Nebraska Plants Link Manufacturing to Farm Demand

Nebraska manufacturers that sell into agriculture gain national rural-audience attention through the new RFD-TV series.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Manufacturing

Nebraska Plants Link Manufacturing to Farm Demand

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Match/Cut Productions, an Omaha production company, premiered "Made Here," a television series hosted by Chris Luecke that profiles American manufacturers, on RFD-TV last week. Its Nebraska episode, "Fertile Ground," airs Thursday, November 5, at 8 p.m. and focuses on how manufacturing and agriculture interact in the state.

Why it matters

The series is built around the argument that manufacturing matters to the communities where plants operate, and the Nebraska episode ties that case to agriculture, a sector where equipment makers and suppliers depend on farm demand. Its premiere on a cable network aimed at rural audiences signals that manufacturing's economic role is being presented directly to the communities that supply and buy from Nebraska's plants.

The series cites roughly 100,000 Nebraskans employed in manufacturing, a figure attributed to Kawasaki rather than a state labor statistic, with no comparison to prior years or other sectors. Kawasaki's Lincoln plant opened in 1974 and Valmont licensed its center-pivot patent in 1954, and the source offers no output or revenue data for either facility.

The players

Valmont Industries

A publicly traded agricultural technology company based in Omaha that manufactures steel structures and center-pivot irrigation systems.

Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp.

The manufacturer that opened its Lincoln, Nebraska plant in 1974, which builds ATVs and Jet Skis.

Match/Cut Productions

An Omaha production company that produces the "Made Here" series.

RFD-TV

A cable network whose programming is geared toward rural communities and which carries the series.

The details

Match/Cut Productions traveled across the United States to film different manufacturers, and the Nebraska episode examines how plants in Lincoln and Omaha connect to farm operations. The Lincoln segment covers Kawasaki's facility, which makes ATVs and Jet Skis, while the Omaha segment covers Valmont Industries, which produces steel structures and center-pivot irrigation systems at its Valley campus. The series is underwritten by Industrial Solutions Network and Rockwell Automation.

Last week: "Made Here" premiered on RFD-TV.
Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 8 p.m.: The Nebraska episode "Fertile Ground" airs on RFD-TV.
Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.: A watch party is held at Millwork Commons.

Market Landscape

Valmont's center-pivot irrigation business traces back to the company's 1954 licensing of the center-pivot patent, and the Nebraska episode presents that product line as part of the state's manufacturing history. The series positions Nebraska's plants as the link between agricultural demand and industrial production, a framing that sits alongside the state's established farm-equipment makers.

Operators of manufacturers that supply the agricultural sector should note how the series frames the link between farm demand and plant output in Nebraska. Companies in the state that sell into farming may want to track whether this kind of public attention shifts recruiting or community relations for their own facilities.

The takeaway

Manufacturers that depend on agricultural customers should watch how regional and rural media present their role, since that visibility can shape workforce and community perception. Operators with facilities in Nebraska can use the Thursday broadcast as a point of reference when assessing local manufacturing's public profile.

What happens next

The Nebraska episode "Fertile Ground" airs Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 8 p.m. on RFD-TV, with a watch party at Millwork Commons starting at 7:30 p.m.