Proposed $250M salmon farm to bring new industry, jobs to Nebraska City

Kiel VanderVeen has learned a lot while raising salmon in Nebraska.

He’s traveled around the world, spoken to dozens of fish farming experts and became well versed in aquaponics systems. The most impactful lesson came in October 2024, when a fire burned the VanderVeen family’s hard-earned business beyond repair. VanderVeen learned how far his community will go to support a neighbor in need.

“The fire was tough,” VanderVeen said. “It was really traumatic, and we were overwhelmed with the community outreach. People just came out of the woodwork.”

The fish and vegetable farm, now known as GoodLife Agriculture, was in the early planning stages of a massive expansion when faulty electric wiring sparked the fire. The company’s crops were lost, along with the live Atlantic salmon that were to be used to seed the expanded facility.

In 2026, work toward that expansion will continue. If all goes as planned, GoodLife Ag will bring a new industry and a major economic driver to southeast Nebraska.

Salmon in a landlocked state

VanderVeen comes from a line of accountants. His father and grandfather were CPAs, and he is a financial planner, a career path he said allows him to look to the future — and avoid the frustration of tax season.

Agriculture had always been of interest, but firmly a hobby. In 2019, a door opened. VanderVeen joined the Sherwood Foundation’s ‘Community Catalyst’ program. The initiative is meant to support connection and innovation for the betterment of rural communities across Nebraska.

Through the program, VanderVeen explored an idea he’d been kicking around for some time.

“What about a fish farm?” he asked.

VanderVeen asked his wife, Mimi VanderVeen, if he could start what he thought would be “just a hobby.” A few fish, something to do on the weekends. The couple was in the process of researching what kind of fish they would raise when Mimi gave birth to their first child.

The new family of three landed on Atlantic salmon, a challenging, but high-value product. Over the course of a few months, VanderVeen spoke with hundreds of experts, toured an aquaponics farm in California and searched for needed equipment.

“I wouldn't call the main offices of places, I'd call warehouse lines,” VanderVeen said, “or the processing plant lines, until I found someone to talk to and aggregate all that information.”

The VanderVeens constructed a large greenhouse and complex system of electric pumps and water tanks that produced both salmon and leafy greens. The fish and greens were sold and shipped locally, typically within 60 miles of the facility.

There were big plans for the operation. The fish farm team aimed to break ground on a new expanded facility in late 2024. VanderVeen envisioned a “massive facility” with the capacity to produce millions of pounds of salmon per year. Then, the fire broke out.

Building from the ashes

An arc flash on the north wall of the facility sparked a fire that spread quickly.

About 85 firefighters from five different departments were on the scene for six hours. Oxygen tanks, chemicals and cleaning supplies made the situation especially dangerous. The fire left the facility, the crops and the salmon a total loss.

“That drastically changed our trajectory,” VanderVeen said.

With support from Nebraska City, the new 250,000 square-foot facility is planned to rise on an undeveloped site near G Road and North 19th Street. The latest facility plan would allow for the production of 20,000 tons of salmon per year.

GoodLife Agriculture projects the new $250-million facility will contribute a 22% increase in Nebraska City’s tax base and employ more than 60 staff members. VanderVeen expects to break ground on the new facility in 2026.

Nebraska City Commissioners in October approved the final installment of a $1 million partial forgivable loan to GoodLife Agriculture, funded through the city’s economic growth initiatives. At time of the approval, Mayor Bryan Bequette shared support for the project.

“The level of investment and the scale of GoodLife Agriculture’s initiative is incredibly exciting for our town and will have a lasting economic impact for generations to come,” Bequette said.

VanderVeen said the project would not have moved forward without the support of his community.

“The project will only move forward because Nebraska City, we feel, believes in it, and we believe in Nebraska City,” VanderVeen said. “Born and raised here, this is a great place.”