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