Ranchers wins national award

Jack Maddux

The award was presented to Maddux Oct. 17 in Lubbock, Texas, by the Ranching Heritage Association. More than bringing prestige to an individual, the award spotlights the humanistic and scientific contributions of the livestock and ranching industries.

"Jack is a great ambassador for Nebraska Cattlemen and all cattle producers," Nebraska Cattlemen President Todd Schroeder, said. "He is a reservoir of knowledge and experience on many, many subjects related to our industry. We are thankful he is one of us and we know he is fully deserving of this great award," Schroeder said.

Maddux is a fourth-generation rancher and manager of the Maddux Cattle Co. The Maddux breeding program uses a composite of Red Angus, Tarentaise and South Devon breeds.

The calves are finished in the Maddux feedlot along with purchased background calves. The Maddux program was one of the first to adopt a multi-cell rest-rotation grazing management system, cross fencing and no-till corn production

Maddux was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement and received the Nebraska Ag Builder Award. He is a past chair of the board of the University of Nebraska Foundation, and he was named Cattleman of the Year in 2002 by Nebraska Cattlemen. The Nebraska Society honored Maddux and his wife for excellence in the management of Nebraska rangeland for Range Management.

Actively involved with the National Cattleman's Beef Association, Maddux has traveled extensively in the interest of bringing better management and financial planning to the industry. He was the first honoree to be named Cattle Businessman of the Year by the Association in 1984 and served as the first treasurer of NCBA. He is a trustee of the National Cattlemen's Foundation.

The Nebraska Cattlemen association is a grassroots organization whose individual producer members determine issues of importance to the state beef industry. NC performs three basic functions. First, the association represents the beef cattle industry to the legislative and administrative branches of the state and federal governments. Second, it explains beef production (including safety of the product, use of natural resources, care of animals and beef economics) to the public and opinion influencers.

Third, it provides economic and other information to members to aid them in their own planning and management. Each member has the opportunity to influence state cattlemen's association policy and priorities through participation in councils and committees. NC programs are financed by dues invested by individual members.

The Nebraska Cattlemen association serves as the representative for the state's beef cattle industry and represents professional cattle breeders, ranchers and feeders, as well as county and local cattlemen's associations. Its headquarters are in Lincoln and second office in Alliance serves cattlemen in western Nebraska.

This and other Nebraska Cattlemen information is available at .