Blue Hill Alumnus Erik Burken Honored

 Erik Burken, Blue Hill high school graduate in the class of 1998, was recently named in the Top 10 Industry leaders by The Cattle Business Weekly.
Since 2008 Burken and his wife, Jamie,  have lived in Kaluga, Russia, overseeing the start up  of the Angus Genetics of Russia cowherd owned by Russian entrepreneur Sergei Nitsenko. Today, the herd numbers 3,500 breeding females on three different farms, most of which have been imported from the U.S. within the last three years. Nitsenko's aim is to build, with Burkens help and expertise,  a fully-integrated beef system, which will include two more farms, a feedlot and packing facility, to help re-establish Russia’s beef industry.
Burken told The Cattle Business Weekly his role is to lend his cattle expertise, design facilities and oversee building projects.  He will also assist with planning for the future, and most importantly it is his job to train the Russian workforce on everything from cattle care to planting crops and putting up hay. He explained that most of the Russian workers lack practical livestock management experience.
It’s a long way — both geographically and otherwise— from having what he describes as a “hobby” cowherd growing up in Blue Hill  to general manager for Angus Genetics of Russia.
Burken worked at the Blue Hill sale barn while in high school, and then went to UNL to pursue his bachelor’s degree as a double major in GLS (Grazing Livestock Systems ) and Animal Science. He conducted his GLS internship at the Eatinger Ranch in the Sandhills where he learned cows can do most of the work — an important lesson that is paying off now in the harsh conditions of the Russian steppes. He also worked for several months at Darr Feedlot in Cozad, NE as part of his participation in UNL’s feedlot management specialization internship program.
After graduating from college in Lincoln Burken worked for the Whitestone Krebs Ranch at Gordon, NE where he learned the genetic side of the beef business while developing bulls and heifers and inseminating the breeding heifers. In 2008, when Eldon Krebs sold 250 bred females to Russia and owner Sergei Nitsenko expressed interest in hiring a manager from America, Burken knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Burken said for now, he intends to continue pursuing his beef dream in Russia, but someday he may return to the U.S. to start his own beef herd.
Eric Burken is the oldest son of Blue  Hill residents Roger and Mary Burken.
http://www.cattlebusinessweekly.com/main.asp?SectionID=64&SubSectionID=138&FileID=104&UID=8121490