Do you shop for groceries? Do you like spending times on Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers? Do you or your family live in a rural community? If so, you’re affected by Wisconsin’s concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). CAFOs are facilities hosting one type of livestock animal such as dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, or turkeys, and they have major effects on public health, the environment, and even the economy.
To learn more about CAFOs, including Wisconsin’s livestock facility siting law and two proposed pig CAFOs in different parts of the state, Patty spends the hour diving into the issues with Kara O’Connor with the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Forest Jahnke of the Crawford Stewardship Project, and Ramona Moody, founder of KnowCAFOs, Inc. They cover topics like water contamination, odor scoring, permits, manure and waste management, and the importance of small farms.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is currently holding public hearings and asking for comments from the public about proposed changes to ATCP 51, the administrative rule that regulates the local government approval of new or expanding livestock facilities in Wisconsin. More information here.