Livestock Factories Coming to a Field Near You

Those of us who are native residents of Grant County are quite proud to call it home. We live in a diverse area where you have many options for where you live and where you work. We love our small towns and we love the rural life amenties. We have beautiful rivers and reservoirs in addition to our vast amount of farms. Grant county is approximately 60.2% farmland according to the 2020 US Census (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/grantcountyindiana/PST045225) with the average farm size around 329 acres.

Personally, I have lived in the county most of my life, and I have lived at my family farm since 2009. Over 65 acres of rolling hills and previous farmland that we converted into a young hardwood tree farm in 2018. My husband and I spend all our time on the farm enjoying nature, gardening and time together. We probably have 100-150 homes in the 2-3 miles around us, all quiet neighbors and farmers raising their kids and doing life in the quiet peaceful countryside about 2 miles south of the Missisissinewa Reservoir.

This last month, we were notified that our neighbor is proposing a 9000 Hog Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) to be built 560 ft from our property line. After the initial shock, and a lot of research, we began to worry about the impacts this can have. Grant County has around 13-14 operational CAFOs currently. Many of them are smaller at around 4000 or less animals, though there are one or two that are similar in size. I think the first thing most people think about is the smell that may be associated, but that wasn't our first concern. We live in the country. We smell things often, it’s a farming community. The noise is what struck us. Sounds carry well in the country, because it is quiet. We often hear the train from 4 or more miles east of us. Then we began to research more and these operations use over 27000 gal of water a day, more than 10 million gallons a year. They produce more than 1 million gallons of manure that will be applied to local fields at a minimum of 3200 gallons per acre. There are risks associated with water supply and water pollution. These are all things that don't align with our personal and neighborhood values.

There was a similar proposal in 2018 on the east side of state road 15 at the intersection of 500 N, coincedently by this same farmer. Records show the county planning commision voted 8 to 2 to decline the permit due to public opposition related to property values, risk to quality of life and health concerns. (https://www.suncommercial.com/news/article_18c24d36-9b3a-11e8-951d-af4a5c0c2834.html) Records also show a 2 year appeal process was pursued, but the planning commissions decision was upheld by an appeals judge. (https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/court-of-appeals/2020/20a-pl-117.html)

In Grant County, the rules are rather lax, and sadly the state is more relaxed. A CAFO can be proposed and built 200 feet from your property line, and 1320 ft (0.25 miles) from your home. There are rules in place from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) that are meant to ensure no pollution occurs from these factory farms, but ultimately, they only inspect every 3- 5 years unless there is a spill or complaint.

Neighbors here in Grant County are now increasing awareness and voicing concerns all over again, worried about our quality of life and our future resources. We support local farmers and we support livestock. We also support stricter rules to ensure our neighbors now, and in the future, have some stricter guidance for where these operations can be placed to minimize risks to the neighboring communities. You can join the FB group, Neighbors for Responsible Agriculture at the link below.

Otherways to get involved:

1. Sign the Petition at https://c.org/yPKwkYvQXy to oppose this CAFO proposal.
2. Attend the September 14 Grant County Board of Zoning Appeals at 6p 09/14 at the Grant County Government Complex.