First of a four-part series

Factory farms. You've gotta hate 'em

Opponents of huge livestock operations complain they cram animals together like sardines, threaten the environment with massive quantities of waste and generate smells that could peel paint off the walls.

Concentrated-animal-feeding operations, or CAFOs. What's not to love about 'em?

Supporters call them technological models of efficiency and energy conservation that protect animals from predators and disease, manage manure wastes that were once scattered across fields and streams, and create cheap food and full-time employment.

While some state and national environmental groups and rural township governments have pressed for a moratorium on large livestock facilities, their numbers are burgeoning in this area.

If a Leonidas Township farmer's plans pass muster with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality after a hearing on Wednesday, his dairy will become the 53rd CAFO in southwestern Michigan. Throughout the state there are nearly 200 such operations for dairy cows, beef, chickens, turkeys and pigs.

Larger livestock farms are the growing trend because they are designed for efficiency, animal productivity and compliance with environmental regulations, said Paul Wylie, Michigan State University Extension director in Allegan County, which is home to 27 CAFOs.

"I was on a farm yesterday where a Dutch dairyman had 3,500 cows," Wylie said recently. "The whole thing was thought out in terms of efficiency and smooth operation, and it was a marvel."

Wylie said the farm's milking parlor, where milk is collected, employs 15 workers, five in each eight-hour shift.

"It's a tremendous investment, and they can't let it sit around gathering dust," Wylie said. "It takes a certain scale to repay these investments." Other farm tasks include everything from feeding animals to fieldwork. The general rule, Wylie said, is one full-time employee for every 60 cows.

Wave of the future

As the number of CAFOs increases, neighboring residents continue to ask: How can the state assure that air and water quality will be protected from the odors and pollutants so many animals on one farm generate?

Full Story: http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/05/cafos_in_conflict_
huge_farms_i.html

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