Agriculture

Broken Bow is the gateway to the richest grasslands in the world, the Nebraska Sandhills. With 2,592 square miles of land, Custer County is twice the size of Rhode Island! However, Custer County has a population density of only 4.6 people per square mile compared to Rhode Island's 962 people per square mile. This means that Custer County has an ample supply of rich land for agriculture.

The Sandhills are home to the finest cattle herds of nearly every breed, registered and commercial. In fact, Custer County ranks #3 in the state for the production of beef cows and #2 in the state for all cattle.

Custer County lies over the Ogallala Aquifer. This aquifer has the best quality and quantity of underground water storage in the world. The two rivers running through Custer County are spring fed. This water is the overflow from the rain recharge in the Sandhills. Custer County has a turbine pump manufacturer and the only well casing perforators in the High Plains.

The rich farmland surrounding Broken Bow yields bountiful harvests each year. Custer County ranks 1st in Nebraska for alfalfa hay production and 2nd for all hay. In addition, the county is 4th in the state in corn for grain.

In 1997, the market value of agricultural products sold in Custer County totaled $288,541,000. Livestock sales accounted for 74% of this value, with crop sales covering the remaining 26%.