CSIF Tips of the Month – October 2014

10-07-2014 in Through The Gate

Rules and Regulations Highlight

Iowa DNR Issues Report on Livestock Farm Inspections

It’s been one year since the workplan agreement between the Iowa DNR and federal EPA went into effect. The agreement called for more DNR inspections of Iowa livestock farms, among other things.

Recently the DNR issued a report to the EPA Region 7 office to update them on the progress they’ve made in meeting the requirements of the agreement. Over the past year, DNR hired additional field staff and conducted training for inspectors.

The state agency reported it performed 724 on-site inspections and 1,131 desktop assessments during the first year of the work plan. Additionally, DNR conducted an inventory and identified 6,617 total confinements, 1,457 open lots and 508 operations that are a combination of confinement and open lots.

The work plan calls for DNR to inspect 20 percent of the large and medium-sized livestock facilities every year. The inventory completed during the first year will be used to prioritize future inspections of farms that appear to be closest to surface water or have had previous violations.

Preparing for an Inspection

Over the past year, the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers staff have provided information and support to farmers who have been notified they will be receiving an inspection, and conducted many no-cost, confidential consultations both before and after a DNR inspection.

If you have questions or concerns about a DNR inspection, the ideal time to get all of your questions answered is now – long before DNR calls or shows up on your front doorstep.

For confidential assistance, contact the Coalition at 800-932-2436.

Celebrating One Decade, Looking to the Next

Recently we had the opportunity to catch up with a few leaders in Iowa’s ag industry. They shared their thoughts on the last 10 years in the livestock industry and also offered some insight into the next decade.

“Ten years ago we were going through some challenging times… (Since then) we’ve created an atmosphere where Iowans appreciate livestock agriculture because of (the work of) the Coalition,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said. “I think we’ll have a great opportunity for more young people to come back to the farm in these next 10 years and for those that are out there to be able to grow their operations responsibly. I’m very excited about the future of the livestock industry in Iowa.

To watch the highlight video, click here. The full playlist of videos is available on CSIF’s YouTube channel.

Farmgate Quotables

“Years ago we’d have flare-ups when a producer wanted to put up a building. The Coalition has been able to serve by dealing with neighbor relations, helping producers appropriately site buildings and all-in-all it’s helped temper the mood in Iowa.” – Rich Degner, Executive Director of the Iowa Pork Producers Association

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