Humphrey native enjoying new role as NPPA President

LINCOLN — Ryan Preister of Humphrey is keeping busy with his new term as President of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA).

He was elected President at the group’s annual meeting in York last July.

Joining President Preister on NPPA’s Executive Team are President-Elect, Walt Traudt of Clay Center and Allison Zabel of Omaha as Vice-President. Mark Wright of Fremont is serving as Past President.

The Preister farm is a fourth-generation family affair near Humphrey that includes Ryan’s wife Megan and three young sons, as well as Ryan’s parents, Dean and Ann.

Their operation includes a wean-to-finish pig farm where Preister actively walks barns, hauls pigs, markets animals and directly deals with animal care.

They are also diversified row-crop farmers and have an Agronomic Services component to their entity as well. Preister holds his Pork Quality Assurance Plus and Transport Quality Assurance Certifications. Fun fact! He also proudly wore #66 for the 1996 and 1997 Husker Football Teams!

Ryan Preister has been an NPPA Director for four years. Since joining the Board, he has represented NPPA in Orlando at the National Pork Producers Conference, National Pork Forum and a Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture Trade Mission to Japan and South Korea.

Preister is also very active in his community, church and local school.

Strategizing about his impending Presidency, Preister is transparent on his goals. “We have an excellent young board with great ideas on how to move our industry forward and I am excited to be working with them. We must continue to tell our story about the proud farm families that raise our animals and the safe, sustainable and affordable high-quality protein they produce. We’ll work hard as a Board to convey and promote that message to our consumers.”

Also selected or confirmed for another two-term as Directors were: Kyle Baade, Plymouth; Hunter Thomas, Broken Bow; David May, Henderson; Cody Lambrecht, Omaha; Katie Stack, Omaha; Austin Zimmerman, Wymore and Josh Wendt of Leigh, Nebraska. Justin Hankins of Bellevue will serve as an Alternate Director. New Directors beginning their first two-year term are Tina Hertzel and Gary Stover, both from Columbus.

Serving in an advisor capacity to the NPPA Directors are representatives from National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, AFAN, UNL Extension, UNL Animal Science, NE Department of Agriculture and State Veterinarian’s Office.