Tyler: Mickelson plan will lower quality of life in South Dakota

Earth hater Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives Mark Mickelson wants to make East River one big concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO).

Democratic former State Representative Kathy Tyler is running for state senator from District 4.

Dear Mr. [Mickelson],

Please come and sit on my porch when the wind is from the southwest, or you can just drive around the section 6400 sows are living on any day–to get a whiff of what industrial ag does to a neighborhood. Watch the trucks carry the pigs to Minnesota; watch the money go to Minnesota; watch the feed come from Minnesota; watch the fuel come from Minnesota; watch the turnover of employees; watch the poop stay in South Dakota; watch it go into our water; watch my home value decline; watch us cover our noses when outside; watch my windows stay closed for three years; watch me get the hell off of the porch when the stink comes rolling in. Watch the ‘industry’ lure young ‘farmers’ into the growing barns serf model with contracts written by their attorneys with lots of small print; contracts that tell them how much they will pay to rent their pens; contracts that can be broken only by the renter (the pig people); and will be broken if the barn owner does anything, and I mean anything, of which they don’t approve; contracts that cost three quarters of a million dollars to build a building with a life span of maybe 15 years–when that money could be better spent buying land that lasts forever; contracts that are secret; contracts that promise the world, but only help the ‘big boys.’

Watch the family dairies disappear as mega dairies take over and big cheese processing plants refuse to pick up ‘small’ loads. Listen to the ‘we need to feed the world’ argument and tell me how many poor people in Africa eat pork chops. Look at our impaired waters–do you swim in the Big Sioux?

Look at the research concerning health issues in counties that have a high concentration of [CAFOs]; look at the TRUE research of the economic impact.

Now, look at the co-ops who support families and their operations; look at the local foods movement; look at the increase in organic farming; look at the small towns where small business is the mainstay.

Please don’t threaten counties–county residents know better than anyone what they want their counties to look like. [blog comment, Kathy Tyler]

David Ganje is an attorney practicing environmental law from Rapid City. He says state and county governments have "dropped the ball regarding CAFO regulations."