FRONTIER COUNTY, NEBRASKA (RFD News) — Wildfires in Nebraska have left behind significant damage, with ranchers now facing the aftermath.
Collin Thompson, a rancher and Frontier County Farm Bureau member, says about 2,000 acres of his land were scorched as the flames spread.
“I’ve never been to war, but if I could describe a war zone, it would look like what it looks like up here,” Thompson said. “There are areas where you see nothing but tree skeletons, and charred grass and charred hillsides.”
Thompson says the experience was surreal and that the damage could impact his operation moving forward. He does not expect the land to support grazing this year due to a lack of moisture.
Despite the loss, he says support from others in the community has made a difference.
“I guess that’s part of being in ag,” Thompson said. “You have to have an unwavering amount of optimism that the future is going to be better than what it is today.”
Those looking to help can donate to the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s disaster relief fund through its website.
We caught up with John Deere’s Hay & Forage Got-To Market Manager Kaylene Ballesteros to learn how tech is evolving how producers make hay, from baling efficiency to operator confidence.
February 04, 2026 12:38 PM
·
Mexico has fallen behind by several hundred thousand acre-feet in required water deliveries to the United States, a shortfall that has had devastating consequences across the Rio Grande Valley.
February 04, 2026 12:23 PM
·
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas discusses expected changes to the 45Z tax credit and what they could mean for agriculture and rural America.
February 04, 2026 11:13 AM
·
Shrinking slaughter capacity may delay heifer retention, complicating herd rebuilding plans.
February 03, 2026 02:26 PM
·
February 03, 2026 12:58 PM
Even small declines in the calf crop translate into sustained supply pressure, supporting cattle prices over multiple years.
February 03, 2026 12:22 PM
·