Marilyn Henderson of rural Oriska addresses the board
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – More than 200 people attended a Barnes County Planning and Zoning Board meeting on Tuesday, March 10th in the Barnes County Courthouse. Testimony for and against was accepted at the hearing concerning Blackhawk Farms RE, LLP’s request for a conditional use permit to build a hog animal feeding operation in Grand Prairie Township.
Under the plan, Pipestone management will serve as farm’s manager for the Bullerman and Karges family partnership. Nick Fritzgerald is a spokesman for Pipestone management.
Grady Karges spoke on behalf of the family.
Marilyn Henderson and the Henderson family farm is located about two miles east of the proposed hog farm operation. She expressed her concerns during the public hearing.
Vicki Voldal Rosenau spoke against the hog farm operation.
Amber Wood is the Executive Director of the North Dakota Livestock Alliance, she had this response.
And Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation Executive Director Jennifer Feist said their board supports the proposed hog farm operation.
The hog farm would be located 13 miles north of Oriska, ND on Highway 32 and two miles west on 20th St. S.E. or about 2.5 miles east of the Ashtabula Wind Farm site in Barnes County.
The three buildings, a gestation barn, farrowing barn and gilt growing barn, and compost site would house a total of 8,511 pigs. Manure would be stored in a pit beneath the animals inside of the barn. There will be routine manure pit treatments along with cleaning and sanitation. The liquid manure would be applied to fields in the fall as fertilizer for locally grown crops.
The estimate local economic impact would be nearly $4 million annually according to Pipestone management. The farm will employ 16 full-time jobs. Feed purchased locally would be approximately $2.4 million per year. Grain use of about 175,000 bu. of corn and 40,000 bu. of soybeans.
Utilities purchased locally through Cass County Electric valued at about $215,000 per year.
The water source is still under discussion with Barnes Rural Water, if only a limited amount of water is available through Barnes Rural Water then wells would have to be dug to provide additional water for the facility.
Representatives from several state agencies gave testimony during the hearing. One question addressed was who would be responsible for the cost of building new roads to handle six semi loads of traffic to the facility per week. A spokesman with the North Dakota Ag Department said the county could apply for a grant to receive an 80/20 split with the state to build the roads. The local share, 20 percent could be picked up by Pipestone management/Blackhawk farms but nothing has been set in stone concerning that question.
In the end the planning and zoning board unanimously approved of the conditional use permit. This is just the first step, pending state permitting process which must be approved after more hearings.
The Barnes County Commission plans to discuss the planning and zoning board recommendation of the conditional use permit at their board meeting on Tuesday, March 17th at 8am in the commission chambers of the Barnes County courthouse. Nothing has been finalized, as the permitting process continues with the state department of environmental health and other state agencies.