CORWITH, Iowa — The Hancock County Board of Supervisors in north-central Iowa have approved the construction of a 5,000-head hog confinement, about four miles east of Corwith.

 

In a May 15 public hearing, the board approved matrix scoring for two new 2,500-head deep pit swine finisher confinement buildings in the facility. “It had more points than what the matrix required,” board member Florence Greiman told Farm World. According to the Mason City Globe-Gazette, the county’s zoning administrator, Andy Buffington, evaluated the proposal based on the state’s master matrix – the required framework for scoring such applications.

“The matrix scores applications based on separation distances from residences, churches, businesses and water sources,” the article explained. “The type of manure and how it is stored and disposed also are among the factors considered.”

Located in Section 26 of Boone Township, the hog confinement will be built by Grey Owl Farms VI, LLC. On April 3, a public hearing was also held on the permit application for Peacock Farms VI, LLC, for three deep pit swine finisher confinement buildings for a new 7,490-head swine confinement facility in Section 6 of Britt Township.

No public hearing, however, has yet been scheduled to discuss the proposal of this facility, Greiman said. So far there have been no protests of either facility Greiman’s husband, Cory, noted. “We have approved a few buildings this year and last year and have not had anyone from the public complain,” he said. “No one, except the producers, have attended our hearings. We have not encountered any resistance or complaints from activists.”