Building a New Industry: The $250M Salmon Project in Nebraska City

Could cargo planes full of salmon soon be landing in Nebraska? On this episode of the Building Nebraska Podcast, Bryce sits down with entrepreneur Kiel VanderVeen, the founder behind a proposed $250 million salmon processing facility in Nebraska City. The idea started as a hobby. VanderVeen and his wife built a small aquaponics system in a greenhouse outside town, raising salmon and growing leafy greens using nutrient-rich water. But after a devastating fire destroyed their entire facility, the vision for what could come next only grew bigger. Now VanderVeen and his team are proposing a new model that could reshape how fresh seafood reaches American consumers. Instead of waiting weeks for imported salmon to travel through traditional supply chains, the plan is to fly fish directly to the Midwest for processing, dramatically reducing the time it takes to reach grocery stores. If built, the project could bring high-tech food manufacturing jobs, a major expansion of Nebraska City’s tax base, and a new industry to rural Nebraska. In this conversation, VanderVeen explains: • Why salmon makes economic sense in Nebraska • How cargo jets full of fish could shorten the seafood supply chain • The pivot that followed a devastating fire • What a $250 million facility could mean for southeast Nebraska • And how the U.S. could someday produce far more of its own seafood The Building Nebraska Podcast is brought to you by the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln — empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to build businesses and opportunities across rural America.