, NGLC Coordinator, at 402-321-0067.