There has been good news for those organizing for responsibility on the part of large animal feeding operations (CAFOs.) The conference in early April was a terrific success with good attendance from the concerned as well as ag industry. From this lift there is a new blog on the block Wisconsin_CAFO_Watch that will help organizers network and get news out to state and national environmentalists. Watch some video there from the April Conference.

And perhaps most importantly the DATCP Siting Review Board last Friday reversed the decision of the Crawford County Land and Water Board to give a siting permit to a hog confinement facility expansion planned near the Wisconsin River. The issue was decided because the plan for where the manure would go was not adequate to protect water resources. A press release that was prepared by Midwest Environmental Advocates is below the fold.

While all those pressing for responsible agriculture need to take a moment for a pat on the back, this is just one step on a very long campaign. Keep your eye on that new blog for future developments.

[press release from Midwest Environmental Advocates

via WisPolitics]

Once again, factory farms get a pass from a major environmental law 2/27/2008

If you live downwind from a mega-farm, don't put away those gas masks just yet.

The Natural Resources Board voted today to approve a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rule that grants "sources of hazardous air pollution associated with agricultural waste" (read: manure) yet another exemption from state requirements concerning toxic air emissions. Now, these sources of pollution won't have to meet state requirements until July 31, 2011.

[This in from Peter McKeever]

There has been discussion of an opportunity for activists concerned about factory farms to meet and perhaps consider forming in informal network across the state.

One opportunity to do this will be at Fighting BobFest, September 8, in Baraboo at the Sauk County Fairgrounds.

At noon, there is a breakout session entitled
A Place at the Table: Food, Agriculture and Democracy with Curt Meine, facilitator; Will Allen, Jeanne Merrill and Paul Johnson.

See  http://www.fightingbobfest.org/schedule.htm

This might be an opportunity to begin to collect names and email addresses on a list, meet one another, and quickly consider next steps.

You might want to pass this invitation on to others across the state with whom you have been in touch on this important issue.  This forum should be a good opportunity to raise some questions with the speakers and those in attendance and invite others to participate.

Incidentally, Paul Johnson is an Iowa farmer, former DNR head in Iowa, and former Chief of the NRCS under President Clinton. He is an outstanding agriculture progressive, well worth hearing.

I will be there, standing to one side or the other of the venue, and we perhaps can meet quickly and see if there is interest in a longer discussion.

Since Borges is out on vacation, I thought I'd bring up the fact that the 2400 head Vernon County CAFO operation that she blogged about recently is probably going in . The Vernon County Board has voted to not support a moratorium on CAFO operations. More details when we have some.

Update -

There's now an article in the Vernon County Broadcaster .  Although there will be no moratorium on large animal operations --

The board did, however, approve two measures to address farm growth and
land planning. On a pair of 15-14 votes, the board approved an animal
siting ordinance limiting animal units and approved a measure to begin
comprehensive planning.

The animal siting ordinance deals with
farms with more than 500 animal units. That ordinance only gives the
county oversight on the location of such an operation and is basically
a permitting system. The ordinance is very similar to state legislation
formulated for counties.

There has been much public outcry and last minute action by county committees on the entry of the swine industry into Vernon County Wisconsin. A 999 animal unit swine operation is in the process of getting approval in the area of Retreat, WI. At one public meeting our State Senator Dan Kapanke made these statements about our loss of home rule (from: Vernon County Broadcaster)

Anita Zibton asked State Senator Dan Kapanke about state regulations that seem to prevent local units of government from controlling operations like the one being proposed. Kapanke said the state animal siting regulations in DATCP 51 were developed with many public hearings that took into account many points of view.

"Everybody had a say," Kapanke said. "The whole idea behind the agriculture siting rule is to grow agriculture in Wisconsin. We are an agriculture state. If someone like Jeff wants to put in hog or dairy or chicken operation there are rules and regulations that apply, that are very strict by the way. If they follow the rules as stated, they can do it, and Jeff is doing that."

And yet James_Rowen points out a different story in Manitowoc (covered by the Journal_Sentinel). A story of a DNR unable to act, unwilling to study the situation and in this case a large dairy getting away with polluting Lake Michigan.

So much for "very strict" regulations--by the way.

The Future of Farming and Rural Live in Wisconsin project has conducted research across the state to determine ways to strengthen our agricultural economy. After two years of work they are bringing together people from across the state to discuss and fine-tune their results. An editorial in the CapTimes states:

May 14-15 statewide conference at Monona Terrace in Madison. We'll ask conference participants to review and help us shape a set of recommendations and action steps. The proposals were formulated with extensive public input over the past two years of this Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters project. We'll issue a report later this year summarizing our findings and offering a final set of recommendations.

We need concerned citizens to attend the conference and offer their insights and input. Registration information can be found at this_website. The conference will include in-depth discussions of important topics and will also offer arts and cultural activities focusing on the richness of rural life in our state.

This is a recent news release from the Cornucopia Institute in Wisconsin in regard to Wal-Mart increasing the amounts of "Organic" food in its stores and the likely outcome for both farmers and the organic food industry.

Ronnie Cummins, 218-226-4164

Steve Sprinkel, 805-290-0988

Daniel Stranahan, 206-794-3656