A new study finds that, on average, Nebraska counties that receive a certain livestock-friendly designation gain more cattle farms and lose fewer hog farms than counties without it, reports The Sioux City Journal.
The designation is part of a program created by the Nebraska Legislature over ten years ago. Some rural counties are give0n the designation, and this often leads to more business.
Jeff Metz is a rancher and county commissioner in Morrill County. He says of his county, “We're never going to get a large Wal-Mart or a Kawasaki. We're ag. And we want to tell everybody in this state . . . livestock is very important to us.”
Thirty-seven Nebraska counties have earned the designation. The study found that counties with the pro-livestock designation are doing better than their undesignated counterparts. The research was conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Oklahoma State University.