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'Livestock Friendly' designation touted
McCOOK, Neb. — Good things can happen when Nebraska counties publicly and proudly proclaim that they are “Livestock Friendly.”
That’s what Dundy County farmer/rancher Steve Stroup and Red Willow County farmer-rancher Dick Neel told Red Willow County commissioners during a public hearing in the courthouse in McCook Tuesday morning.
The commissioners were accepting comments — for or against — on a proposal that Red Willow County officially become a “Livestock Friendly County,” a designation program promoted by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture since 2003. Read more about it here.
According to the NDA, the Nebraska Livestock Friendly County program is a voluntary program that recognizes counties that actively support the livestock industry. Directed by the Nebraska Legislature, the NDA uses the LFC program to assist counties and agricultural producers promote the livestock industry. The LFC designation gives counties an extra promotional tool through the NDA to encourage expansion of current livestock operations and attract new businesses that spur local economies.
When Red Willow County commissioners discussed the designation in 2015, commissioner Earl McNutt said the designation “is a way to promote Nebraska and our county, to let people know we’re open to livestock development.”
McNutt said that adopting the label would not mean rewriting the county’s zoning regulations, in place since 2001. “We would not be giving up local control,” McNutt said. He has said that the Livestock Friendly label would identify Red Willow County as being receptive to new large-scale livestock and agriculture industries, even throughout the world on Internet. “It’s no different than economic development or tourism promotion,” he said.
In 2006, Red Willow County commissioners themselves declared the county “livestock friendly,” rather than joining the state’s initiative.
Stroup told commissioners during their weekly meeting Tuesday morning that officially adopting the “Livestock Friendly County” designation is good for new and existing livestock producers, for the county and for the outlying area. “Nebraska is an agriculture state,” he said. “We need to encourage that.”
Stroup said that the state of Nebraska wants to attract more dairies, which provide economic development in the sale of land, fuel and feed and the creation of jobs. They can help “keep Nebraska competitive and viable,” Stroup said.
Commissioner Jacque Riener agreed, saying that “Nebraska has energy, land and good neighbors.” Fellow commissioner Steve Downer said the state’s ethanol production can be a huge draw to especially cattle producers. According to the Nebraska Corn Board, distillers grains, co-products of ethanol production, are an excellent feed ingredient for livestock, especially cattle, and can be sold dried or wet (a mash-like consistency). Dried distillers grains can be stored and shipped around the world, while wet distillers grains are typically used locally and within a short period of time.
Dick Neel said he will help Red Willow County with the LFC application process, having experience with Lincoln County’s application and narrative. Neel said that he lives “catty-corner” from Red Willow County’s dairies northeast of McCook. “An adverse effect of the dairies has been increased traffic, but that traffic is also bringing money to Red Willow County,” he said, with a grin.
McNutt said the dairies transport five loads of milk out of the county every day, seven days a week.
Riener questioned whether some adjustments may need to be made to Red Willow County’s zoning, which now does not allow feed yards of up to 1,000 head along a major highway. “Does that need to be changed?” she asked, explaining that she would like to see feed yards located along highways to keep heavy truck traffic off county roads.
Stroup said that placing feed yards along major roads provides good access for trucks.
Riener said she would also like to encourage a big truck wash near each feed yard, enabling the waste from the trucks to be applied on land nearby — and providing another ag-related economic development opportunity.
Hayes County became an official “Livestock Friendly County” two years ago. On Sept. 22, 2015, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said, “Hayes County’s location and abundance of natural resources make it a perfect fit as part of the Livestock Friendly County program. The citizens of Hayes County are committed to agriculture and have proven they want to ‘Grow Nebraska’.”
On Aug. 10 this year, Hayes County residents, Lt. Gov. Mike Foley and Sen. Dan Hughes cut a ceremonial ribbon with officials of “Buffalo Plains Genetics LLC” of Carthage, Illinois, who have built and opened a new hog farrowing operation east of Hayes Center. The farm will house approximately 6,000 sows and about 10,000 piglets.
The Hayes County operation creates at least 22 new full-time jobs on site, and spreads the word of Hayes County’s support of agriculture every time and everywhere a high-quality Buffalo Plains gilt is sold to pig farms all over the United States.
Back in their open meeting Tuesday, Red Willow County commissioners voted unanimously to proceed with the “Livestock Friendly County” application process through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.