Located at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center, a planned Feedlot Innovation Center will provide capacity to develop and evaluate emerging technology used in managing animals in feedlot settings. With a state-of-the-art commercial-scale feedlot and animal-handling facility, it will be used in teaching, research and extension efforts by the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The Feedlot Innovation Center has an estimated construction cost of $5 million. The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources has committed $2 million in funding, with the Nebraska University Foundation leading a $3 million private fundraising initiative. To date, nearly $2 million has been committed in private support.
The Feedlot Innovation Center will include a complex with cattle comfort and research buildings, a feed technology facility, innovative open lots and an animal-handling facility. The expansion will create real-world facilities to test new precision technology, solve environmental challenges facing the feeding industry, and improve cattle performance and welfare while comparing different environments and housing systems. The expansion will also allow for innovation in manure collection and management that will innovate both new and possible modifications for existing operations.
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The Feedlot Innovation Center will also allow students to gain hands-on experiences while being exposed to the newest research and technology. The center is part of a larger university initiative that is aligned with the mission of Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources to produce food, fuel, feed and fiber for a growing world in a way that promotes resilience of natural resources and a high quality of life for people engaged in agriculture. Visit unl.edu for more information.