Holly Wortmann

Driven by ambition, the Schultz family of Freeman, S.D., has shaped a successful dairy, cattle and crop operation for at least three generations. Not only has Schultz Brothers Dairy expanded to meet the needs of the growing family, but it's done so with the support of a thriving community. “A couple of years after Mom and Dad got married, they put up a double-six milking parlor,” said John Schultz, who farms with his brother, Jeff, and their parents, Mike and Vicki Schultz.

“I don't think there was ever a time when I didn’t want to be a veterinarian,” said Claire Stauth, a second-year animal science student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

It covers nearly 20,000 square miles, and it is the largest mixed-grass prairie growing on grass-stabilized sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere. Of course, we are talking about Nebraska’s Sandhills. But that isn’t the only remaining prairie in the state. At its heart, the Cornhusker State was and still is, in many places, covered in grass. That’s why rangeland management and range judging, in particular, is a big deal.