After weeks of debate the Scott County Board of Supervisors is supporting an expansion of a hog operation at Grandview Farms in Eldridge.
"We're disappointed with Scott County decision tonight to rubber stamp this factory expansion with out taking seriously the environmental concerns," says Protestor Ken Fordham.
Protestors of the proposed expansion were upset about the board's decision. The vote was unanimous, with supervisors saying they like the benefits of an expansion. Board members told the crowd that Grandview Farms had to have 440 points in criteria for them to support it. The farm had 480 points and also met the standards in the air, water and community sections.
The vote is just a recommendation to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which has the final say. The DNR looks at three main things when reviewing an application for expansion: a site survey, the waste plan and checking to see if the facility is structurally sound.
So, what exactly goes on at Grandview Farms and what type of farm will it become if approved?
"It's a sow farm. There are roughly 3,000 bred females," says Grandview Farms Owner Tom Dittmer. The hogs are only used for breeding purposes. Once they reproduce, the animals are weaned from their mothers and leave Grandview Farms.
"They're about 20 days old. They weight about 14 pounds and they go to a finishing site. There is about a 30 mile radius from where our sow farms are," adds Dittmer.
Dittmer owns some of the finishing sites and others he has a contract with. Once the animals are fully grown, they're sent to either the Tyson Plant in Columbus Junction or the Triumph Plant in Missouri.
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