SIDNEY (May 20, 2024)  -- Sunset Land & Cattle got approval to expand its feed yard north of Potter to up to 25,000 cattle.

The decision came following a public hearing in the May 20 Cheyenne County Commissioners meeting.

Dave Kucera, Regional Manager for Settje Agri-Services & Engineering, Inc. out of Raymond, Neb., said the company is the consulting firm for Sunset Land & Cattle with Darryl and Jeff Timmerman.

"We're a professional engineering service. We also provide construction management, record keeping and compliance with both State and Federal regulations; agronomy services; County, State and Federal permitting -- obviously, the reason we are here today -- geological services. Our firm was formed in 1997 by Dean Settje, who was still actively engaged with the company, founder and president," Kucera said.

He said 97 percent of the company's projects are related to livestock systems.

Kucera said the Timmermans plan to expand Sunset Land & Cattle's feed yard for up to 25,000 head of cattle. Construction will include new pends and holding ponds. He said they do ground water monitoring as well as third-party monitoring and verification. Settje Agri-Services also assists onsite with any State or Federal inspections. 

Sunset Land & Cattle currently has a capacity of 17,970-head capacity permitted feedlot. 

"We are proposing to increase that maximum head count to 25,000, and this feedlot will continue to be owned and operated by Jeff Timmerman and his staff. This permit would be the construction of new pens,basins, and holding ponds to regulate and coordinate everything as need by Title 130," Kucera said.

Cheyenne County Planning & Zoning Coordinator Colleen Terman said there has been no opposition to the expansion.