KLA Past President Jeff Sternberger testified last week at a U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources field hearing in Burlington, CO, focused on the drought impacting Kansas and Colorado. The hearing was hosted by Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Ranking Member Sen. Roger Marshall.
Sternberger is general manager and co-owner of Midwest Feeders Inc. near Ingalls. During his testimony, he described water conservation measures that have been implemented at the feedyard, and the potential for similar investments across the broader industry, to positively address the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. Sternberger requested federal support for conservation programs and for flexibility in their implementation to allow livestock producers to participate. He suggested cost-share programs and tax credits as options to help support investments in technologies that would provide water savings.