In brief
Nebraska’s cattle industry is under pressure from a confluence of factors: a devastating wildfire, record‑high steel and diesel prices, and the Trump‑era decision to import duty‑free foreign beef. Ranchers like Yvette Mannon and Jake Wolfinger report milk‑offs of hundreds of dollars per head and heavy debt burdens. Despite the economic blow, many still identify as Trump supporters, citing his broader anti‑tax stance, yet a growing contingent is reconsidering their loyalty ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Nebraska ranchers have had a year of trials – a wildfire that razed 1,600 acres and the cost of repairing 13 miles of fence was more than £300,000, at $4.89 per foot.
The problem was compounded by a 40% jump in diesel and fertilizer after the Iran War. For a ranch like Yvette Mannon’s, the feed truck back‑days now means a daily haul of hay to a herd that survived the blaze.
Adding insult to injury, the Trump administration announced in August the importation of 300,000 metric tonnes of foreign beef—just before the most important market window for U.S. cattle. Prices halted abruptly.
Arizona rancher Jake Wolfinger, a long‑time Trump backer, says the market has slid from $240 to $225 per hundredweight, meaning a shortfall of hundreds of dollars a head. He warns farmers to keep their distance from politics, for “people need to stay the hell out of farmers' business.”
Meanwhile Nebraska’s political winds are shifting. A solid Trump base was hit by an unclear economic picture, and independent candidates like Dan Osborn are capturing voters in Senate polls.
At the same time, supporters cite Trump’s “cut government waste” policies. Some, like Don Cantrell, still see him as “the best president overall” even as the economic strain erodes the rural electorate. On the other hand, former farm‑keeper Don Batie is refusing to pass his 400‑acre farm to his daughter, cutting his dream short.
Through all this, Nebraska ranchers show resilience. The open‑air cattle auction in Broken Bow continued, and Yvette Mannon reminds people that, “People in agriculture are eternal optimists.”
