30 Nebraska Cattleman September 2023 at 15 and continuing for the past four years has brought me immeasurable joy. Helping kids experience agriculture for the first time and seeing how much of a fire it lights inside of them is what keeps us going. Because of their love and hard work, Unified Showing currently has more than 40 participants, is a sanctioned show in three Nebraska counties and, for the very first time this September, will have a class at the Nebraska State Fair. Year after year, I have watched our showmen come back to the program and continue improving their skills. Unfortunately for some, they are aging out of 4-H but still desire to continue growing in their love for agriculture. For example, Claire Bruns has been a participant since the very beginning and is quickly approaching the end of her show career. I am fortunate enough to have watched her meticulousness in cleaning the water buckets, her improvements in setting feet correctly and answering in-depth showmanship questions, and I am even luckier to hear her sing to calm down her animal before walking into the arena. She gives a whole new light to what it means to love and appreciate agriculture. Since I knew Claire had developed a love for livestock as strong as anyone else in the ring and only had a few more years left, I raced to find a way she could continue to invest in our industry. Together, Claire and I are proud to announce the inaugural year of Unified Agriculture, a direct-to-consumer beef operation employing job-aged people with disabilities. As fifth- and first-generation producers we are eager to follow our passions within the beef industry through raising eight steers and providing the highest quality beef cuts directly to our customers. Our product offering includes individual cuts, bundles and bulk orders to fit every need and occasion. This summer, Claire and I kept ourselves plenty busy running our little farm, getting BQA certified, repairing fences, moving hay bales and delivering feed rations. We invite you to follow our journey on our website unifiedagriculture.com and social media platforms. In mid-September we will load up our steers and haul them to the locker. We hope you can stock your freezer with some of our fantastic beef! These past four years have taught me that the livestock community is a place for everyone. Whether showing livestock or producing beef, embracing our differences is ultimately what keeps this industry going, and I am beyond honored to be a part of that. As always, support youth in agriculture and buy beef! NC BRIDGING THE GAP • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 McCook, NE 308-345-5115 www.cappelsales.com MC4500 Mower Conditioner R2800 Twin Rake Vermeer Net Wrap Providing Solutions that Enable our Customers to be More Productive and Efficient!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTMxNTA5