APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 49
The Mundorf Ranch branding is one of the first to
happen in the Cherry County area. One hundred fifty
family members, friends, neighbors and some
strangers came to the branding in April 2016.
L
ong gone are the pioneers,
the milkmen and the lamplighters
of yesteryear. Enter Wi-Fi
refrigerators, horsepower hemi and Super
Targets. As we look back on Nebraska's
150-year history, there's no mistaking that
life has greatly changed. Yet despite all the
changes, some aspects of "the good life"
have not.
In Nebraska cattle country, the cowboy
still lives for one purpose: his herd. Open
plains as far as the eyes can see, and fresh,
clean groundwater pulled from iconic
windmills that dot the landscape have
allowed cattle to flourish in the Sandhills of
Nebraska, just as they did 100 years ago. It
is an industry so deeply tied to history. Epic
cattle drives, the railroad and the opening
and closing of the frontier – the romance and
drama of the American Wild West lingers
here.
But romance doesn't repay the bank loans.
Nor does it stop weather that can wipe out a
whole herd, or stay up late to nurse a sick or
injured calf. Some aspects of cattle ranching
have changed, but many have also stayed the
same: The fences continue to need mending.
The cows still need checking. And in winter,
all that ice in the water tanks doesn't break
up on its own.
In 2017, it's not hard to forget the
traditions that have made the "Omaha steak"
famous. And it's all too easy to dismiss
with a chuckle that in some places, such as
Nebraska, cattle still outnumber people by
nearly four to one. While beef production
is an industry – a business – caring for
livestock remains an important way of
life in these corners of the world. Hard
work, animal welfare, family, community
and a strong sense of self-reliance remain
hallmarks of successful ranching.
The Mundorf Ranch south of Wood Lake
is one example.