Homeowners say Wis. law favors big farms over them
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In this Sept. 21, 2011, photo Mike Larson rubs the nose of one of his 2,900 dairy cows at Larson Acres Inc. in the Town of Magnolia, Wis. Larson’s neighbors say his factory farm shouldn’t have received a permit because it has contributed to their failing health and tainted drinking water, but Larson says their lawsuit is baseless because their allegations are unsubstantiated.
MAGNOLIA TOWNSHIP — John Adams can't see the nearly 3,000 cows on the dairy farm two miles from his Wisconsin home, but when the wind blows he can smell them.
The stench gives him and his wife headaches. They blame the big farm for contaminating their air and polluting the groundwater well they use for drinking, bathing and watering their garden. They no longer feel safe eating the vegetables they grow.
Adams also blames the state, which requires local governments to grant permits to large farms that meet certain limited criteria, even if there are additional environmental concerns. The rural farming town where he lives tried to impose stricter rules, only to be overruled by the state agriculture department.
Adams and seven neighbors, along with the town of Magnolia, sued the state and the farm in the first case of its kind to reach a state supreme court and the result could set a precedent throughout the Midwest. Similar cases have been filed in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma, and two juries in Missouri have already handed out multimillion-dollar awards to homeowners who complained of intolerable odors from so-called factory farms.
At the same time, several states have passed or are considering laws that would make it easier for big farms to get permits. Lawmakers say the move creates uniformity, allowing farms to expand under predictable circumstances, and strengthens one of the few industries that didn't tank in the recession.
Critics argue the laws deprive residents of a voice.
"A township should have the right to establish guidelines to keep its people safe, but it doesn't," said Adams, 61. "Those of us who are being affected, it's like there's nothing we can do."
The owner of the big farm, Mike Larson, supports the state law. Consistency across the state makes it easier for farmers to expand and, in turn, strengthens the dairy industry in the nation's No. 2 milk-producing state, he said.
Larson said local governments should encourage farmers rather than micromanage them. The setup on such big farms allows owners to mechanize more of the work, lowering labor costs and passing the savings on to consumers. And, since he lives a mile from the farm, he has every incentive to protect the environment and keep water sources pollution-free, he added.
"I can sleep at night because I know I'm doing things the right way, keeping the environment safe," Larson said.
Larson Acres Inc. has been in his family for five generations. The current fight started after the farm's latest expansion, when it grew from about 1,600 cows on one site to 4,100 on two sites. Large farms stand out in Wisconsin, where the average dairy farm had less than 100 cows in 2007, the latest year for which federal statistics are available. With Larson Acres' expansion, cows now outnumber residents in Magnolia 3-to-1.
Byron Shaw, a retired University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point professor who specializes in soil and water, said the problem with such enormous farms is that they generate more manure in a small area than can be spread on the fields around them. The excess can end up washing into creeks and other water sources, he said.
That's what concerned local officials who considered Larson's 2006 application for an expansion permit. The town's experts reported finding high nitrate levels in a creek and local wells near the first site.
The town still granted Larson's permit but with conditions. For example, Larson had to allow the town to conduct monthly water-quality tests on his land. The farm also had to follow certain crop-rotation strategies to reduce nitrate buildup.
Larson appealed to a review board run by the state's agriculture department. The board agreed Magnolia had exceeded its authority by imposing additional conditions.
After several lower-court rulings, the Wisconsin Supreme Court was asked to weigh in on whether state can prevent the town from holding the farm to a higher standard. Its decision is expected in about a month.
David Olsen, a Magnolia town board member, said there was a simpler way for Larson to resolve the matter. If the farm has nothing to hide, he said, Larson could agree to let the town test its water supplies and manure systems.
"If they're not doing anything wrong, if they're not polluting, we'd be their best free advertising," Olsen said. "Instead they chose to take it all the way to the (state) Supreme Court."
Larson said he opposes the idea on principle. Just as police need a search warrant before they can come on private property, he said, the town should have to prove in court that it needs access to his property.
"We have rights," he said. "That's the way this country works — you're presumed innocent until proven guilty."
Adams said it's not a fair fight — the state law protects powerful businesses instead of residents with little clout. He worries staying in his home will hurt his health but said he couldn't bring himself to sell to another family that would have to deal with the same risks.
"Options?" Adams sighed. "We don't really have any."
Oct 4, 2011 at 10:15 a.m.
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johnnyreb6977: I used to live next door on the west side of Larson's farm. I could walk outside the house and over to his field in a matter of seconds. I have been to his farm, I used to play there as a child! It used to be cleaner and more under control. It is rude and cruel to tell these families to buck up, or to say that if it hasn't killed them yet then it won't later on. The well I used to drink from is not far from Larson's field where he dumps all of that liquid manure. I have been back since he built his very large new storage facility and it does stink like a farm might. But it has permeated the water supply. How can you ignore all the proof around you? Are you expecting people to abandon the wells they need? Yes, bottled water is out there, but why should these people have to abandon their own water? It's atrocious! Please, please think this through. You can support Larson all you want, no one will change your mind, that much is obvious. Consider his methods. He is dumping liquid manure ahead of his permit. Life on that local farm out there used to be nice and the balance there was great. Now, it has become a factory, spewing out pollution. And whether Larson admits it or not, he is ruining the natural water table. If he, and you, can live with that, then I would like to congratulate you on being able to ignore common sense and your conscience. Bravo!
Oct 2, 2011 at 3:56 p.m.
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yada - not that it matters, of course, but the Livestock Facilities Siting Rule, taking away local township control, was put into effect in 2004.
Oct 2, 2011 at 6:59 a.m.
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Welcome to Fitzwalkerstan - open for major corporate business and still giving nillions of taxpayer money away.
Oct 1, 2011 at 7:25 p.m.
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Imagine any old day here in Jo Daviess County. The sky darkens. A shiny Lear jet circles overhead. For miles around, animals shiver and little birds stop singing. Babies whimper in their cribs. The jet lands. On the ground, Jim Sacia, titular representative of the People, rushes forward to greet the jet’s only passenger. It’s AJ Bos, that old-fashioned family farmer from California. Representative Sacia bows and begins to speak, but Bos gestures for silence. Congressman Manzullo, hiding behind a nearby hedge, nods and grins but stays hidden. Officials from the Department of Agriculture lurk in the shadows, but soon dash off to oversee new closed meeting with other rich “farmers.” Certain members of the Farm Bureau suddenly leap across the runway to strew flowers around Bos’s feet, but he ignores them because they’ve already served their purpose. Then Bos is intercepted by a gang of hopefuls who beg him for Black Gold (manure)contracts just like the one some of their cronies already have. Other hopefuls want to sell him and his pals big parcels of local farmland. Visions of treasure gleam in the eyes of these hopefuls. But, Bos has no interest in the visions of others. He has more important business to attend to, lucrative business , so strides forward and is borne away by a waiting SUV. Inside the SUV, he places a conference call to twenty other mega-dairy-types who hover in the western wings. “Come on out here to Jo Daviess County, Illinois, boys,” he says as he admires his own smooth , buffed fingernails. “This whole backwater is ours for the plucking. Yeah, it’s in the bag.” As he chats, his driver swerves to crush a turtle.
A few miles away, Nora remembers when farmers, even wealthy farmers, cared about the land and the water and about their animals. She also remembers when the voices of honest American voters were heard, when voters were the real boss, when voters had rights. But now, Nora understands, that time seems to be gone; it’s been sold down the river, or up the lagoon. She recalls that the Bible tells us money is the root of all evil, then she yearns for November 2012.
Back on the runway, Representative Sacia strokes the flag pin on his lapel.He is uneasy and can’t figure out why. Even the congratulations and hearty handclasps and certain members of the farm bureau don’t soothe him. That evening he resolves to visit a horse slaughtering plant in Canada, and soon. Such a visit, he hopes, might help to clear his mind.
Oct 1, 2011 at 3:41 p.m.
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afrostein: Are the large dairy operation such as this required to have the professionals on staff you reference or is this just a best practice that we would have to rely on them to do out of the goodness of their hearts?
Oct 1, 2011 at 2:44 p.m.
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I feel sorry for the residents of Magnolia. I'm sure many of them moved into the community before this massive pollution evolved into what it is today. I don't care what anyone says, if a company dumps 40,000,000 gallons of crap every year which will eventually make it's way into the water table that many of these people depend on, it's just asking for trouble. The community needs to fight for their rights using any means necessary.......
Oct 1, 2011 at 1:37 p.m.
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Ok, now I'm heading back in favor.
Some people were making it sound like these cows were not being fed hay...DON'T make people believe that if its not true.
Oct 1, 2011 at 1:24 p.m.
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Yes they are fed hay. It is chopped and stored in the bunkers.
Oct 1, 2011 at 11:25 a.m.
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No one has anwered my Q as to whether these cows are fed hay....Are they???
Oct 1, 2011 at 11:18 a.m.
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The way I understand it, these cows are fed little or no hay, common sense says this is the WRONG thing(I know, "common sense" is rare)...Like the other person said, cows have 3 stomachs to RUMINATE hay and grass(yes, we know there is no grass in January, thats why there has always been baled hay)...It doesn't matter that some smart-aleck came up with the notion that cows don't need hay, they have 3 stomachs for a REASON.
The fact that operations in other states do the wrong thing SHOULD have been made an issue long ago.
I don't go for this "if you can't lick 'em, join 'em" thing.
Oct 1, 2011 at 11:07 a.m.
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In the beginning, I was in favor of these big operations but the more I read and hear, I'm turning away.
Oct 1, 2011 at 7:58 a.m.
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Here's a link to testimony from a nearby farmer describing lethal nitrate levels found at Larson Acres. It also describes their incorporation of millions of gallons of liquid manure in fall and spring ahead of its conditional use permit under state law. According to the testimony, UW scientists told the town what they were finding at the confined animal feeding operation was the most serious pollution they had seen in their academic and professional careers. http://grccw.wordpress.com/our-fight/201...
Sep 30, 2011 at 7:23 p.m.
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johnnyreb6977-
There is no bottle involved here- just lives being shattered over STUPID MILK.
Sep 30, 2011 at 5:49 p.m.
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I didn't say anything about farmers getting rich and that article that was referred to was about cleanliness, not nutritional value..CAFOs claiming "cleanliness" is a straw-man argument anyway because ALL "class A" producers' farms and milk are scrutinized to the hilt to keep the class "A" classification.
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The argument is that cows not fed any grass and hay produce milk that has much less disease-fighting properties among other things and this has not been roundly disputed.
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And it has nothing to do with in-state or out-of-state production.
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Producers shouldn't be taking an "if you can't lick 'em, join 'em" position.
Sep 30, 2011 at 5:12 p.m.
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tequilashot: You should really put the bottle down and walk away!
Sep 30, 2011 at 4:39 p.m.
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And when the homeowners hire high dollar lobbyists and give large sums of money to politicians, they'll have a voice in what goes on in this great nation also.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:44 p.m.
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Its all about milk market take over.
Poor Larsen a workin and a expandin and a over extendin himself....
Just for dem big boys out west to pull da rug out frum unda ya!!!
Crass is just usin you to get the Big Western Dudes in here.
Sucker.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
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truth1: Do you honestly think that all of the milk you drink in WI comes just from WI farms? If you do you are sadly mistaken, I personally have hauled milk and cream into WI from all over the country, and from WI to other parts of the country. People that think that the farmers are getting rich by milking cows are sadly mistaken, as they have no clue at all on how the dairy business is run.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:26 p.m.
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Absolutely. I would invite you to talk to anyone from UW-Extension or any expert from USDA Animal Sciences Division or the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The federal government has very explicit and demanding regulations regarding "nutritionally inferior milk products." If a nutritionally inferior milk product were to be produced by anyone in the marketplace, they would be shut ultimately shut down. Trust me on this one...Larsons cows can't fart at midnight without someone from the DNR, USDA, State of Wisconsin, or DATCP knowing about it. And we could get into quite a lengthy discussion about this.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:23 p.m.
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truth 1 this is for you:
http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/latest-ne...
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:05 p.m.
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farmersfeedamerica- Yes, farmers feed America, but CAFOs seem to produce nutritionally inferior milk because the milk cows are not fed what milk cows are natually designed to eat...So now we get stores with inferior cheeze, milk, ice cream, etc.
Mind you, I really don't mind the idea of a CAFO, I don't like the idea of nutritionally inferior food.
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Can anyone dispute that these places produce nutritionally inferior milk??...I hope you can.
Sep 30, 2011 at 2:53 p.m.
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"We should make Larson sleep , eat, and drink at the people's house that are experiencing the problem. Maybe for a month or two."
Funny thing...that is a great idea, and a lot of us neighbors have asked the complainers if we could come to their homes and drink and taste their water, and take it to have it tested (by our expense, not theirs) and they have refused. And the Larson family all lives all the way around the farm, just for information sake. So, really, I don't place a lot of merit on all of the unfounded accusations.
Sep 30, 2011 at 2:02 p.m.
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Methane Digesters and attorney David Crass will not make the Tul’s or Larsen operation "green"….
Although touted as "green power", this is not. There is nothing green and sustainable when you are losing your clean water and fresh air.
Methane Digester Basics:
Manure and water is added to a sealed container where anaerobic bacteria break it down (digest it) if the temperature, pH, and time are monitored correctly. After digestion, a liquid slurry of manure must still be stored. Methane, Ammonia, Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide are given off. Ammonia is given off at a rate that is illegal for industry in all fifty states! Methane may be burned to heat either the methane digester or the barn. Or it may be burned to produce some electricity. If the methane is cleaned and compressed (expensive processes) it may be sold, but the costs of doing this exceed the return from the methane (unless heavily subsidized). The other gasses are all toxic and there is odor.
Western Dairy News (September. 2006) says that, "The technology doesn't do away with odors, however, because cow housing and long term effluent storage can still be sources of gases and particulates." And there are still plenty of dangerous bacteria and viruses in that manure. Again, Western Dairy News says, "Don't believe the folks who tell you that all the bacteria are gone.... When you start with millions there are still a lot left, including some pathogens."
You don't need a lot of cows to run a digester.
If digesters were financially sustainable,not subsidized, cities would have been using them from day one with human waste. Remember 1 cow=23 folks.
Sep 30, 2011 at 1:53 p.m.
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We should make Larson sleep , eat, and drink at the people's house that are experiencing the problem. Maybe for a month or two.
Problem is he probubly can't smell anymore anyway. He don't know any better....
Sep 30, 2011 at 1:41 p.m.
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6824- What an absurd question.
Cattle pastured half the year is not equal to being pastured none of the year.
I also still want to know how much hay these cattle are fed.
Sep 30, 2011 at 1:33 p.m.
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Truth - Where do you find these pastures in January??
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:37 p.m.
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What concerns me the most is the concensus that the milk produced from these operations is nutritionally inferior and lacks the disease-fighting properties of milk produced by pasture-animal operations.....Just great for the food-consuming American people, eh??
All this strife, plus food producers that seem to produce inferior products.
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Mind you, this is not how I would LIKE it to be, these seem to be the FACTS.
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:32 p.m.
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I hope all the people suing are vegan since dairy products come from mostly from cows and cow poop and poop smells. It's just the way it is.
The manure that cannot be used on the farm it is "produced" at is usually pumped out of the pit and hauled to another farm that can use it for fertilizer. The farms and the companies that pump the manure have to follow laws that tell them how to transport it in the best ways to not contaminate the land/water/air/etc. I hope these people are suing smokers and car manufacturers and complainers as well because that all gives me a headache!
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:29 p.m.
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youkillme: It's known as standing up for his rights, which the gov't is taking away more and more of our rights every year!
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:18 p.m.
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What have they got to fear if they have nothing to hide?
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:56 a.m.
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If your business sells food, are you not subject to a unannouced health inspection? If your business sells gasoline are you not subject to an unnanouced state weights and measures audit? If your business uses automatic scan pricing with posted prices, are you not subject to an unannounced state pricing audit? If your business uses machinery or equipment, are you not subject to an unnanounced OSHA inspection or fire inspection? If violations are found, you are required to fix these situations before the next inspection. If you do not, you will be fined,or shut down.
It is not a matter of being innocent until proven guilty, Its just a matter of keeping the environment safe for the next generation.
Why should this business be exempt from any unnanounced water management inspection?
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:49 a.m.
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lovemycountry: source? try a Bachelors in Agronomy, State and National accreditation in agriculture, numerous years working with dairy accounts on their nutrient management plans, working directly with county and state officials to ensure accuracy in nutrient management plans...
Also, don't forget that ALL CAFO's have plans that are certified by engineers as well. There isn't one thing that is overlooked when it comes to every operational aspect of a CAFO.
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:25 a.m.
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@rprp - You have got to be kidding me. How many hours a week do you work? You can talk about subsidies, and grants, but you have no idea what it costs to be involved in agriculture. How about purchasing a combine that costs as much or more than a house. What about paying rent out to land owners who see nothing but $7.00 corn and expect more and more and more, but don't care that the cost of fertilizers has exploded in the last few years. Not to mention the ridiculous land prices because everyone wants to live in the country, or at least what they imagine the country to be. What about having to work 15 hour minimum days/7 days a week. This spring working more three 36 hour (straight) shifts in one week! Quit making agriculture out to be a get rich quick scheme when it is the furthest from it!
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:04 a.m.
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It has got to smell better than the landfill on the north end of town. I looked at an apartment (on the north end, close to the landfill) when we first moved to Janesville, the inside of the apartment had that same smell.
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:53 a.m.
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I am sure that many of you grew up on a farm as I did and remember the smells with a certain degree of fondness, but what we are talking about here is not at all the same thing.
This is industrial pollution wrapping itself in the flag of mother nature and the family farm.
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:51 a.m.
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afrostein - source for your claim ?
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:32 a.m.
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Dairy Farmers (large in particular) have staff that handle manure management. They have resources with Dairy Science degrees, Animal Nutrition degrees, Agronomy Degrees, Soil Science degrees, Agricultural Business degrees and precise application equipment utilizing the best in GPS guidance and tracking, flowmeters to continuously monitor application rates, routine manure and soil sampling done by STATE CERTIFIED LABORATORIES and report to STATE OFFICIALS to make sure all the values total up appropriately. There are more resources than space to list here. Do you think your non-"Factory" farmer has these resources available to him to the extent the large dairy farm utilizes them. Do you see cows wandering through pastures, standing in the streams and drainage ditches depositing manure directly into surface water with a large dairy... I think not. If you want to look for sources of pollution, just drive around the blocks in the areas surrounding an operation like Larson's. Look at the operations that stack manure in the corner of the field, with NO containment, leave a manure mess on the road when hauling, don't monitor their feed rations to a fraction of a percent for quality. Feed rations are monitored to give the best feed possible, but reduce the waste nutrients at the other end of the cow.
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:26 a.m.
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taxiwayslater: I have drank the water from that area several times and never had a problem with it. If your water is that bad maybe you have some serious problems with your well that is not related to the Larson farm! I will drink well water any day over city water that has all of the chemicals added to it. Have you ever been on the Larson farm? I have and it is one of the cleanest farms and well run farm that I have ever been on! I support and will continue to support the Larsons and what they are doing! Your claim that what he is doing doesn't hold water!
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:26 a.m.
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Damn farmers, how dare you farm in the country and of all places in WISCONSIN!!
Where do you recommend they go dude? Downtown Jtown?
I am glad the state is supporting our local businesses and not catering to the people who just like to be heard.....yeah we hear your Adams, boo effin hoo. If you dont like the cows, if you dont like the smell, and if you in fear of your life then move, um.......out of the middle of the cornfields.....duh.
And honestly who was there first? Adams? If it hasn't killed you yet at age 61, its not going to.
If the neighborhood you moved into became a dangerous within the 10 years you lived there what would you do? Sue the state/City?
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:25 a.m.
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lets see, how long has larsens been there farming, how long have the houses been there. This is a prime example of why WI passed the right to farm law
Sep 30, 2011 at 9:58 a.m.
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Comparing waste from a CAFO to a city the size of Janesville makes a great point, considering they have equal gallons of waste amounts. Janesville has 13 full time staff (per city's website) to handle Janesville's wastewater including chemists, biologists, environmental tech, multiple operators... What full time staff to CAFOs have to handle waste ? Larson Acres website lists a written plan under wastewater treatment, and maybe they do have fulltime wasterwater staff with professional education and training in wastewater mgmt, like the city. But you'd think we would have heard from them considering the CAFO is or will be processing 40 million gallons of cow manure per year, more than the City of Janesville. http://grccw.wordpress.com/our-fight/201...
Sep 30, 2011 at 9:25 a.m.
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If CAFO's are so bad, concentrating animals more than nature intended, then what do you think a town or city is? Where do you think your p__p goes. Just down the toilet and magically disappears? Cities and towns have sewage treatment plants that separate the sewage, treat it with CHEMICALS and release it back to the environment! Large dairy farms like Larson's use the manure generated by their operation for nutrient value for raising crops. They MUST follow a strict nutrient management plan to appropriately use all nutrients applied to the ground from their manure. If all of those opposed to CAFO's feel they must be outlawed, then you should outlaw cities and towns as well. Where's your common sense and logic?
Sep 30, 2011 at 9:18 a.m.
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For those of you in support of Mike Larson and his farm, I would invite you to have a glass of water. Yes, please have a nice refreshing glass of water. That is, cloudy water, filled with actual particulates you can see. A nice glass of water with the fragrant smell of manure.
Or perhaps you'd like to take a shower. After a long day, take a hot shower that leaves the smell of manure on your skin even after washing.
That is what Mike Larson's farm is doing to the local water wells. His pollution is elevated enough, at certain times, to cause the water to turn into this. I am all for the production from his farm, yes he is providing and stimulating the economy. I applaud his efforts. I do not like his methods. They are not clean or considerate of people that have been living next to him. Yes, some people may have only recently moved there. But for most, they have spent the majority of their lives living next door. Do not criticize them or tell them to deal with it. These are their lives, and their well being. They should not have to suffer with their most basic need, WATER, to be tainted and to smell and become undrinkable! These people are not whining, they are trying to keep their water wells clear and clean. If you can't see that or support that, then you are truly blind.
Sep 30, 2011 at 9:14 a.m.
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I keep hearing the farmers say they feed us and I think they do and should for what we pay them in huge subsidies, huge tax breaks, huge grants, and government backed low cost loans. I don't think the farmers are doing me any favors but, I think they are getting rich on our money.
Sep 30, 2011 at 8:45 a.m.
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The town reports finding high nitrate levels near "the site". So that means that the Larsons are automatically guilty of polluting the ground water? Got to love it when people that don't have a clue presume someone guilty until proven innocent! For all of you complaining about the farmers and the large farms, if you don't like them then quit eating!
Sep 30, 2011 at 8:28 a.m.
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There is always a negative when agriculture is corporatized and mechanized. Out west, ranchers are allowed to graze their cattle on federal land (USFS and BLM) destroying streams and vegetation. Corporate ranches out west are also looking to eradicate every living thing that might pose a problem to their "cash cows", including prairie dogs and ferrets because cows step in the holes and break their legs. At on point, their were millions of bison all over the central plains, including the Midwest. The difference is that they weren't fenced in and micromanaged, that is until settlers realized the income potential and killed nearly every single one of them.
It's a consumer's choice, and as always, we choose the cheapest route, not the smartest. What was once a way of life and a source of employment for most Americans pre 1950's, is now vanishing, and has been for decades.
Sep 30, 2011 at 7:53 a.m.
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Having your well water contaminated is not part of country living. From the article..." the town's experts reported finding high nitrate levels in ... local wells near the first site." Having your kids get sick from manure should not be a part of living anywhere in Wisconsin. http://www.midwestadvocates.org/archive/...
Sep 30, 2011 at 7:31 a.m.
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what abunch of babies thats part of country living
Sep 30, 2011 at 6:22 a.m.
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youkillme if that is the way you think than farmers have been polluting for hundreds of years. And also what gives the people the right to build and move to the country and _itch. People like you all of them and you is the problem with society give you all a foot and take a mile. Also to the 61 year old saying his health is a risk does he have a well and does he have it tested every three years because if he does he would have the proof they would be needed. And unless he is pregnant, or a infant then it wont be bad for him. All sure read up verses assume
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:32 a.m.
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I don't think it matters one bit how many generations have lived in the area or owned the farm. Once you pollute the land, water and air, you're no different than a common criminal.
Sep 29, 2011 at 11:38 p.m.
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And ,maybe instead of everyone in that township yelling and wasting time and money put the effort into finding a solution instead of trying to shut him down. Like in support a digester to turn the manure into electricity for him to run the farm and send back to the grid. Helping find ways to make it happen rather than _itch about it. But i guess working with him is just to hard cause he is only a man trying to support his family AND PUT FOOD ON THE COMMUNITIES PLATES.
Sep 29, 2011 at 9:52 p.m.
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"residential property taxes being way too high in order to allow for steeply discounted taxation of ag property"
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The Tuls CAFO will house 5,200 cows. Janesville is home to 65,000 sheep who will actually thank you for fleecing them.
Sep 29, 2011 at 9:45 p.m.
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"If they don't like the smell maybe they should move to town!"
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You think the stench can be kept outside the city limits? Okay, so try giving it a ticket when it shows up in town.
Sep 29, 2011 at 9:41 p.m.
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Maintaining thousands of cows on one farm is an insult to nature. One cow produces over 100 pounds of manure in one day. So when you have 5,200 cows in one place, they produce well over 520,000 pounds of manure a day--obviously too much to be recycled naturally. And that's where the nightmarish manure lagoons come in. These concentrated animal feeding operations are no good for Rock County, which has been home to family dairy operations for many, many generations. What is the state thinking when it encourages these messes?
Sep 29, 2011 at 8:39 p.m.
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Steerstuffer you are completely right. And if anyone would stop to think about it, they would have to agree as well.
I have to say that I fail to understand what all the complaining is about. The state monitors levels in the water and the smell from the farm was there LONG before any of these people moved there. Heck, probably before most of them were even born. I thought it was common knowledge that if you move to the country, it will smell like crap. What did they expect when they moved to the country? And one more question. Why is it that a farm that has been around for 5 generations should suddenly cater to people who have moved to the country after them?
Sep 29, 2011 at 8:28 p.m.
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Hey, you moved to the country. What didn't you understand? If you don't like it leave!
Sep 29, 2011 at 8:24 p.m.
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evansvillehousewife: outsiders are usually people that move from the city to the country. Insiders as you call them are people who have been born and raised on their families land for generations. If you would have read, the Larson’s have been there for 5 generations. Do you know how long that is? People that move to the country are just naive, they believe it will never happen to them and when it does it they think it is there right to complain and file lawsuits. Farming no matter what kind is a job. Most people get up and go to work at their jobs to earn a wage. Do you take risks at your jobs that might put them out of business? Farmers get up and do their "job" to earn a wage. So why would the farmer ever want to do something that could possibly put them out of business? I just cannot get over how most people think that farming is not a "real" job. A few years back our neighbor had their house for sale. A potential buyer had the nerve to come over to our house and wanted a guarantee that we would not expand our farming operation. I was so stunned. The only thing she was told was to ---- off! No one is going to tell me what I can do! Our neighbor even came over and apologized. I am glad this is all going to the Supreme Court. Then when it’s over Larson’s can throw one hell of a big party and sue Magnolia township for legal expenses!
Sep 29, 2011 at 8:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
I would say all in favor we should start a protest to back the Larsons and let the family know we are behind them.
Sep 29, 2011 at 8:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
I would hope they favor the farms, after all we feed the home owners and everyone else.
Sep 29, 2011 at 7:56 p.m.
Suggest removal
Mike Larson you have my vote and backing. Cause when you build by farmers this is what you get or building in the country any where what you all expect.
Sep 29, 2011 at 7:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
Well with farming being around alot longer than most of us, and for that I dont recall or know of anyone having health concerns or dieing from the concerns that those people are having a issue with. Also coming from a farm of 500 head for 25 years and no one there had headaches nor health risks and we are all still alive and all of them are still farming. Cows are cows and with that the results will be the same regardless of how many cows so why now the concern being its been there for all those years. With all the _itching involved sounds like all these people are trying to find a get rich quick scheme. For these same people be careful what you do cause with all these law suits dont help the prices of dairy products and when they get to expensive i guess then you all will sue the farmers for that to? Well with all this crying i guess it gives me a headache so i will start my lawsuit to start suing all of these complainers.
Sep 29, 2011 at 7:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Farmersfeedamerica... "outsiders?" So... who are the "insiders?"
Also, the people who are complaining about the odor were there *first.* What is your advice when you buy a piece of land and something that you perceive as intolerable moves in?
Sep 29, 2011 at 5:36 p.m.
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Most would agree this isn't a farm in the country by any traditional definition. (nor will Tuls' be). It's a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO), and most likely a continual threat to the neighboring land owner rights of clean air and clean water. It's not about about the inconvenient stench of CAFOs. It's about family health and rights, including groundwater pollution and aquifer depletion. In calling for a nationwide moratorium on CAFOs, the American Public Health Association cited more than 40 scientific reports indicating health concerns related to CAFOs. http://web.missouri.edu/~ikerdj/papers/I...
Sep 29, 2011 at 4:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
If they don't like the smell maybe they should move to town!
Sep 29, 2011 at 4:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
It is quite unfortunate when people who don't understand agriculture are attempting to dictate to those of us who are active in ag. And if the people who move to the country don't like the country, then move back to town...it's as simple as that. Don't complain if you buy a house next to the railroad tracks either people! As for the Larson family, they are the best neighbors anyone could ever have! It's all of the outsiders who are coming in and causing trouble in our neighborhood. Look at the Town Board Chair's family...they have a shooting club and there is never any quiet on the weekends with constant gunshots...I would rather have a cow in the field next to my house than a shooting range. Now a shooting range gives me a headache with all the noise...definitely not Bessy the Cow. But then again, it's all in who you know in Magnolia. If it's good for the Town Board members, then it MUST be good for everyone else, right?
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