Factory farms, also called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (or CAFOs), are industrial-scale facilities that house thousands of chickens, hogs, or cattle in confined warehouses. Animals are intensively fed to produce eggs, meat, or milk. CAFOs are attracted to Ohio by lax regulation, cheap land, and access to roads and urban markets. The Ohio Department of Agriculture, the agency responsible for permitting factory farms, has allowed about 160 CAFOs so far in the state, with almost 20 more on tap. Several factory farm proposals have been withdrawn after public outcry.

Over 5,200 acres in northwestern Madison County have been purchased by the CAFO dairy franchising operation Vreba-Hoff Dairy Development, LLC. The site purchased is north of I-70, near the intersection of state routes 29 and 38. It is only 20 miles from downtown Columbus. A quick search turns up a website for Vreba-Hoff, as well as links to news articles about manure spills, stormwater violations, and lawsuits against them.

The farm fields drain into one of the highest quality streams in the state. Little Darby Creek, a State and National Scenic River, is recognized as one of a handful of “intact” aquatic ecosystems remaining in the eastern United States. It has one of the healthiest fish communities in America, and is home to 37 rare and endangered species. Ohio EPA has studied the water quality of the Little Darby in the proposed daily area and has calculated that stream phosphorus levels are already too high from farm runoff and should be reduced by 80%. Such high quality streams are very sensitive to increased sediment and nutrients.

Owners of Vreba-Hoff have set up Orleton Farms, LLC to apply for a permit for the largest dairy farm in the state: 5,300 cows would produce at least 46 million gallons of manure and wastewater a year to be spread on the surrounding fields. Well logs have shown water as little as 5 feet under the ground surface. Ditches carry runoff to Spring Fork which empties into the Little Darby. Nutrients, phosphorus, sediment, and bacteria levels would rise with the constant application of manure. Permitting of Orleton Farms dairy will devastate the Little Darby Creek.

Please write to Governor Strickland and the new Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Robert Boggs. Tell them that you do not want factory farm CAFOs sited in the Darby watershed. Ask them to impose a moratorium on all CAFO permits until stricter regulations protect human health and water quality.

Director, Ohio Department of Agriculture
8995 E. Main St.
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

Governor Ted Strickland
77 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
Address a second copy to Jennifer Lynch, Governor’s Environmental Policy Director, at the same address.

For more information on factory farm issues, visit:
• The Ohio Environmental Council
• Sierra Club (national)
• Michigan Sierra Club
• Grace Factory Farm Project (sustainable food production compared to CAFOs)
• Darby Creek Association, the watershed group working on this CAFO issue