LINCOLN, Neb. — Knowledge is power so the saying goes. This past month and for the past few years, AFAN has hosted county officials on modern livestock farms. The purpose is to give local decision makers the opportunity to see, smell, and observe what livestock facilities really look like in the real world. Many times, in the decision-making process of public hearings there are concerns about odor, dust, flies, traffic, impacts to ground water, etc., and often these concerns sound very scary. But the reality is that these operations have very few of the issues people worry about and have a very positive impact on the community.
The recent tour centered around Osmond, NE in Pierce County. We toured a robotic dairy farm, a deep pit cattle barn that is currently under construction, a sheep operation, a swine finishing barn, and a pullet grower operation. And in each case, we had the opportunity to talk to the farmer to find out firsthand how the operation is run.
One of the things that all of these operations had in common is that by adding livestock they brought the next generation back to the farm. In order to bring back that next generation, there has to be a value proposition. The additional person has to have some way of generating more money for the operation. Buying more farmland simply replaces one family with another. But adding livestock creates a layer on the same farmland. Often a less productive spot can be a good site for a building, like a pivot corner, where suddenly a few low-value acres become a high-value income generator.
The other things the facilities had in common were very low odor, few flies, and access to valuable manure. Without a doubt, the biggest fear is about odor. And yes, all livestock has some odor. Heck, drive by a municipal waste treatment plant, they have an odor. Yet, the construction of the buildings, the ventilation systems, and the management are all intended to keep odor to a minimum, which is why these tours are so valuable. County decision-makers get to see and smell these facilities firsthand, so they know what they are dealing with and don’t have to rely on hyperbole or fear.
AFAN’s mission is to grow the livestock industry and we will continue to support farmers and ranchers as they strive to meet their personal goals. We couldn’t do the work that we do without the support of our board members and our partners. To see a full list of our partners, check out the partner link on our website (https://www.becomeafan.org/). Thank you!
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November 20: AFAN Annual Meeting
— AFAN
