September 30, 2018
JFAN provided an update on the Daniels Site with the following article published in the September 28 Fairfield Weekly Reader. The DNR issued the final construction permit on Monday, September 25.
JFAN continues to work diligently to support Pleasant Plain Friends for Rural Preservation in their opposition to the Daniels Site, Bill Huber’s 7497-head hog confinement near the city of Pleasant Plain in the Lake Darling watershed.
J...
September 30, 2018
JFAN published the following Letter to the Editor in the September 28, 2018 Fairfield Ledger commenting on the Jefferson County Supervisors meeting where our request to appeal the Bill Huber CAFO was denied.
To the Editor:
Jefferson County Supervisors chose to ignore environmental, health, and economic concerns of hundreds of constituents when they voted September 12 against appealing the preliminary construction permit granted...
September 7, 2018
Published in the September 6 Fairfield Ledger.
Given some recent public discussion and a letter to the editor about Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc., this may be a good time to discuss how JFAN works in the community, some of which is out of public view, and why we do it.
JFAN developed a Good Neighbors Policy in 2006 after area farmers asked us what would constitute a suitable CAFO site. It includes the Iowa Pork Pro...
August 24, 2018
The following letter appeared in the August 23 edition of the Fairfield Weekly Reader.
To the editor:
Last week, the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors approved a Master Matrix for the Daniels Site, a 7497-head CAFO 2.5 miles west of the city of Pleasant Plain. Its 2.3 million gallons of manure will be spread in the Lake Darling watershed.
Bill Huber, a partner in Agri-Way Partners, proposed this CAFO. Agri-Way Partners is a...
August 17, 2018
The following letter appeared in the August 16, 2018 edition the Fairfield Ledger.
Concerned about the Daniels Site and the introduction of corporate farming into Jefferson County? Take action here.
To the Editor:
This month businessman Bill Huber proposed a 7497-head industrial hog confinement for Penn Township in Jefferson County. The CAFO, Daniels Site, will be 2.5 miles west of the city of Pleasant Plain and will generate 2....
July 28, 2017
The Fairfield Ledger’s July 13 article covered JFAN’s request to Jefferson County supervisors to formally consider a moratorium resolution on new CAFOS by putting it on a board meeting agenda. Unfortunately, the article left out an important point that gives our request context.
The article quoted Supervisor Dick Reed saying that on March 27 the board decided not to move forward with the CAFO moratorium resolution.
That is...
June 22, 2017
At a supervisors meeting several weeks ago, Jefferson County residents asked Supervisors Dick Reed, Dee Sandquist and Lee Dimmitt to consider a resolution calling for a statewide factory farm moratorium.
The moratorium would temporarily halt new and expanding confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) until there were less than 100 water impairments and/or until the Master Matrix was adequately overhauled to effectively protect...
March 30, 2017
Webster, Allamakee, Winneshiek, Pocahontas, Dickinson and Buchanan*: What do these six counties have in common? Their recent call for a factory farm moratorium, either by a resolution or public letter, to legislators.
During Monday’s packed supervisors’ meeting, Jefferson County residents asked Supervisors Dee Sandquist, Lee Dimmit and Dick Reed to add Jefferson County to this growing list.
We thank our supervisors for addressin...
May 27, 2016
Joint Letter to the Editor from JFAN and the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project appearing in the May 26, 2016 Fairfield Ledger
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is undergoing a five-year review of factory farm rules. This is an opportunity for Iowans to comment on proposed DNR rule changes and champion stronger environmental and community protections.
At Monday’s first public hearing in Des Moines, nume...
April 1, 2016
JFAN letter to the editor published in the March 31, 2016 edition of The Fairfield Ledger.
This letter will also appear as a paid ad in the April 5 edition of the Fairfield Town Crier.
In February, this year’s first CAFO nuisance jury trial took place at Wapello County District Court. Ten bellwether plaintiffs of a larger plaintiff group living near approximately 4500 hogs in Wapello County sued CAFO owner Richard Warren, Warren...
January 8, 2016
The following letter to the editor was published in the January 7, 2016 edition of the Fairfield Ledger.
A certified organic farmer in Jefferson County is planning an independent 16,000-head organic chicken house to sell eggs to a well-known national organic cooperative.
This type of facility is relatively new to Jefferson County. When concerned neighbors contacted JFAN about potential impacts, we dedicated a fair amount of ti...
May 8, 2015
Not long ago in Jefferson County, hogs grazed on pastures. A-frame farrowing huts dotted the countryside. Many small farms flourished, supporting a greater number of families who had agriculture in their blood for generations. A rich rural fabric linked community members.
This was farming.
Now, one is hard pressed to find such farmsteads. Instead, we have industrial operations that cram hogs into buildings, collecting waste pr...
April 3, 2015
JFAN Letter to the Editor Published in the April 2, 2015 Fairfield Ledger
When a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) threatened Dickinson County, home of the Iowa Great Lakes region, the Dickinson County Supervisors decided to survey all Iowa counties asking if they would support some form of local control.
Jefferson County Supervisors will address this survey at their April 6 board meeting. JFAN believes it’s in ever...
August 8, 2014
Throughout Southeast Iowa, hog production is ramping up. Favorable market conditions are driving expansion throughout Iowa, and Southeast Iowa is particularly affected.
In 2011, Governor Terry Branstad set a 2016 goal to increase pork exports to Southeast Iowa by 20%. Since then, the number of new CAFO applications has increased four- to eightfold in the years 2011-2013. The number of this year’s new applications is on track to...
November 22, 2013
Letter to the Editor Appearing in the November 21, 2013 Fairfield Ledger
To the editor:
With tremendous concern my neighbors and I learned that Jordan Morris intended to build a hog confinement (CAFO) in our neighborhood.
I informed Jordan and Nick Biggs (Tri Oaks Foods) that my company owns a 64-acre property a mere 0.6 miles from Jordan’s property, where for the past two years we are constructing a grand Eco-Resort to draw pe...