2026 - Jenny Brhel
2026 - Alan Moeller Pillar Award Winner
Jenny Brhel grew up on a small crop and livestock farm in Northeast Nebraska where she learned to love the farm and outdoors. Her 4-H experiences nurtured life skills including: public speaking, leadership, and plant identification interest. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2002 with dual majors in agronomy and crop protection. After completing her masters degree in plant pathology in 2004, she began her Extension educator work in Clay, Nuckolls, Thayer and Fillmore counties (partial) for twelve years.
Jenny transitioned to York and Seward counties in 2016 and works on the water and cropping systems team. She developed the highly successful “Fridays in February” learning sessions with producers from these counties and beyond. Her weekly blog has a wide audience, provides timely insights and current agronomic knowledge including “on-farm research” where she also supports producers, jenreesources.com/.
This work now enhances the Producer Learning Communities and the development of Demonstration-Education Clusters in the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition. Hub 1 is the nine-ten counties surrounding Hastings. In addition, she is a core leader in the Stakeholder Visioning Group that meshes the continuum of persons impacted by agricultural but particularly water quality, soil health and the vibrancy of rural communities and health. https://www.nesoilhealth.org/strategy
Jenny and her husband, Brian, steward their land near Denton, NE by farming through a regenerative approach. Plants and livestock are intertwined to improve their land with less nutrient and chemical inputs while steadily integrating biological foliars. They raise corn, cereals and soybeans along with cover crops for seed and grazing. These experiences shape how she utilizes a systems approach in her Extension projects and problem-solving.
Jenny’s faith in Jesus Christ alone as her Lord and Savior is an important part of her life. She deeply values the opportunity to learn from those she serves and she lives by her core values of Serving others well, Building relationships and Living with gratitude.
Jenny finds great purpose in walking alongside farmers to diagnose and probe solutions to challenges. Through weather extremes, mental stress and economic challenges, she listens and talks through the next steps with producers. This dedication has built trust with those she serves. She cares deeply and this is immediately evident when one spends time with her. She is a true advocate for water- and land resources and making a positive difference on Nebraskans particularly in rural communities.
Jenny is truly a worthy awardee of the inaugural “Alan Moeller Pillar Award” in 2026 by the Nebraska Soil Health Coalition.
Quotes
“Jenny is a true asset to the Nebraska Extension system and her growers. She works tirelessly to help her producers test ideas and try new things to improve their farm. She also includes the growers’ families in her thoughts and discussions. She is a good role model and inspires us to be better in our work and our relationships.”
“Jenny Brhel is the embodiment of servant leadership — guided by faith, integrity, and a deep commitment to doing the right thing for both people and the land. She models county-based Extension at it’s best, placing community needs at the center of her work and leading with care, humility, and purpose. I am honored to know and work with her; I can think of no one more deserving.”
“Jenny exemplifies the spirit of servant leadership through her tireless dedication to Nebraska’s farming families and rural communities. As an extension agent, Jenny goes far beyond her job description—she listens deeply, responds compassionately, and works alongside producers with genuine humility and care. NE agriculture is better because of Jenny Brhel.”
“Jenny is a gifted agronomist and wonderful teacher! Her ability to connect and inspire farmers has made a huge difference in alot of operations and lives. Her combination of wisdom, humility and open-mindedness create space for exploration into outside-the-box farming practices and her research background helps us all learn along the way.”
“As a respected leader in crop and water systems, Jenny stands out for her unwavering commitment to soil health education, guiding producers toward reduced inputs, improved water quality, and resilient cropping systems while earning the trust and admiration of the NE agricultural community she serves.”
“Jenny’s servant leadership, sincerity, caring soul and fulfilling commitments have always stood out. Her insights into developing deep relationships with producers that move the “soil health needle” reflect the Pillar Criteria. We will always be indebted and she is the type of friend that embodies the “best of Nebraskans.”