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CAFO Didn’t Violate Manure Spreading Rules, DNR Says

Opponents Of The CAFO Will Continue To Monitor Future Applications Despite Ruling, Attorney Says

By
Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (CC-BY-NC-ND)

The Department of Natural Resources said a large scale dairy farm, or CAFO, did not violate manure spreading rules during applications this spring in the Portage County town of Grant.

“We looked into it and we didn’t find any violations at this time,” DNR spokesman James Dick said.

The concerns were raised about Central Sands Dairy, owned by the Wysocki Family of Corporations, in a letter by attorney Christa Westerberg.

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“We had raised a number of concerns about the manure applications,” Westerberg said. “Both in terms of volume, amount that was spread and then also in the way that it was spread, whether it might have run off the property or it might have not been applied under appropriate weather conditions because there was quite a bit of rain.”

Westerberg is working with opponents of a second Wysocki CAFO, the proposed Golden Sands Dairy in Wood County. The group will continue to monitor future manure applications, despite the ruling by the DNR, she said.

“The environment in this area is very sensitive to over-application of manure,” she said. “So, one thing that we’ll be looking at down the road is the ability of the soil to absorb this kind of application, whether it’s Central Sands Dairy or Golden Sands Dairy.”

The proposed Golden Sands Dairy would house 4,000 milking cows in the town of Saratoga. Owner and CFO Jim Wysocki wasn’t available for comment.