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Human beings weren’t the only species selected to survive a nuclear attack in Nebraska. In 1963, Roberts Dairy Company, outside of Omaha, conducted a two-week survival test for 35 cows, one bull, and two student cowhands. They built a concrete shelter under the dairy at Elkhorn that was big enough to house over 200 Golden Guernsey cows and a couple of bulls. Milk is especially susceptible to contamination by radioactive elements, and so Roberts and the Office of Civil Defense ... Read more
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When World War II ended, President Harry Truman and his administration worked to keep government control over the post-war economy. This included maintaining price controls on beef. When the Office of Price Administration was finally dismantled in 1946, prices exploded. Money for beef started to flow freely in Nebraska’s economic pipeline.
According to the book "History of Nebraska," the average value of Nebraska cattle, per head, in 1946 was 72 dollars. After that, the price jumped almost every year until it ... Read more
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Arthur Kirk was a farmer who became a tragic symbol of the desperation in agriculture in 1984. Kirk farmed land near Cairo, Nebraska, that had been in his family for three generations. In the early ’80s, he owned about 2,000 acres, but over the years, he had lost all but 240 acres.
In 1984, he and his wife Deloris owed over $300,000 to Norwest Bank in nearby Grand Island. As in most farm loans, the money was "secured" by the value ... Read more
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After Arthur Kirk was killed by a Nebraska State Patrol SWAT team, some charged that the killing was not justified and that Kirk was allowed to bleed to death while the Hall County Sheriff was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. The legislature and Governor Bob Kerrey appointed former Lincoln judge Samuel Van Pelt as a special investigator to review the case and the charges.
His report was released in December, 1984. Van Pelt said that the death of Kirk ... Read more
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The production of beef is one agricultural business that became very "industrialized." It is industrial in the sense that the different steps in the production process have become very specialized with standardized products at each step.
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In 1992, Offutt Air Base faced massive changes. Tensions around the world quieted down, and it was a good time for the United States to reorganize its Air Force. After 46 years, SAC was deactivated on June 1, 1992. A new, united command, STRATCOM was activated. STRATCOM controlled the U.S. nuclear arsenal in case of another war. Offutt’s 55th Air Wing flew reconnaissance (observation) missions throughout the world. At the end of the 20th century, the 55th remained the largest ... Read more
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Producing beef takes longer than you might think. The production cycle, from the time a cattle breeder chooses his or her breeding stock to the delivery of beef to the consumer, spans nearly two years. Breeders, ranchers, feeders, processors, and distributors work within this cycle to keep grocery stores and restaurants well supplied to meet the needs of their customers.
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