Friday, October 31, 2008

Another Barry County CAFO (Missouri)

The Joplin Globe reports Neighbors voicing opposition to proximity of planned 30,000-chicken house (Friday, October 31, 2008) on a new environmental "battlefield' in Wheaton (Barry Co., MO) regarding a 30,000 broiler chicken CAFO, being built by Wesley & Cheri Church. At issue, is the proximity of the proposed chicken CAFO to their neighbors. The newspaper article identified the affected neighbors as Lowell & Twyla McInturff, Charles & Shirley Tichenor, Doug & Deanna Hughes, and Joseph & Tempest Cooper.

Here is a Google Earth image of the area immediately north of Wheaton, MO. [click on image to get close-up view] Obviously there are other poultry houses in the area. What is at issue, is best described in this excerpt from the article, the Church's "poultry house will be 191 yards north of the Tichenor house, 162 yards from a house on the west side, 254 yards south of the McInturff house and 296 yards southwest of the Cooper house".

Once again, it is the owner's attitude that characterizes the situation,'They (Wesley & Cheri Church) noted they purchased their property without restrictions in an area that is agricultural.' It is like they are saying that it is my land and I'll do with it what I want. This is the reoccurring theme in every environmental battleground. I don't think that this attitude falls under the "good neighbor" model for sustainable agriculture.

Of interest in this article is the reference to First Financial Bank, Fayetteville, AR. as being the lender for the project. What does this say about their adherence to "good neighbor" lending practices for sustainable agriculture? The article also reports that Cheri & Wesley Church have signed on to become Simmons contract growers. Simmons agreed to the project, though the company’s Web site says it will not construct a chicken house within 1,200 feet of an existing chicken house. An exception apparently was made for the Churches: the Tichenor chicken houses are approximately 960 feet east of the location of the new chicken house. Kimmy Provost, spokeswoman for Simmons, said, “The 1,200 feet is a recommendation. It is up to the individual contract grower to abide by the laws of the state they are operating in." The article states that 'in Missouri, a poultry house cannot be constructed within 100 feet of a home or a private well, according to state regulations'.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

CAFO Meeting Lamar (Barton Co.) MO. Part 2

The CAFO informational meeting was held in Lamar (Barton Co.) MO on October 14, 2008. In addition to John Ikerd, PhD, other groups that spoke or made presentations, included: Darvin Bentlage, a rural Richland Township-Barton Co. farmer; Jim Riedel and Mark Stevenson, Roaring River Parks Alliance; Kathleen Smith, Missouri Coalition for Environment and Rhonda Perry, Missouri Rural Crisis Center.

Some of the information that was disseminated in Lamar, warrants further discussion and research. Here are refences to some of the information.

1. In Barton Co. MO, Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)reported that in 2002, there were 45,618 cow/calves and 150,000 hogs. In Dade Co. there were 6,500 cow/calves and 45,000 hogs. In Jasper Co. MO there were 61,531 cow/calves and 17,000 hogs.
2. The Northfork of Spring River was ranked 2nd worst in the state for agricultural non-point pollution.
3. New legislation, called EQIP was passed in November 2007. It was designed to provide subsidies: 1/3 to crop farmers, 1/3 to grazing operations, and 1/3 to animal feeding operations. Instead 40% of EQIP went to CAFOs. Put another way, 2% of farmers got 40% of the funding.
4. Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is NOT pro-active, but reactive.
5. Algae uses up Oxygen that fish need
6. 265 CAFOs in Barry Co. MO.
7. We all loose in an adversarial model of protecting Missouri's natural resources.
8. CAFO > 65,000, 100' setback from stream or well -and- 1,000' setback from residence. However, CAFO < 65,000, no permit reqquired or setback regulations.
9. Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission
10. Clean Water Act 40 CFR Part 131

11. Class 1A hogs CAFO >17,500; 1B 7,500-17,499; 1C 2500-7,499 and Class II hog operation 750-2499.
12. NPDES National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit (DNR537 CAFO)
13. There are 150,000 unclassified streams. There are 25,000 classified streams. 82% of discharge permits are on unclassified streams. Only narrative criteria apply to unclassified streams.
14. TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load)
15. BMP (Best Management Practices)
16. UAA (Use Attainability Analysis)
17. Anti degradation and sustainability
18. Good land stewardship. Good neighbors. Good practices.
19. "Remember, we all live downstream and upstream."
20. Family farm vs. Industrial operations (CAFO)

21. It matters who is raising livestock. 1.5 to 3 jobs lost in corporate agriculture.
22. In Missouri the number of hog farmers has decreased from 19,000 to 2,000. The # of hogs have remained constant: 2,800,000. However the pork price has gone up 64% and the profit has decreased 40%.
23. CAFO's are a vertical integration model; they control the marketplace; and they depend on subsidies.
24. EQIP included a $50,000 cap for cost sharing. Nationally, $35 million went to industrial livestock operations. In Missouri, NRCS paid CAFO operators $5 million to move their litter waste somewhere else.
25. Current state standards are not sufficient.
26. 4,000 hogs produce as much waste as a human population of 16,000.
27. The last 4-6 years, the Missouri legislature (supported by Missouri Farm Bureau) has treid to take away local control of CAFOs.
28. EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) is only regulating CAFOs that are not self contained.
29. EQIP, was intended for real conservation practices, NOT moving liter.
30. Need to address accumulative impact of CAFOs.
31. Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia

CAFO Meeting Lamar (Barton Co.) MO. Part 1

The Joplin Globe (10/16/2008) reported, "CAFO Foes Rally Forces". Speakers were critical of what they said is the inability of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to protect the state’s natural resources from the manure associated with factory farms. They said the DNR, which is charged with permitting and regulating the state’s largest CAFOs, is much too cozy with corporate agriculture. They said the department should be doing more to prevent pollution through aggressive enforcement instead of responding to it at taxpayer expense after the damage already has taken place.

Mike Holzknecht, a resident of the Stockton area, said he attended the meeting to hear what people were saying about CAFOs. “What impressed me was that the group who came to Lamar was from all over Missouri,” he said. “They came in defense of our family farms, homes and our rural way of life. These are true American patriots. “I hope all of our neighbors out here in the country will listen to these courageous family farmers before it is too late, and they lose everything they’ve worked for their entire lives — the value of their home and their family’s freedom to enjoy it.”

The Joplin Globe article did not mention, Dr. John Ikerd's presentation. His was the most emotional, thoughtful, and inspirational of all. Some of his comments included: Rural America is being polluted and plundered. Truth with conviction. Know why you believe what you believe. It is important that rural Missouri residents reclaim their rights to self control. He said that CAFO economic promises are empty and that CAFOs are not a social or economic contributor. He challenged the group to look at academic and scientific studies. CAFOs are a broad issue with many dimensions. The science is conclusive. CAFOs are a violation of rural ethic.

He pointed out that rural America is being offered: prisons, landfills, toxic waste incinerators and CAFOs. Some feel that the "highest and best" use of rural land is a dump for other peoples waste. He stressed that CAFOs are NOT the future of American agriculture. Instead, CAFOs could be the end of American agriculture. Dr. Ikerd said that there is a correlation between CAFOs and human health risks. He said that we must support the traditional Family Farm. It is ecological and economical. We have got to pursue sustainable agriculture. He pointed out that organic food was growing at a rate of 20% annually.

He emphasized that CAFOs are degrading our most valuable asset. We must step up to regain "self determination" and "self control". There is no future in prisons, landfills and CAFOs. We deserve something better. Begin rebuilding. Reclaim our grass roots control. Shape our own destination. John Ikerd, PhD