By WisBusiness Staff
VIROQUA – The Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Committee approved a moratorium on large scale farming last week, while a proposed hog operation in the county drew protestors.
A 2,400-head hog operation has received a building permit in the county. Jeff and Bonnie Parr of Ferryville plan to build the facility in the town of Sterling near Retreat.
Opponents of the operation are concerned about runoff from manure and other sources of pollution from the large scale farm. Several dozen people protested outside the Vernon County Courthouse, where the Land and Water Conservation Committee met Friday.
County officials also are considering a livestock siting ordinance, which would require monitoring of any larger farms. The Vernon County Health Committee also met last week to consider possible health problems from large scale operations.
While municipalities with zoning or ordinances that limit animal units aren’t targeted for such operations, places like Vernon County, with no countywide protection, is a prime target for producers and large-scale farming investors, according to opponents of the hog operation. That operation could lead to others in the county, they maintain.
The presence of large packing plants nearby, such as a Tyson plant in Waterloo, Iowa, and the Hormel plant in Austin, Minn., make southwest Wisconsin more attractive for large scale hog farming.
