Big dairy -- Economy, Business and Finance, California

How can you even consider this issue without thinking about the suffering of the animals? Confined livestock operations necessarily cause animal abuse, because the cows don't have the open fields they need or an appropriate diet. To suppress the diseases that spread in such an unnatural environment the factory farmer must shoot the cows full of antibiotics. This is not only unacceptable cruelty to animals, it's a danger to public health as well.

The laws against animal cruelty that apply to dogs and cats should apply to cows, pigs, and chickens as well. The horrific suffering we impose on animals for the sake of cheap meat, milk, and eggs is probably the most unethical thing our society does.

jake wrote:

How can you even consider this issue without thinking about the suffering of the animals? Confined livestock operations necessarily cause animal abuse, because the cows don't have the open fields they need or an appropriate diet. To suppress the diseases that spread in such an unnatural environment the factory farmer must shoot the cows full of antibiotics. This is not only unacceptable cruelty to animals, it's a danger to public health as well.
The laws against animal cruelty that apply to dogs and cats should apply to cows, pigs, and chickens as well. The horrific suffering we impose on animals for the sake of cheap meat, milk, and eggs is probably the most unethical thing our society does.

I'd like to see your sources of information on this topic. Have you ever been to a large scale dairy farm? I'm guessing probably not. Yes, there are a few bad ones in the bunch, but by and large dairies are some of the cleanest places (relatively speaking, I mean they are cows and they do poo from time to time) that I can think of.

jake wrote:

How can you even consider this issue without thinking about the suffering of the animals? Confined livestock operations necessarily cause animal abuse, because the cows don't have the open fields they need or an appropriate diet. To suppress the diseases that spread in such an unnatural environment the factory farmer must shoot the cows full of antibiotics. This is not only unacceptable cruelty to animals, it's a danger to public health as well.
The laws against animal cruelty that apply to dogs and cats should apply to cows, pigs, and chickens as well. The horrific suffering we impose on animals for the sake of cheap meat, milk, and eggs is probably the most unethical thing our society does.

This statement is absolutely incorrect. Large operations are actually better at providing the proper feed, vet care and shelter because they can afford to implement the latest and greatest technology. Additionally, these farms base their livelihood on these animals which means that farmers are going to do everything in their power to take the best care possible of those animals.

The Tribune yet again listens to the PR firm hired by this millionaire investor, and doesn't even mention the scientific facts. A.J. Bos testified, under oath, that he will be paying milkers minimum wage, not $10 an hour. Very few of the local residents who grew up on farms are willing to take these jobs, so it won't help the local economy. Numerous studies, the most recent from Iowa, show that these facilities don't provide the economic boost they promise.

The writer of this piece also mentions that the county board is worried about ground water contamination, yet they neglect to mention that same worry is shared by geologists at the Illinois State Geologic Survey, the very scientists that are charged with protecting the natural resources of the state of Illinois.

The applicant has said, in two public appearances, that he does not intend to utilize any modern odor control, and instead all 130,000,000 gallons of untreated waste produced annually will simply be allowed to collect in 68 acres of open ponds.

Finally, the Illinois EPA, who we are told will protect our air and water, doesn't even know where hundreds of these factory farms are located, and every one of the 40 permits they have issued for these farms all across the state have expired.

Next time do some reporting, rather than simply copying the text you got from a public relations firm.

realistically, we could move something like this next to the state capitol or city hall in chicago. there would be no problems with stench or manure, since there would be no change.

i would however, apologize to the animals for the company they would be keeping.

Thanks for a sensible view of the Bos Dairy. Economic dev lopment in rural Illinois is a good thing........the increased tax base for property taxes will help provide needed funds for road improvement, schools, etc. I can't emphasize enough that the dairy will meet modern facility standards and that's good too. Agriculture is a modern business with modern technology to improve everyone's life. Just like our cell phones, iPods, laptops and so on. We're in the 21st century, let's embrace it!

I appreciate the reasonable perspective as well. Actually, it's a breath of fresh air.

As the editorial accurately points out, the McLean County dairy serves as a perfect example of a modern, well run operation. Before it was built, that dairy generated the same shrill reaction from neighbors convinced by imported "know-it-all" activists that life as they knew it would never be the same. The McLean County dairy is a showplace and the critics have created a new bogeyman.

AJ Bos will silence his oppositon in the same manner.

As a neighbor to a very large hog CAFO that was built in 2006, I can tell you that the odors are horrible. We were assured by the owners that the smell would be minimal, the boost to the rural economy and tax base would be just what we needed. As far as local employment, no one local works there- they don't want too. The employees are bussed in and out and are paid minimum wage with no overtime. The roads the big trucks drive over are in terrible condition, vultures hover overhead and we can't open our windows under any circumstances. The IEPA refuses to make them conform to federal air regulations and the Department of Agriculture issued the permits even knowing what would happen. I feel sorry for Jo Davies County. Dairy or hog - it's a big, stinking mess that will do nothing for Jo Davies County but will certainly benifit big business.

It's nice to see the Tribune take an unbiased approach to the proposed large dairy in JoDavies Co. The state of Illinois has gone on record that livestock enterprises should be encouraged. The state should be allowed to make the decision on sites rather than the NIMBYS of the world. There are many more places for this enterprise than the nay sayers of this state would have you believe.

Thank you US Farmer for pointing out the obvious. This is a case of NIMBY, partially due to the proximity of Galena and the summer homes out there. We want the the increase in tax base, we want the extra income, but don't put it here. It's frustrating to see the responses from people who have have nothing to do with the industry.

Amanda wrote:

Yes, there are a few bad ones in the bunch, but by and large dairies are some of the cleanest places (relatively speaking, I mean they are cows and they do poo from time to time) that I can think of.

I never said they weren't clean. I said depriving the animals of almost all room for movement (among other abuses) was unconscionable.

Bellazmo wrote:

Large operations are actually better at providing the proper feed, vet care and shelter because they can afford to implement the latest and greatest technology. Additionally, these farms base their livelihood on these animals which means that farmers are going to do everything in their power to take the best care possible of those animals.

The "proper feed" for cows is grass, which is not provided at confined feedlots. The "latest and greatest technology" is used to squeeze more profits out of the animals (often increasing their suffering in the process), not to give them a decent life. And as for the owners of living property taking good care of those beings - have you ever studied slavery? Slaves were far more valuable than cows are now, but they were routinely abused anyway - because constant suffering did not necessarily get in the way of profits. Same with factory farms.

Jake,

Sorry for the confusion. I do want to know where you are getting your information on overcrowding and living conditions.

As a 28 year old dairy farmer who just took over my family's farm, I wonder if any one would believe that a "small, family farmer" even though I only have 80 cows, I run my dairy just like A.J. Bos would except his farm would have 100 times as many cows and hire employees (I don't have any employees).

We don't have suffering cows. We feed them balanced diets with lots of grasses and other forages, and only treat cows with antibiotics when they have infections, because it would be amoral not to treat a sick cow. The old saying in our industry is, "If I take care of the cows, they'll take care of me."

We also utilize a manure storage basin almost identical to the one the Bos dairy proposes, and I was talking to some of my neighbors in the new 80 home subdivision within a quarter mile of my farm, and they said they rarely notice any smells. I don't think the farm needs any other "modern" equipment to minimize odor.

Every dairy farmers I know wants to be good neighbors and strong members on their local communities using good and services that affect local businesses and strengthen the economic base of the community (like increasing the tax base for the local school district).

If the state was actually enforcing the environment regulations. And I'm talking about the new updated regulations then you might be able to say this is an environmentally friendly. But the state uses outdate regulations and no enforcement. We can't afford inspectors. Illinois EPA is part of the dept of Ag. The state constitution that gives everyone the right to a clean environment is enforced by the states attorney office, which is the lead lawyer for the dept of Ag. So the mess get piled higher and deeper. Think of it this way. Take a town of 11,000 and put all their sewage in an open lagoon. Is that environmentally friendly??

Please, there is already plenty of misinformation on this topic

the outdated regulations you refer to are the Livestock Management Facilities Act. it is not outdated. it was implemented in 1998 and updated since. if you do not agree with the wording of the act, I suggest you work to change it. you are a voter and you are able to contact your legislator. live up to your responsibilities as a citizen. if a majority supports your suggested changes, the law will change. if they do not, well that is a democracy...and please, hold back on the obvious but anguished reply that your vote doesnt count or a powerful lobby will just beat you down. if you are right you will win out.

the iepa is not a department in the IL dept of ag. it is a separate entity. ag does have a bureau of environmental programs and it is well staffed in several areas including pesticide control, livestock management, weed control, nursery and plant protection.

the iepa has inspectors

the dept of ag has inspectors

the states attorney's office is only called in to prosecute infractions written by the various departmental inspectors, and they do write infractions...regularly. If you know of infractions, notify the iepa or ag or the attorney general's office. if you are right they will act.

the application for traditions dairy in Nora only covers about 3600 animals not 11K

the open lagoon is an acceptable method for processing manure. there is a large hog farm already in operation near the proposed nora site. it employs and has employed the lagoon method for processing manure for years. the method works and farmers here have been spreading on their fields since they had fields. the alternative is oil based fertilizers and anhydrous, a by product of coal liquification and/or natural gas. which process would you prefer. spreading manure or processing coal and oil?

it is a good thing that you engage in discussion, but you should pay closer attention to your facts. it would reinforce your argument.

The applications that AJ Bos filed were for 2 facilities, a bit over 1/4 mile apart, each with 6,850 animal units. This means that if built as proposed, there will be a total of around 11,000 animals on a few hundred acres of land.

The IEPA has done such a terrible job of enforcing the clean water act that a group of citizens has filed a legal petition with the federal EPA to remove their authority.

The 68 acres of open ponds (not lagoons, those have to have inspection wells, ponds don't) are large enough to hold 230,000,000 gallons of untreated waste.

This can't be compared to smaller family farms that have 2 to 3 acre (at most) lagoons, it's the scale of this facility that will destroy the air, water, and soil of the entire surrounding area.

Matthew, as usual you are misleading. there is only one application for a dairy. the second was dropped when L&M Sales suddenly rose from the brink of bankrupcy to claim it was a viable business. time will tell and an investigation will show who shored up the failing used auto biz.

an animal unit is not an animal. an animal unit is about 40 percent of an animal. your numbers are wrong and designed to mislead.

the group of citizens you claim are petitioning the fed epa to take authority from the IEPA is led by an associate research analyst named Danielle Diamond. She presented a powerpoint display that was wrought with errors to a so called informational hearing you hosted in the Warren HS gym.

A writer from the local daily interviewed her as she left the HS building and she backed off her presentation then saying she could not be sure her statistics were correct. You know him but you did not contact him nor did she or any of the other blogers that blasted him in dozens of newspapers across northern Illinois. He has the tape recording he made and will provide you with a transcript.

You have done Jo Daviess County a tremendous disservice with your misinformation. Most of the people that live in the area are not opposing the dairy. your little group is very vocal and adept at manipulating the media, but you are wrong with much of what you say.

read and respond the latest addition to this forum. it deals with your so called press release dated the second week of May 08. It is so full of misleading information no reputible paper will print it.-M