October 6, 2026 | 9:30am MST to noon
Location: 1 mile south of 8585 Road 20 on Road 87, Sidney, Nebraska
NGLC and Nebraska Extension will host a pasture walk focused on practical grazing strategies and management decisions during drought on Tuesday, October 6, from 9:30 a.m. to noon near Sidney.
The Grazing Strategies During Drought Pasture Walk will provide producers an opportunity to see and discuss how grazing management decisions can help extend available forage, manage livestock through drought conditions, and position pastures for recovery.
The event will feature Brian Sprenger, who will share his experience managing grazing before and during drought, including the decisions he has made as conditions have changed.
Topics will include:
- Grazing Management & Drought — Sprenger’s experience managing grazing before and during drought.
- Drought Management Decisions — Trigger dates, stocking decisions, destocking options, and lessons learned.
- Extending the Grazing Season — Experiences using CRP, failed crops, dry lotting, and other forage options.
- Virtual Fence During Drought — What has worked, challenges encountered, and lessons learned.
- Pasture Recovery — Managing through the remainder of the drought and considering recovery into the next growing season.
The pasture walk will be held 1 mile south of 8585 Road 20 on Road 87, Sidney, Nebraska, from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, October 6. Follow the pink flagging to the pasture.
The event is designed to provide a practical, producer-to-producer discussion about managing through drought and making timely decisions as forage conditions change. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and discuss strategies that may apply to their own operations.
To register or for more information, call or text Jack Arterburn, NGLC Western Program Coordinator, at 308-249-3717, or email [email protected]
Learn about your hosts!
Brian Sprenger and his wife, Kari, along with their daughters, Peyton and Taylor, and Brian’s parents, Greg and Margaret, are the family behind Sprenger Cattle Co. Brian is the fourth generation of the Sprenger family to ranch west of Sidney, Nebraska.
An important part of the operation is Jonathan DeJong, who works alongside the Sprenger family in the day-to-day management of the ranch and cattle.
Sprenger Cattle Co. runs a herd of Angus and Red Angus-cross cows that thrive on native range and crop residue. Over the past year, the operation has incorporated virtual fencing to manage grazing more intensively and make better use of available forage.
Sprenger Cattle Co. also operates a small backgrounding yard, where they custom feed cattle as well as feed many of their own cattle. Their cattle-feeding program makes use of sell/buy principles to evaluate opportunities and make management decisions based on the value of gain rather than simply the market price of cattle.