WDA and VDC: Farmers and resident business owners decide enough is enough and put town on notice of unlawful CAFO ordinance

TUESDAY, April 19, 2022: Today, Polk county farmers and local business owners, including Venture Dairy’s very own grassroots coordinator, put the Town of Laketown on notice that their CAFO ordinance goes too far. The letter comes from farmers and local business owners through the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) Litigation Center and puts the Town on notice that their “CAFO” ordinance is unlawful. 


“We applaud these farmers, local business owners and WMC for standing up against attempts to stifle progress in agriculture,” said Cindy Leitner, President of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance.


“We tried to reason with the board from the beginning, but it was clear that the majority of the board was not interested in really hearing from farmers and local businesses,” said Kim Bremmer, Executive Director of Venture Dairy Cooperative. “These citizens had no other choice.”


The letter sent to the Town Board is an important first step in potential litigation against unlawful government action. The letter makes clear that the ordinance violates Wisconsin’s livestock siting law in a number of ways. 


“Farmers, we want you to know that WDA and Venture Dairy Cooperative have your back,” said Bremmer. “Local government cannot continue to look to farmers for economic development and environmental improvement while at the same time making the cost of doing business astronomical.”


WDA and VDC will continue to monitor developments in Polk County and around the state to make sure the voice of farmers is heard loud and clear.