Illinois Citizens Fighting Mega-Dairy Farm, Last Resort

[yellowwood]

The citizens of the county of Jo Daviess, IL, are trying to stop the installation of what will be the largest dairy farm in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Agriculture overruled the county board. 10,000 cows, just to start.

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=209193
"The Illinois Department of Agriculture issued a construction permit to A.J. Bos on May 30. Bos began work at the site, even though dairy opponents say "the permit should not have been issued for a site that is too close to the homes of several thousand people and potentiality could leak millions of gallons of manure into their wells and the area's picturesque waterways."

http://www.stopthemegadairy.org/

[hedgehog]

1. We need some kind of new laws governing feed lots and mega-farms!

It's one thing if a farmer feeds a herd from grain and hay grown on his farm and then spreads the manure back on the fields. It's quite another if a corporation trucks in hay and grains from thousands of acres elsewhere, then spreads the manure from hundreds of cows or pigs on a limited acreage! In that situation, a proper sewage treatment plant is required. I have a septic tank, but I live on 60 acres. Can you imagine what would happen if everyone in NYC had their own septic tank?

The irony? These days, you could probably manufacture and sell methane from properly treated feed lot manure!