Pigs, Poetry & Politics

The majority of this program looks at the recent approval given by the Story County Board of Supervisors for a 4600-head hog Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) in Milford Township, just a few miles northeast of Ames.

On May 27, the Story County Supervisors held a well-attended hearing about this proposed CAFO that continued for a record 3 hours. As the Tribune reported it, comments at the hearing ran 2:1 against it, and 500 Story County residents signed a petition against it. The application was given a passing score in the county test for safety and the Supervisors gave their unanimous blessing for the proposal to move forward. The application is now with the state DNR for final approval.

We spoke with Margaret Jaynes, head of the Department of Environmental Health in Story County, Evan Burger of Iowa CCI, which has made a case against the proposed operation and its approval, and Paul Toot, Chair of the Board of County Supervisors.

At the beginning of the hour, we visited with Jason Arbogast, who will reading from his book on Thursday evening at Della Viti Wine Bar in a poetry and prose reading orgainized by a local publishing company called Red Orchid Press.

Originally broadcast 06/11/2014
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