The Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center has achieved highest-level status in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.

The diagnostic center is part of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The center is nationally recognized for the expertise of its faculty and staff in diagnosing diseases in cattle and other livestock. The center also provides disease surveillance and diagnostic services to veterinarians, livestock producers, pet owners and researchers.

As a top-tier laboratory, the center meets high-level criteria related to the ability to respond by performing testing in the event of a foreign animal disease or high-consequence disease outbreak.

CVA awards COLT sponsorship to Laurel-Concord-Coleridge FFA

Central Valley Ag recently awarded the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge FFA chapter with a sponsorship to send its officer team to the Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) to be held in May.

The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge FFA chapter won the sponsorship by participating in CVA’s National Co-op Month challenge in October. The challenge was open to all FFA chapters within the cooperative's trade territory.

Chapters were invited to celebrate National Co-op Month by submitting a photo and writing a short paragraph explaining what a cooperative means for its community.

All participating FFA chapters received a backpack, and one chapter was randomly drawn to receive a CVA sponsorship covering registration fees for officers to attend their state’s leadership training.

NCTA wins crops judging contest

The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis won top team honors among its two-year college cohorts in a Crops Judging Contest hosted at NCTA.

A four-student team of Ethan Aschenbrenner and Tyler Aschenbrenner, brothers from Scottsbluff, Chase Callahan of Farnam, and Amy Lammers of Axtell are sophomores at NCTA. Brad Ramsdale, NCTA agronomy professor and Aggies coach, coordinated the contest at Curtis for a second year.

The event drew collegiate teams from a broad range. Twelve teams came from colleges in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin. About 90 students competed in the four-part contest.

Eight of the teams were from four-year colleges, with four teams, including the Aggies, representing two-year colleges.

Fricke receives Outstanding Pork Service Award

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association annually bestows the Outstanding Pork Service Awards to recognize exceptional work by an individual, company or organization that has advocated and supported the efforts of NPPA. An award winner serves as a positive voice and leader within the industry. Lukas Fricke, a sixth-generation pork producer from Ulysses and ag entrepreneur, recently received the honor.

Fricke served as the communications intern for the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska, was involved in the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, was president for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln FFA alumni, vice president for the CASNR advisory board, and treasurer for Block and Bridle. In 2018, his startup company, ChorChek, won first place at Nebraska’s Power Farming Show Quick Pitch Competition.

Csukker elected as state pork president

John Csukker of Columbus was elected president of Nebraska Pork Producers Association at its annual meeting in February. Joining Csukker on NPPA’s leadership team are President-Elect Shana Beattie of Sumner; Vice President Jared Lierman of Beemer; and newly elected directors Chad Johnson of Norfolk, Mark Wright of Fremont, Kyle Baade of Plymouth and Ryan Preister of Humphrey.

Csukker is the environmental senior services manager for the Great Plains region for The Maschhoffs. He is responsible for the environmental permitting and compliance for The Maschhoffs' company-owned farms, as well as independent pork production partners in Nebraska, Missouri and Wyoming.