Large-scale farms housing thousands of animals have continued their march across Ohio, even as the total number of farms declines.

More than 50 farms large enough to require state permits have been built or expanded since 2003, and 14 more permits are pending with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, according to the agency.

Some plans are grand. Ohio Feed Lot in Clark County has asked the state's permission to triple its herd to 29,000 cattle, enough to make it the biggest farm of its kind in the state.

Critics, however, have another concern. Increasingly, these large farms are being developed just below the size that triggers oversight by the Agriculture Department.

For example, the agency oversees dairy farms with 700 or more cows. Joe Logan, president of the Ohio Farmers Union, says that Ohio is home to dozens of dairy farms with more than 600 cows, but fewer than 700.

"That is a bit of a charade," Logan said.

"We think that the number for requiring oversight probably ought to be lowered."

Those seeking state permits to establish, expand or operate larger-scale farms go through an involved, multistep process. Requirements include conducting a geological study of the proposed site to determine environmentally sensitive areas; providing designs, plans and detailed engineering drawings; and providing specific plans for handling emergencies, insects and rodents, and manure.

The process is more of a hurdle than the cost for permits, which do not exceed $2,000 to get started.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture requires permits for those farms defined as large under federal Environmental Protection Agency standards. The state now has 164 farms operating under permits, according to the Agriculture Department.

But a nonprofit consumer group called Food & Water Watch says Ohio has 413 of what it calls factory farms. The organization used 2002 data to arrive at that number. Its definition of factory farms included some the EPA classifies as medium-size.

Food & Water Watch recently released what it called the first national map charting factory-farm locations. The group said Ohio is seventh in the nation for the number of factory-farm sites. Iowa was No. 1, with 3,876 sites.

The map is "a visual wake-up call about the way food is raised and where," said Patty Lovera, assistant director of the organization.

Under the radar?

The Ohio Environmental Council worries that as new rules for large farms are added, more will be built just under regulated size, creating an environmental "free-for-all," said Trent Dougherty, staff attorney.

He said the smaller farms, which come under the jurisdiction of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, are part of a system that reacts only after a problem has occurred. That's in contrast to the system for farms operating under permits, which includes regular inspections.

"There is a need for some proactive approach to these smaller facilities," Dougherty said. "We think regulation doesn't hinder or destroy an industry."

At the same time, the council has called for a moratorium on new permits for one year, "as a way of making sure that the correct regulations are in place," Dougherty said.

Although smaller farms usually aren't regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, if they don't comply with the rules that govern them, they can be required to get permits, said Kevin Elder, executive director of the agency's Livestock Environmental Permitting Program.

Bill Schwaderer, public information officer for the Livestock Environmental Permitting Program, said that those concerned about a lack of permits for smaller farms are the same people who say there are too many large-scale farms operating with permits in the state.

"We are very concerned about the environmental impact" of large farms, said Logan, with the Ohio Farmers Union. When hundreds or thousands of animals are housed in one location, it can have "dramatic and unsavory" environmental consequences, Logan said.

Buckeye Egg Farm is one example of what can happen when things go awry with large livestock farms. Buckeye Egg, which was taken over by Ohio Fresh Eggs in 2004, had a history of clean-water law violations and complaints from neighbors. The Agriculture Department revoked its permits in 2003, but an environmental appeals panel recently reversed that decision.

The case for bigger farms

"Agriculture has changed a lot in Ohio," Elder said. Grain and livestock farms have specialized and gotten larger, for economic reasons, he said.

As profit margins for meat and milk production get tighter, it becomes necessary to increase the number of animals on a farm, said Sandy Kuhn, executive director of the Ohio Livestock Coalition.

Using dairy farms as an example, she said the growth is positive for Ohio because the state produces less milk than it consumes. When more milk is produced in the state, "That's returning money to Ohio farmers' pockets," Kuhn said.

"The issue is cost of living," said Don Breece, a farm-management specialist with Ohio State University Extension.

A farm family of four typically needs to earn at least $50,000 a year, a figure that requires at least $300,000 in annual sales, Breece said.

With commodities such as beef, milk and pork, profit margins are slim, with the cost of production usually very close to the price received by the farmer.

"If you want to make more money, you have to have more units of production," such as cows or pigs, Breece said.

Logan maintains that agriculture can be successful on smaller family farms. But that type of farming would require commitments from state and federal government to succeed, he said.

"We do not subscribe to the notion that large farms are necessary to produce the food we need," Logan said.

mcuret@dispatch.com

"There is a need for some proactive approach to these smaller facilities. We think regulation doesn't hinder or destroy an industry."

Trent Dougherty
staff attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council