OVER 60 Years, three
generations
Loup Valley Alfalfa came into existence
in Novmenber 06,1945, an enterprise created
by LeRoy Anderson, Glo Fackler and William
Manasil. In the early days of business, the
primary function of the plant was grinding
stacks of locally grown alfalfa and loading
the ground hay onto railroad cars to be
shipped across the nation. The ground South Jct. Hwy 91 & 11
hay was sacked in large burlap coffee Burwell, NE.
sacks and the tops of the bags were sewn shut, all by hand labor.
After two years of business, the company purchased the dehydrator and began dehydrating the
ground alfalfa. The dehydrator was fueled with crude oil and the temperature of the dehydrator
was regulated by the amount of alfalfa fed into the machine. The alfalfa was scooped into the
dehydrator by manual labor, using pitchfork and muscle and still sacked, sewn and loaded by
hand.
The ranchers liked the ease of feeding the pelleted alfalfa, primarily the large pellets and
wafers, which could be fed to cattle on the ground. They soon began asking if ground corn and
meal could be mixed with the alfalfa, to provide a more complete feed, thus began the pellet
ration business for Loup Valley Alfalfa. In no time, the feed business outgrew the alfalfa
business and the emphasis turned to feed. During this period, another drum was added to the
plant and the old drum was dismantled and moved to Albion. Neil Sloan was the current
salesman for Loup Valley Alfalfa and became a partner with a small interest in the company.
Neil managed the plant in Albion and eventually purchased the Albion plant and sold out his
interest in the Burwell mill.
The corporate structure of Loup Valley Alfalfa also changed in the 1950's. Glo Flacker sold his
interest to William Manasil and LeRoy Anderson. In the late fifties, LeRoy Anderson developed
health problems and later died, and William Manasil purchased his interest in Loup Valley
Alfalfa from Madelon Anderson, LeRoy's widow. John Cronin became the sale representative
for the miss and eventually purchased a portion of the stock from William.
Young Bill Manasil returned from college in 1963 and began working for his father,
learning the family business and in 1974, following the death of William Manasil, took
stock ownership of Loup Valley Alfalfa.
Loup Valley currently employs seventeen full-time employees. In alfalfa season the mill
operates twenty-four hours a day, six days a week; in the feed season (Oct.-April) the
mill operates ten hours a day six days a week. The company owns a fleet of six tandem
axle delivery trucks, a semi tractor and trailer, two Field Queens, two windrowers, and
two field trucks. The plant has storage capacity for 2,500 tons of alfalfa pellets, 400-500
bushels of corn.
Twelve different types of pelleted ration are currently manufactured by the plant. Sunflower
meal is purchased from North Dakota, cottonseed meal from Oklahoma and Texas, wheat
middlings come primarily from the Lincoln and Omaha region and soybean meal from Hastings
and southern Nebraska. All the, alfalfa used in the rations is locally grown, primarily in a sixteen
mile radius of the plant which keeps the alfalfa fresher and decreases hauling time, helping the
plant run smoothly during alfalfa season. Corn is also primarily locally grown.
The dehydrator is the original machine that was purchased by the mill owners in the 1950's.
Many modifications have been added to the dehydrator to keep the plant operating in
compliance with the EPA and the Dept. of Environmental Protection. These modifications keep
the air quality in Burwell and th surrounding area cleaner, elimination the dirt and dust
produced by the plant in the early stages. The dehydrator is fueled by natural gas, replacing the
old crude oil years. When the alfalfa is wet, the dehydrator temperatures may reach as high as
1,600 degrees and the machine operates like a glorified clothes dryer, tumbling the ground
alfalfa and drying it at the same time.
Loup Valley Alfalfa maintains a large trade area. The trade area extends as far north as the
South Dakota/Nebraska state line and as far south as interstate 80, west to Alliance and
east to Columbus, NE. As large as the trade is, majority of Loup Valley Alfalfa's products are
purchased by local ranchers and livestock owners.
Loup Valley Alfalfa is a local business with a long and successful past. Bill Manasil's son, Jon
Manasil returned to Burwell with his family June of 1999. When Bill Manasil passed away in
2005 Jon Manasil took over the family business to carry on the Loup Valley Alfalfa name.
generations
Loup Valley Alfalfa came into existence
in Novmenber 06,1945, an enterprise created
by LeRoy Anderson, Glo Fackler and William
Manasil. In the early days of business, the
primary function of the plant was grinding
stacks of locally grown alfalfa and loading
the ground hay onto railroad cars to be
shipped across the nation. The ground South Jct. Hwy 91 & 11
hay was sacked in large burlap coffee Burwell, NE.
sacks and the tops of the bags were sewn shut, all by hand labor.
After two years of business, the company purchased the dehydrator and began dehydrating the
ground alfalfa. The dehydrator was fueled with crude oil and the temperature of the dehydrator
was regulated by the amount of alfalfa fed into the machine. The alfalfa was scooped into the
dehydrator by manual labor, using pitchfork and muscle and still sacked, sewn and loaded by
hand.
The ranchers liked the ease of feeding the pelleted alfalfa, primarily the large pellets and
wafers, which could be fed to cattle on the ground. They soon began asking if ground corn and
meal could be mixed with the alfalfa, to provide a more complete feed, thus began the pellet
ration business for Loup Valley Alfalfa. In no time, the feed business outgrew the alfalfa
business and the emphasis turned to feed. During this period, another drum was added to the
plant and the old drum was dismantled and moved to Albion. Neil Sloan was the current
salesman for Loup Valley Alfalfa and became a partner with a small interest in the company.
Neil managed the plant in Albion and eventually purchased the Albion plant and sold out his
interest in the Burwell mill.
The corporate structure of Loup Valley Alfalfa also changed in the 1950's. Glo Flacker sold his
interest to William Manasil and LeRoy Anderson. In the late fifties, LeRoy Anderson developed
health problems and later died, and William Manasil purchased his interest in Loup Valley
Alfalfa from Madelon Anderson, LeRoy's widow. John Cronin became the sale representative
for the miss and eventually purchased a portion of the stock from William.
Young Bill Manasil returned from college in 1963 and began working for his father,
learning the family business and in 1974, following the death of William Manasil, took
stock ownership of Loup Valley Alfalfa.
Loup Valley currently employs seventeen full-time employees. In alfalfa season the mill
operates twenty-four hours a day, six days a week; in the feed season (Oct.-April) the
mill operates ten hours a day six days a week. The company owns a fleet of six tandem
axle delivery trucks, a semi tractor and trailer, two Field Queens, two windrowers, and
two field trucks. The plant has storage capacity for 2,500 tons of alfalfa pellets, 400-500
bushels of corn.
Twelve different types of pelleted ration are currently manufactured by the plant. Sunflower
meal is purchased from North Dakota, cottonseed meal from Oklahoma and Texas, wheat
middlings come primarily from the Lincoln and Omaha region and soybean meal from Hastings
and southern Nebraska. All the, alfalfa used in the rations is locally grown, primarily in a sixteen
mile radius of the plant which keeps the alfalfa fresher and decreases hauling time, helping the
plant run smoothly during alfalfa season. Corn is also primarily locally grown.
The dehydrator is the original machine that was purchased by the mill owners in the 1950's.
Many modifications have been added to the dehydrator to keep the plant operating in
compliance with the EPA and the Dept. of Environmental Protection. These modifications keep
the air quality in Burwell and th surrounding area cleaner, elimination the dirt and dust
produced by the plant in the early stages. The dehydrator is fueled by natural gas, replacing the
old crude oil years. When the alfalfa is wet, the dehydrator temperatures may reach as high as
1,600 degrees and the machine operates like a glorified clothes dryer, tumbling the ground
alfalfa and drying it at the same time.
Loup Valley Alfalfa maintains a large trade area. The trade area extends as far north as the
South Dakota/Nebraska state line and as far south as interstate 80, west to Alliance and
east to Columbus, NE. As large as the trade is, majority of Loup Valley Alfalfa's products are
purchased by local ranchers and livestock owners.
Loup Valley Alfalfa is a local business with a long and successful past. Bill Manasil's son, Jon
Manasil returned to Burwell with his family June of 1999. When Bill Manasil passed away in
2005 Jon Manasil took over the family business to carry on the Loup Valley Alfalfa name.
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