Nebraska + The Good Life is Calling

Lincoln, Nebraska, has earned itself the nickname 'Playful City,' and it's easy to see why upon arrival. We had to fly into Omaha from Texas and drive about an hour to Lincoln; however, Lincoln does have its airport and services flights mostly out of Denver and Northern states. Wholesome agriculture is abundant here, and the best restaurants in town proudly boast local ingredients, harvests, and flavors. And the nightlife, well, it's something like I have never seen before. So much to see and do just in the downtown district that we had to humbly leave some activities un-done until we return to Lincoln again.

Agriculture

Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska are paving the way for the future of sustainable farming on a national level. Pride in the quality of product and production is on full display in this State, and it’s encouraging to see so much innovation in the industry. In Polk, Nebraska, we spoke with Team Herz, who is passionate about rotating grazing crops with Alfalfa, Millet, and other densely nutritious grasses. Feed is never purchased on these regenerative farms, and erosion has been significantly cut down because of the modern pioneer practices.

Lone Creek Cattle Co and its affiliate ranchers are thought of as crazy as they blaze the trail in the agriculture industry. They take rare Italian heritage Piedmontese cattle in a farm to fork approach that ensures traceability, environmental sustainability, humane animal handling, and responsible resource management raised on family ranches. Lone Creek is designed to merge Piedmontese cattle with the finest ranching practices producing sustainable gourmet beef, and you can taste the brilliance. Old fashioned farming neighbors are taking notice of Lone Creek and its success in its sustainable and regenerative processes that are catching eyes with their high-quality finished product.

Certified Piedmontese is a closed-loop operation with the ability to experiment with sustainable and organic practices to enhance their programs for the health of the animal and the health of the soil. Animal husbandry is essential. The cows are calm and curious. Their high-quality French beef grazes on nutrient-dense grasses and then becomes Certified Piedmontese at the five-star processing facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. They believe in open-air cut rooms, meat transparency, and employee health and wellness. While touring the meat facility, we were not only in awe of their farm-to-table process but also of their co-working spaces, employee feast days, and high-performance gym for staff.

Technology & Innovation

The agriculture industry in Nebraska is breaking boundaries and setting new standards with ultimate precision because of highly advanced technology. Ag tech is becoming a trending industry within Nebraska and lifetime cattle ranchers are enjoying the new technology that is swiftly moving into their field.

Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Don't Panic Labs is a neo gen lab. What does that mean exactly? They can take a sample of tissue from a steak and match it back to the specific animal that it was harvested from, among many other things. Ranchers using this technology are In awe of cutting-edge record-keeping and precision in data, and this technology helps them track the health of each individual in the herd from field to table.

Don't Panic Labs helps develop software and programs to enhance the user experience for startup programs and businesses. They also play a significant role in developing programs and products to streamline processes for farmers and ranchers, improve time management, reduce inherent risks associated with working in the ag system and connect them with the national market for better lending and business opportunities. The continued stress on profitability in farming is an issue, and Don't Panic Labs is on the frontline of the software & technology industry, throwing a rope to their native ranchers to modernize the industry and keep these small family farms afloat. Progressive ranching is becoming a way of the future in Nebraska with the assistance of Don't Panic by streamlining protocols with; Electronic Identification tagging technology, database tracking initiatives, and DNA testing to confirm heritage, ensuring the animals meet incredibly high standards with easy to use technology for ranchers on the frontline.

Safety while manually checking grain bins on a farm is a concern and people loose their lives performing this job at least once every two weeks. These high tech startups with support from Don’t Panic Labs software development are able to offer safety options for grain bins and non-competitive rural lending with the Ag Credit Bank and App, that help focus on increasing financial literacy and closing impending knowledge gaps between the banking and agriculture worlds. In turn, these supportive software programs and innovations are helping to reduce the rising trend in farm exits from the industry. The software engineers in this lab prefer to interact with the real world through their tangible work rather than just building apps. Don't Panic Labs products and systems seem to have a problem-solving feature that fixes major issues in different circles of life. They are one to keep on your radar for major tech advancements!

Food & Culture

Lincoln is proud of its food culture, and it's abundantly clear why! Restaurants here are passionate about farm-to-table ingredients and practices, and the produced dishes are artfully and flavorfully put together for the ultimate dining experience. Rather than ramble on, let's look and see!

Casa Bovina

Certified Piedmontese has fewer calories ounce for ounce than salmon and yet more protein however there is no compromise on flavor. We had a New York strip and Tomahawk and the flavor and presentation was on point.

The Dish

Farm to table ingredients are in full form here at the Dish. The presentation is completely artistic and the low key vibes help ignite all the senses as you work your way through this menu of abstract flavors and textures.

Green Gateau

This nook of a restaurant offers decadent old-world culinary delights. They carry a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu and boast plates such as the Monte Cristo, decadent French toast and, designer cocktails. Indeed a treat, and we loved it so much we visited twice!

LTK

Get the truffle fries!

Alchemy Aqua Vitae

My go to was the Sword in the Stone. They make their own flavored ice cubes for cocktails here!

Zipline Brewery

Best brewery in town!

Sideshow Spirits & Cider

Go for the drinks, stay for the vibes.

The Mill Coffee & Tea

A quaint small town coffee shop where everyone knows everyone so it feels like home.