‘Beefing Up’ Nebraska's Ranching Industry

Built by generations of hard work and innovation, Nebraska’s ranchers are known worldwide for raising the highest quality, most nutritious, safest, and best tasting protein in the world.

Blessed by God to be home of the most productive farms and ranches in history thanks to our people, land, and water – our calling is to feed the world. It’s a big job, but we love answering the call. Frankly, it’s part of what makes Nebraska the best place to live and raise a family.

That’s a good life, and it’s worth defending.

Government doesn’t have many answers, but it can do the important work of protecting consumers by prohibiting unproven, blatantly dishonest products that are marketed as something they aren’t. That’s why I am proud we signed LB 246 into law, which bans ‘bioreactor,’ lab-grown fake meat from being made here in Nebraska or put on our grocery shelves. Recently, we celebrated the victory during a ceremonial bill signing at Shamrock Locker in O’Neill.

Other than not sounding appetizing, what is lab-grown meat? It’s a product created in a lab to mimic the attributes of real meat. We’re talking about companies taking cells from an animal, nourishing them with a “cocktail” of nutrients, and “coaxing” them into growing into a product that resembles protein.

That’s not meat. That’s a science experiment. It’s unproven, dishonestly labeled, and it won’t be for sale here in Nebraska.

I’m grateful to have partnered with Senator Barry DeKay, a farmer and rancher from north-central Nebraska, to get this legislation across the finish line. This is a big, big win for Nebraska producers – and a common sense, straightforward action that is good for our state.

Having spent my career raising pigs – and as the first Nebraska Governor to come from agriculture in over 100 years – this stuff hits close to my heart. We aren’t going to let the people of our state be duped into putting this junk meat onto our plates or into our stores. As one of the first states to lead this charge, we’re also showing the rest of the country what can be done to help protect consumers and our farming and ranching families.

This isn’t about limiting choices or sticking it to vegans. In fact, we aren’t at all talking about alternatives like patties made out of black beans or other plants. And we aren’t talking about products like almond ‘milk.’ While we know that these products aren’t the real deal, at least we know where they come from and how they’re made.

Simply, the age of ‘Making America Healthy Again’ doesn’t start with fake meat – it’s getting back to basics and starts by incorporating a balanced diet mainly of protein, fruits, and vegetables.

We can’t let our kids – in any part of the state – starve in the midst of plenty. Data show how important a healthy diet is for our youth to boost immunity, support brain development, and promote overall well-being.

On her visit to Nebraska, President Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins approved a first-in-the-nation Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) waiver to remove pop and energy drinks from government-funded food programs. This is common sense stuff. 

Research and technology have both changed a lot about how we eat and the way agriculture operates. That’s good news. But we must be proactive – and careful – about new products, especially foods, that haven’t stood the test of time.

Our agriculture industry supports countless families, jobs, and communities – both rural and urban. By signing LB 246 into law, we took a step to help defend our way of life here in Nebraska and are making sure we keep playing to our strengths. 

We aren’t going to let lab work and misleading marketing undermine the legacy or the future of our state. We have been battling fringe ideas and groups that want a vegan society and claim all Nebraska agriculture is destroying our future. Truth is, we’re doing the exact opposite. 

We feed the world – and save the planet. It’s time we stand up, defend our work, and keep buying the best meat that Nebraska – and the world – has to offer.