Hi Paul, thanks for sharing! I agree that direct perspectives are very important. Here’s an article from a few months ago that you might find interesting, featuring folks who used to work on large contract CAFOs. Thanks for your comment!

Hi John! That’s a great question, and also a difficult one to answer. So many of the costs of large CAFOs are the direct health and environmental impacts on those living near them. But here’s a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists that you might find interesting. It challenges the idea that CAFOs are more economically efficient by looking at subsidies, externalized and hidden costs, and the viability of alternatives. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing, Allison! You may be interested to hear from others engaged in similar fights, at the local and systemic levels. Factory Farms Make Bad Neighbors. Meet the People Who Are Fighting Back – Modern Farmer

Here are some of their perspectives written out as advice: Advice From Those Organizing Against Factory Farms – Modern Farmer

Odor travels on dust. Lining the farm property with pine trees will capture an amazing amount of dust/odor. Also, since people tend to smell with their eyes, if the farm in not visible, it tends to smell less.

Water contamination is related to odor as well as environmental degradation. While containing runoff is the common solution today, it does little to mitigate ammonia and other issues. There is a rather simple technique to managing these.

Open runoff which is not contain in a retention pond is a matter of contour and landscaping with a forested buffer and grassy border can greatly assist with..

We are fighting to stop the construction of North America’s largest biodigester next to the feedlot. Some 110 acres with a 20.7 acre open digestate pond.

http://StopThatSmell.ca

How is this acceptable in any environment. Big business has targeted our beautiful town near the Rocky Mountains and I fear for our future.