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Belt Alliance: Jacob Neihart
Jacob Neihart was one of those rarities, an older 'Dane who went Up. He'd gotten his start as a rancher in Argentine cattle, owning several thousand acres of land and a large herd of cattle. Financial difficulties - caused by a 'perfect storm' of infection in the herd with water-rights conflicts - forced him to sell off a large portion of the land in order to retain the rest. He was looking for alternative income sources when one of his sons pointed out the new opportunities to be found among spacers.
Even after selling off large portions of his land, Neihart had a significantly large farm. Prices for his crops had never been the best, but now there was access to a large market that had very little ability to supply itself. Jacob and his extended family found it easy to obtain a supply of handwavium and a pair of older semi-trailer trucks. The vehicles responded well to the 'wave treatment and Jacob himself took the wheel for his first shipment of produce and fresh beef, to be delivered to Stellvia for a very good price.
Over the next few years, the Neihart clan kept up the business, moving out into the system from their Earthside ranch. By the height of the Boskone conflict, the clan was deeply intertwined with the affairs of the Belter alliance, having undertaken numerous supply contracts with the independant miners who made up most of that faction. Jacob Neihart himself was becoming more and more influential within the faction, and some were saying he was the perfect man to "really face down that monopolist tyrant, Marsden". Needless to say, this growing fame brought him to Largo's attention...
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Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

Now we know where the Renfaire Fen on Gubbio get their monthly whole ox from...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Update; 2021: With the covert war between Largo and the Knight Sabers heating up, the new head of the Belt Alliance needed additional sources of income to fund his covert pirate operations. Largo turned his eye on the Neiharts' farm, especially with their hold on the supply of food to many Belters. He saw not merely an opportunity for profit, but for additional control over his domain. A 'pirate' attack saw two of the clan's haulers disabled, with three workers dead - including Jacob Neihart's second son, Wilhelm. The result was not the easy takeover Largo had expected.

While his political maneuverings in Argentina did result in the Neiharts being forced off of their land, Largo neglected to anticipate Jacob's response. Jacob Neihart spent the vast majority of his fortune not merely on weapons or replacing the lost vehicles, but on purchasing two of Stonewell-Bellcom's gigantic "Island III" mobile space habitats. With most of the 'ground' area devoted to pasture and complete control of the environment, the habitats could easily support more than a thousand head of cattle as well as space for the clan to live in. Other food crops took up more space, as well as entire decks devoted to hydroponics. As for the farm itself... before being forced off the land, the Neiharts loaded millions of tons of good Argentine topsoil into the ship's decks. Much would be kept aboard for the farm itself, but a large quantity would also be sold to Browncoat farms on Ganymede at excellent prices. Nothing was left behind for Largo's buyers but bare, dry earth, planted with kudzu.

Today, the Neiharts (and the Argentine farm workers subsumed into the clan with their departure) are almost a mini-faction unto themselves, travelling where they will, farming, trading, and making life a bit more pleasant for those who work the Belt. And a bit less pleasant for Largo and his stooges.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

Quote:Nothing was left behind for Largo's buyers but bare, dry earth, planted with kudzu.

This man is officially my hero.

The Knight Sabers shall offer their quiet and covert support, should he need them.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

Wolfboy would buy as much dirt as he could and give him a serious discount on any dakka needs, like freebies serious
 

And this explains why Stonewell-Bellcom didn't deliver StellviaCorp's Island III until 2025...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

"But real meat!"

"No, we don't have enough space for raising cattle at Nostromo."

"But real meat!"

"Its a waste of resources, especially of water, biomass and time."

"But real meat!"

"Sorry, *sigh* there is no way we can do this in the next couple of years, they have not even finished the first bio-dome for Jenga."

"But real meat!"

"*arg* You are driving me crazy!"

"We could test the new backup prototype... think about it, real meat!"

"*facepalm* okay, what do you think about a compromise. We try to buy a larger amount of meat for the Labs and use a part of it to improve the settings of the meat printer in the kitchen."

"Yeah!"

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"Jacob Nelhart, inciting small riots at Nostromo since 2022!"

Quote:ECSNorway wrote:

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As for the farm itself... before being forced off the land, the Neiharts loaded millions of tons of good Brazilian topsoil into the ship's decks. Much would be kept aboard for the farm itself, but a large quantity would also be sold to Browncoat farms on Ganymede at excellent prices. Nothing was left behind for Largo's buyers but bare, dry earth, planted with kudzu.

Officially, Jupiter Mining Corporation provided "at cost" transport of the soil from the farm ships to Ganymede, paid for by the Serenity Valley government. A contract was also signed for JMC to provide shipping services for foodstuffs from the farm ships to various mining stations and colonies in the Belt, some of them rather out of the way.Rumor has it that, when he went to personally oversee the transfer and conduct contract talks, Jeph Antilles personally complimented Jacob Neihart on the size of his Sheridans. This is denied by JMC management.
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"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

After IRC discussion, retconned Jake from Brazil to Argentina, where his daddy and grandpappy came over to back in '44. Edited appropriately.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.