The importance of water in the livestock value chain

Groundwater is the lifeline of western Kansas, and the Kansas Water Institute is playing a role in discussions with leaders in the beef and dairy industries to address new technologies and water conservation innovations.

 

Understanding water conservation from each link in the value chain

Over the past seven months, Aimpoint Research (The Directions Group) has conducted a variety of interviews, secondary research, and stakeholder engagements with the goal of understanding Ogallala Aquifer water conservation from the perspective of farmers, producers, and others linked in the value chain. There is a growing community committed to developing a workable framework for the execution of conservation practices that ensure the aquifer’s viability while maintaining producer profitability. The team presented an overview of findings and recommendations from this research at Kansas State University on August 20, 2024. The presentation included a panel discussion with feedyards participating in the facilitated engagements.

Demonstration Events

Kansas feedyard puts a spotlight on a new water reclamation system

The Irsik & Doll Feedyard in Garden City, Kansas, hosted a public demonstration of a mobile education water lab to highlight the latest in water filtration technology for industry use in water-limited regions of the state. The technology is still in the development stages, but the mobile education water lab from Western Kansas Irrigation can process the water from a feedyard lagoon water into water that's safe for cattle to drink.