Nebraska Ranchers Feel the Economic Squeeze Ahead of the Midterm Elections

Manone, who returned to her home state of Nebraska after working in banking and bought a ranch, believes the agricultural industry will express its frustrations in the midterm elections.

Like many people in the area, however, she prefers not to become too involved in political discussions.

Rising Costs Put Pressure on Nebraska Agriculture

Her friend and nearby rancher, Jim Jenkins, has no such reservations. A former independent U.S. Senate candidate, Jenkins is deeply proud of Nebraska agriculture and the ranch his family has owned since homesteading the land more than 150 years ago.

Over the summer, Jenkins wrote an opinion piece in an Omaha newspaper criticizing policies he believes are hurting Nebraska’s agricultural industry.

He says he feels the pressure personally, pointing to the rising cost of diesel, fertilizer, wood and steel used for everything from barbed wire to fence posts.

Jenkins said the situation has been made worse by uncertainty over what will happen next and what President Trump’s next announcement could mean for the agriculture industry.

“These are the things that keep me up at night,” the 69-year-old told BBC News.

Nebraska Rancher Criticizes Trump’s Policies

Jenkins is an outspoken critic of Trump and did not vote for him during his campaign for the White House. He knows, however, that he is an outlier among his conservative neighbors.

Jenkins said that when Trump was first elected, he hoped the president would be a “practical businessman.”

Now, he says, “I don’t think he was ever practical.”