On historic Nebraska farmland, the couple blends beekeeping, heritage and public media support into a legacy that reflects their enduring values.
On land near Madrid that’s been in his family for more than a century, a new venture keeps Tom Kraus busy. “For every third bite of food you take, thank a pollinator,” he said.
Tom and his wife Janet own about a dozen bee hives that buzz with as many as 50,000 honeybees each during the summer. Under the name Golden Plains Honey, they produce a spreadable creamed honey.
“It won’t drip through the holes in your toast,” Tom said, describing the thicker consistency.
The couple married 40 years ago and supported public media for much of their lives. “I love the news on television and NPR on the radio. I like to listen to that and classical music as I drive my pick-up around,” Tom said.
Together, they enjoy watching NOVA, Midsomer Murders and All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece. Janet also likes Doc Martin, Father Brown and PBS News Hour.
“All of the shows are excellent,” the couple agreed.
Tom farmed for years and was a pioneer in continuous no-till farming. He enjoys history, especially cowboy history, and spent time as a board member of Nebraska State Historical Society. “All history is a passion for me. We can learn from it,” he said.
Tom’s family ties to ranching led him to be part of a Rotary Club effort to document trails used for cattle drives that once reached from Mexico to Canada. Several crossed Nebraska near Madrid, including one near a rest stop being constructed at the Interstate 80 exit to Roscoe.
“A new historical marker there will talk about this being a place where the state’s cattle industry started in the late 1800s,” he said.
Just as the cattle industry is part of Nebraska’s legacy, Tom and Janet are making Nebraska Public Media part of their own by including the network in their estate plan. “The time was right to formalize things,” Tom said. “The process was easy.”
Tom and Janet think it’s important to support something that they watch and listen to daily. “We think it’s well worth the support. There’s good TV programming, good radio programming and good kids’ stuff. We want to see it continue.”