Check out our Williams County Area Farm Products Directory –
at local stores and on our Website. It’s free!
MEGA-WATCH
Williams County Alliance
October 2006 Issue No. 1
The Williams County Alliance
is dedicated to preserving the quality and rural character of life in Williams County and promoting a sustainable
future through education and citizen action.
The Alliance encourages
citizens to interact with local, state, and Federal governments to create
policy that will improve the quality of life
in Williams County.
wca’S WORK
The
Williams County Alliance formed last
spring in response to rumors of Fremont Farms’ plans to build a multi-million
chicken operation in the county.
We
now have more than 200 members and are working hard to keep Fremont Farms out
of Williams County.
The good news is that Fremont Farms has not yet announced further plans
to build here. The bad news is that if or when the company does start applying
for permits to build, we will have an uphill fight trying to stop them. The
current regulatory deck is stacked against citizens when it comes to
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
As
a member of WCA, you can help our efforts to protect Williams County
by becoming active in some of WCA’s important
work. Come to a membership meeting, help
with a mailing, write a letter, or recruit a few of your friends to join! We
welcome your participation at any level.
Membership forms are available at
www.williamscountyalliance.com or write to WCA, P.O. Box 291, Bryan, Ohio 43506.
MEGA-FACTS
In 2002, the Ohio
Department of Agriculture took charge of regulating farms with more than 1,000
animal units, which means farms with more than 700 dairy cows, 1,000 steers,
2,500 hogs, or 82,000 laying hens.
Two dairy
cows or 1000 laying hens produce approximately 48 tons1 of manure
annually. 5,000,000 chickens would produce 650 tons or approximately 7,000,000
cubic feet of manure annually.
Williams County currently has 3
Mega-Dairy farms permitted to handle more than 8,000 head1.
Industrial-size livestock facilities are
exempt from zoning and air quality requirements, and local government
(township, city, or county) has no regulatory authority over CAFOs.
1 Ohio
Department of Agriculture
IT’S OUR cOUNTY
BE IT RESOLVED: NO CHICKEN FACTORY IN WILLIAMS COUNTY
Sentiment in Williams County
is clear: Fremont Farms (IPROII’s) mega chicken
facility is not welcome here.
To date, the following
local entities have passed resolutions opposing a multi-million chicken facility:
Williams County Economic Development Corporation; Williams County
Commissioners; Mayors of Williams County; the towns of Stryker, Montpelier,
West Unity, Edon, Alvordton, and the City of Bryan;
Brady, Center, Jefferson, Madison, St. Joseph, Superior and Bridgewater
Townships; Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers; Bryan Area Ministerial
Association; West Unity and Bryan Chambers of Commerce; and the Bryan Board of
Public Affairs.
farm directory
“Our rural
area can provide fresh food from the farm. We have fruits, vegetables, dairy
and egg products, meats, herbs, honey and maple syrup,
baked goods and wines all produced locally. Buying directly from the farmers is
one of the best ways to reconnect with where your food comes from and enjoy the
freshest, truest flavors.” - Lou Pendleton
YOU
DECIDE, THEN VOTE
The regulation of industrial agriculture is shaped by our elected
officials. For this reason, WCA urges citizens to look closely at candidates’
records and positions on CAFO issues before voting. Listed below are the
results of a survey WCA mailed to candidates appearing on the ballot in Williams County in November. Individual responses can be viewed at
www.williamscountyalliance.com
|
Williams County Alliance
Survey Questions
|
US Congress 5th District
|
State Senate 1st Dist.
|
State Rep. 74th District
|
Wms. Co. Commissioner
|
|
Gillmor
|
Weirauch
|
Buehrer
|
Nienberg
|
Goodwin
|
McCullough
|
Davis
|
Stuckey
|
|
1)
|
Do you support a
statewide moratorium, as proposed in Senate Bill 230, on approval of any new
CAFOs?
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Go to
www.williamscouty.com to view complete essay response.
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
2)
|
Should state money go
to promotion and/or recruitment of large-scale industrial agriculture in Ohio?
|
No
answer
|
No
|
No
answer
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
3)
|
Should state money go
to the promotion and/or recruitment of small-scale and/or organic agriculture
in Ohio?
|
No
answer
|
No
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
4)
|
Should the state
legislature’s decision to take away all local control over the sitting of
CAFOs be overturned?
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
5)
|
Do you believe the CAFO
permitting process should be conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture?
|
No
answer
|
No
|
No
answer
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
6)
|
Do
you believe that air quality emissions by CAFOs should be regulated?
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
7)
|
Should issues such as
quality of life, effect on local infrastructure, and depreciation of property
values be addressed in the permitting process?
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
No
answer
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
8)
|
If elected, what role
do you hope to play in the recruitment, permitting, regulation, and oversight
of CAFOs in the state of Ohio?
|
No answer
|
Go to
www.williamscouty.com to view complete essay response.
|
No answer
|
I support
SB230 seeding a moratorium on anymore CAFOs until a 21st century
method of manure hauling is implemented at all sites of CAFOs. The methods must be neighbor friendly and
not affect adjoining property or health negatively before any more are
allowed.
|
My role
will be to serve my constituents. I
will work with all parties involved to ensure that the public is protected.
|
County Commissioners have no legislative
authority, but I will be a pro-active voice opposing CAFOs
|
Work for more environmental
ways of handling of odors & manure.
|
wca meeting schedule
The Williams County
Alliance meets at 5:00 pm on the second and fourth Monday of
each month. All WCA members are
welcome. Meetings are held in the
Bryan Municipal Utilities building at 841
E. Edgerton St. in Bryan.
Upcoming events:
November
13 at 5:00 pm
– WCA membership meeting at BMU.
November
13/14 -- Regional CAFO Caucus in
Cleveland, OH. Great opportunity to
learn about CAFOs and network with other CAFO activists from around the
country. More information is available at www.cwn.org.
November
27 at 5:00 pm
– WCA membership meeting at BMU.
November
29 at 7:00 pm
– The Sandusky County Citizens Protecting our Resources is sponsoring a meeting
featuring Dr. John Ikerd, professor emeritus of
Agricultural Economics. He speaks on issues relating to sustainable agriculture.
His lecture will be at Gibsonburg
High School in
Gibsonburg.
December
11 at 5:00 pm
– WCA membership meeting at BMU.
Look for information about these and other
meetings and upcoming events on our Web site: www.williamscountyalliance.com