Jean Lappe of Morning Sun made a request of the Des Moines County Board this week — hold a public hearing to get input about all the big hog farms that are popping up in the area.
Lappe represents a group known as Des Moines County Farmers & Neighbors,” and its members say the proliferation of confined animal-feed operations…CAFOS, for short…in southeast Iowa are destroying their roads, their health, their property values and their quality-of-life.
County Board Chairman Bob Beck raises pigs near Danville and says hog farmers and the protesters have at least two things in common: They both want clean water and air.
Lappe is aware that the Iowa DNR governs these operations, but she’d like to get more public backing from the area’s county officials. Beck told her he doesn’t know if there’s anything the County can do, but he promised to check with the County Attorney’s office to see.
A “Farmers & Neighbors” meeting last week attracted a standing room only crowd at the Mt. Union Community Building.