In 2020, the University of Nebraska’s Barta Brothers Ranch (BBR) launched a collaborative adaptive management (CAM) project to address risks and uncertainties related to grassland management in the Sandhills. The project brings together UNL faculty engaged in research, extension, and teaching across multiple disciples, departments, and geographic locations. All three IANR District Research, Extension, and Education Centers are involved in the project (Eastern Nebraska, Panhandle, and West Central) along with three East Campus-based centers: the Center for Grassland Studies, the Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes, and the Center for Agricultural Profitability housed in the Department of Agricultural Economics.
The project, which receives funding support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant programs, focuses on evaluating stakeholder-designed management plans implemented on the Barta Brothers Ranch in a collaborative research setting. This emphasis on co-producing science ensures CAM reflects real-world ranching conditions of the Sandhills and the north-central Great Plains.
Read about how this project has affected annual plant production and livestock performance at the study sites in this Center for Agricultural Profitability article.
