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HOME  CURRENT Jo Daviess County IL MegaDairy Tumult
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Jo Daviess County IL MegaDairy Tumult |
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
Image courtesy of stopthemegadairy.org
There is great concern over the proposal for a large scale (10,000 head) Dairy in Jo Daviess County IL. For the many who enjoy traveling to that area of Illinois from Chicago, you may want to voice your opinion on this as well.
READ ON...
The Stephenson County Farm Bureau is in favor of the proposal:
“This project represents 80 new jobs and some $400,000 in tax revenue”
Some local residents are not in favor of the proposal (Special Meeting Notice), –
And see the letter below.
From a Sustainability standpoint here are a few things to consider:
The U.S. Average Dairy Herd Size is 147.
“Illinois has 1,105 dairy farms with the average herd size 94 cows. The U.S. average herd size is 147 and the top state is New Mexico with 1,929 cows per farm.”
From: Challenges to U.S. Dairy Industry, June 15, 2007
The state of Illinois wants to increase its livestock numbers.
The Stephenson County Farm Bureau view:
“Illinois currently imports 75% of its milk and is trying to reverse declining livestock numbers and shore up the infrastructure of this vital component of our number one industry.”
Today’s Question to Consider:
Is it better for a community to have one farm of 10,000 dairy cows or 680 ORGANIC dairy farms of 147 dairy cows each?
One farm of 10,000 does not add to a community the way 680 farms, of 147 dairy cows each, would. 680 farms creates a vibrant community. Is it even possible to create a growing Dairy community? Maybe the folks at Organic Valley would have something to say about that.
Jo Daviess County residents have to decide if they want one farm of 10,000 dairy cows in their community.
What is your opinion on the MegaDairy?
Voice your opinion to the Jo Daviess County Board and to the officials listed in the letter below.
A reader of this site sent in this notice and it is included as is - see below - "Dear Friends of Wildlife")
Dear Friends of Wildlife,
Many of you have visited stunning Jo Daviess County in NW Illinois. Whether it was a nice drive on Stagecoach Trial, a stop at the Apple River Canyon State Park, or a visit to Galena, I'm sure you were impressed by the beautiful countryside hidden away in an otherwise flat state. With circling hawks, Bald Eagles, countless Great Blue Herons, Red Fox, howling coyotes, etc., this area is a haven for wildlife.
We need your help. A California investor wants to put a 13,000 animal unit industrial dairy just off of the historic Stagecoach Trail to Galena, and only a few miles from the Apple River Canyon State Park.
Why you should get involved.
1) The untreated waste from this facility will blanket miles of rolling hills in foul odors, threaten numerous streams and rivers, kill fish, and destroy valuable farmland from over-applications of concentrated manure.
2) These facilities are non sustainable. Already over twice as large as any other dairy in Illinois, the owner will be able to incrementally expand the facility without getting any additional permits, and could easily have 35,000 animals confined there in the next few years, making it one of the largest facilities in the entire Midwest.
3) With rolling hills, fertile soil, and countless streams and rivers, this area has become a destination for visitors looking to get back in touch with nature. These same features make it very susceptible to erosion and contamination of the waterways from the 10,000 or so acres of farmland that are going to be used as dumping grounds for the waste produced by these permanently confined animals.
4) This amount of concentrated waste in one place is bad for the air, the water, the soil, the neighbors, the workers, the wildlife, and the cows.
5) Of additional concern to wildlife will be the vast amount of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane being given off by these enormous waste lagoons. Another farm, previously owned by this same investor, is the largest single source of ammonia in the entire United States.
Time is of the essence! The Jo Daviess County Board is voting in less than 2 weeks, after which the State Agriculture Board can simply rubber stamp this project, and the bulldozers can start by March. This won't be the last facility of this kind in Illinois...we make it too easy for them to come here from states like California and Texas that have pushed these enormous polluters out, but only after the damage was done.
What you can do:
We need citizens from all over Illinois to let Springfield know that this is unacceptable. When you call, please let them know that you've come out here, spent money here, and regard this area of Illinois as a valuable resource. Our state leaders have to know that they risk losing tourism dollars to Wisconsin if people find this area smelly and unattractive.
Please call the following officials to let them know that you don't want Illinois's rivers, streams and wildlife to be contaminated by this poorly placed facility. You come out here to hike, bike, ski, watch birds, whatever, and you want to protect this resource. Environmental laws need to be strengthened, and the state has to respect the wishes of local governments when they object to these factories.
Please call:
Governor Rod Blagojevich
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121
TTY: 888-261-3336
http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
Charles A. Hartke, Director
State of Illinois Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 19281, State Fairgrounds
Springfield, IL 62794-9281
(217) 785-4789
FAX: 217.785.4505
Your elected official (click here for link to find their address)
http://www.elections.illinois.gov/DistrictLocator/
Lt. Governor Pat Quinn
214 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-7884
Fax: 217-524-6262
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/contact/
For more information visit our web site:
http://www.StopTheMegaDairy.org
Don't forget to forward this email to any of your friends who care for the environment, sustainable agriculture, healthy food, and rights of local citizens to object to these factories.
The concerned citizens of Jo Daviess County thank you for your help.
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