Factory Farming

Industrialized livestock production now dominates the hog and dairy industries. Over the past two decades, thousands of family farmers have been put out of businesses by this change. Vertically-integrated factory farms serve the interests of meat and dairy processors by reducing costs and eliminating profits at the production level and forcing local communities to absorb environmental risks and the cost of social services for low-paid workers. Confinement and concentration of animals makes them prone to disease and requires large doses of antibiotics. As a result, consumers buy a less wholesome product.

The current threat. Until 2004, North Dakota had only one factory hog operation—Enviropork, near Larimore. In the past two years, however, the hog industry has begun a new push to begin new factory farms in the state and succeed in siting two of them in Towner County. Current efforts focus on the so-called “livestock corridor” north and south of Jamestown. Proponents are trying to sweeten the pot by offering low-cost feed from byproducts of ethanol plants, like the one proposed near Spiritwood.

Odor. The terrible smell is the first thing many communities notice about confined livestock operations. Hog operations emit toxic hydrogen sulfide fumes that cause illness. North Dakota has an odor standard. However, the state legislature weakened the standard in 1999 and made it largely unenforceable.

Water contamination. A more ominous long-term threat is contamination of watersheds and underground aquifers. Spills are likely from ground-level lagoons that hold manure. So is leakage from lagoons into drinking water relied upon by many rural and small-town residents. State construction standards are weak, and state inspection programs understaffed.

Soil. Factory farm proponents often try to sell their projects by offering low-cost manure to local farmers. But nitrogen from the manure often seeps through the soil and is more likely to cause underground water contamination than to nourish soils. Hog manure also contains high levels of phosphorus that can actually ruin soils through continuous application.

Is it economic development? Another selling point that often wins the support of civic leaders is the promise of jobs and local sales that will spur economic development in struggling rural communities. But in reality, most factory farming jobs do not pay a living wage and have a high potential for injury. In addition, most factory farms do not purchase supplies from local businesses. The also place a strain on rural roads. Finally, factory farms generally stay in business for only about 10 years, often leaving behind a toxic mess with no one to hold accountable.

Zoning. A community’s best defense against factory farms is a good land use plan and strong county or township zoning. The states that have been overrun by factory farms, such as North Carolina and Iowa, are states where counties do not have livestock zoning rights. DRC has developed and promoted model zoning, and several communities have adopted it, including Grand Forks, Ramsey and Towner Counties. Key elements of DRC’s zoning model include rigorous construction standards, detailed manure management plans and bonding adequate to cover clean-up costs. Factory farm proponents avoid communities with good zoning, and just the threat of zoning has led to abandonment of factory farm plans in some communities, including Oliver County. You can help stop factory farms by leading a zoning effort in your community.

Join DRC  You can help keep factory farms out of North Dakota by joining DRC.