The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) will host its annual open house Wednesday, Aug. 19, near Whitman. The event is open to cattle producers and industry professionals interested in the latest beef industry updates and current GSL research.
Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. Mountain time and will be followed by a weather outlook presentation by Eric Hunt.
Extension Educator T.L. Meyer said those attending will have the opportunity to participate in interactive sessions, learn about ongoing ranch research and hear from University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers, educators and specialists.
The open house will feature keynote speaker Nicki Nimlos, rangeland management specialist with University of Wyoming Extension, who will discuss carbon markets and opportunities for ranchers and landowners.
The program will also include a cattle market update and a producer panel discussion on the realities of ranching in 2026.
Registration is free, and lunch will be sponsored by Merck Animal Health. Participants are asked to RSVP.
Meyer said recent rains have left roads in rough shape as she urged people to use the Whitman route to reach the site.
Located in the Nebraska Sandhills, the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory spans Grant, Hooker and Cherry counties. The former Rafter C Ranch was leased by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from the University of Nebraska Foundation in 1981 to serve as a hub for research in the Sandhills.
GSL plays a key role in developing environmentally and economically sustainable plant and animal production systems for the Nebraska Sandhills. Research conducted at the laboratory integrates ranch economics across a variety of disciplines, and the annual open house provides an opportunity to share those findings with producers and community members from across the state.
To register for the open house and view the itinerary, visit go.unl.edu/gslopenhouse.
