Missouri House Bill 1931 Initiative Petition

HB 1931 Changes the laws regarding the issuance of construction permits for concentrated animal feeding operations.
Summary of HB 1931
Text of HB 1931
Tracking HB 1931

The Joplin Globe's Wally Kennedy, Sunday, March 2, 2008, ran a cover story of CAFO issues in Southwest Missouri Wide Open for CAFOs, "Missouri bills would restrict CAFOs, subject them to local approval", and the new legislation introduced by Representative Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, HB 1931.

The article quotes rural Golden City farmers Darvin Bentlage and Zach McGuire, describing the proliferation of CAFO's around their property. It also references the controverys regarding CAFOs in close proximity to Roaring River, Arrow Rock and Battle of Athens State Parks. The article quotes Leslie Holloway, director of state and local government affairs with Missouri Farm Bureau as saying, “We are not in favor of trying to put to a vote an application for a ranch or individual family-farm operation. We think the current permitting works. Making an individual farm or ranch petition subject to a vote of residents of the county seems to be totally contrary to the whole idea of local planning.”

The Joplin Globe article also includes an interview with Francis Forest, owner of Kenoma LLC who owns CAFOs near Golden City and the Richland Township in Barton County (MO). Zach McGuire and his neighbors in Richland Township, west of Golden City, already put their CAFO question to a vote. They attempted to control CAFOs at the township level by giving the township board the authority to regulate the numbers of animals in a CAFO. The board unanimously voted to place the zoning issue on the ballot last fall. It was approved in a record turnout of 206 voters in the township. It was endorsed by 81 percent of the voters. An injunction was filed by the board to stop construction of the hog CAFOs by Synergy LLC and Kenoma LLC, near the village of Kenoma, which locals now refer to as “Pig Town.”
Richland Township vs. KENOMA Farms & 2400 hogs
Richland Township vs. KENOMA LLC, Part II

Darvin Bentlage is quoted as saying, “Farmers around here know they are stewards of the soil, the land and the water. They know they have to preserve it for the next generation. If 80 percent of your neighbors tell you don’t do it, you don’t do it. You respect your neighbors. That’s what real family farmers do.”

To me that pretty well describes the difference between a CAFO and a family farmer. Don't you agree?