Essentials of Agriculture Workshop - Aug. 26-27, 2022

Agenda - Mountain Time

Dates - Friday, Aug. 26; 2 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 27; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Attendees are welcome to stay Saturday and network until 7 p.m. - dinner will not be provided.)

Location - Cheyenne County Fairgrounds

10955 Lincoln Hwy.

Sidney, NE. 69162

Event contact: Kerry Hoffschneider, 402-363-8963

The Graze Master Group - the first effort of its kind in the nation and world, will be holding their inaugural event:The Essentials of Agriculture Workshop; Friday, Aug. 26 through Saturday, Aug. 27 at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds in Sidney, Neb.

“This is the kind of event that addresses more issues pertaining to the health of farm and ranch businesses beyond just soil health,” said Del Ficke, Graze Master Group founder and manager of Ficke Cattle Company out of Pleasant Dale, Neb. “Don’t get me wrong, healthy soil is the genesis of beginning to get it right, but sometimes in agriculture we have a tendency to develop tunnel vision in the way we think. Soil health is a great segue for the balance and prosperity of everything else arising from the soil and we’re running out of time to get the bigger picture right.”

“Farm and ranch profitability and building community, that is what this event is all about,” added Kerry Hoffschneider, a founder of the Graze Master Group. “The Graze Master family hangs our hat on providing a network of resources and people who understand we need to have wisdom when striving to balance nature with profitability. This event covers all the bases and gives farmers, ranchers, and everyone who cares about the future of rural Nebraska and the nation a chance to dig deeper into the issues that matter most: financial stability, healthy crop and livestock production, protecting and preserving our soil and water resources, effective communication, saving money on inputs and more!”

Dr. Nick Ward, keynote speaker for the event and president of Ward Laboratories based out of Kearney, Neb. said there is a lot of excitement about the future of agriculture amongst the Ward team and he is looking forward to relaying that energy to participants in the Essentials of Agriculture Workshop, “I am excited to go to Sidney because they have very unique agriculture in the Panhandle. They have to do things differently because of their elevation and environment – from different crops to practices. I think it’s good for anyone to expose themselves to different methods of farming because it gives you a new perspective on how to address problems wherever you are.”

New perspectives and open minds are why Ward said he is especially looking forward to working with the Graze Master Group, “Why I like the Graze Master crew so much is they are on the same mentality that we are at Ward’s. They want to meet people where they are at, find out where they want to go, and help them get there. We can work with a guy who wants to transition to a fully regenerative ag approach and provide our part to help him achieve his goals. We can also work with someone else who just wants to move a little into the soil health direction. It’s all about being able to say, ‘Here are some different people who can help move you further down the road where you want to go.’”

“The Graze Master Group believes in a comprehensive approach to total agriculture health which is focused on the health of ag business finances and the greater human community,” Ficke said in closing. “It’s bigger than all of us. The reason why the concepts of ‘regenerative agriculture’ and regenerating peoples’ lives is so foreign, is because there is not a simple manual or instruction sheet. It used to just be called common sense. That common sense and sense of community is what we want to begin bringing back to help neighbors, near and far, truly succeed.”

Register online at this link: www.grazemastergroup.com or call

/text Kerry Hoffschneider to register over the phone at (402) 363-8963. Presentations include:

• Wisdom and Direction for Rural U.S.A. - Discussion Mediator

• Securing your Future - Vance Heyer, Investment Advisor Representative, Peterson Asset Protection Group.

• Protecting Your Future from Predators, Creditors, and Thieves - Nathan Wilson, Certified Tax Specialist™ and Amanda Lehmann, Financial Consultant, Real Estate Specialist.

• Nebraska Marine Daegan William-Tyeler Page Defending the Soil Memorial Scholarship and Legacy Stories, Kerry Hoffschneider, a founder of the Graze Master Group.

• We’re Running out of Time, Del Ficke - Ficke Cattle Company and founder, Graze Master Group.

• Keynote Speaker, Dr. Nick Ward - Ward Laboratories.

• Keeping Costs Down Growing Nutrient-Dense Crops, Morris Hartman - Seasoned Soil Health Expert.

• Straightforward Cattle Talk with Josh Freiberger, Hague Angus Ranch and Ken Stewart, XL Ranch.

• Sensible Crop Production, Cover Crops, Profitability, Soil Health and More! Nate Belcher, Hybrid85.

• Soil, Why do we care? Brian Brhel, Regenerative Agriculturist.

• The Graze Master Group - Join us! Del Ficke and Kerry Hoffschneider.

Friday networking social, Saturday lunch and breaks will be served by Jimmy L’s catering: www.jimmyls.com/welcome