Illinois grants permission
for building of mega dairy

NORA, Ill. (AP) — A state agency has given the nod to the first phase of construction in what may become the state’s largest dairy farm.

California businessman A.J. Bos won the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s permission to build a section of Tradition Dairies, a planned megafarm near the Illinois-Wisconsin stateline.
The dairy would be near Nora, a village of about 200 people. The dairy could milk 10,000 cows.

Opponents say the area’s geology is unsuitable and would allow manure to leach into groundwater. Bos, who owns large farms in Indiana, counters testing has shown the problem doesn’t apply to bedrock under the proposed farm.

Warren Goetsch of the Illinois Department of Agriculture says the agency will monitor the building of manure ponds to make sure regulations are followed.

Tanker truck explosion
kills one on Ohio farm

FALLSBURG, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say a tanker truck has exploded on a central Ohio farm, killing at least one person and injuring several others.

Mary Ann Township Fire Lt. Brett Mowrey says the victims were working on the tanker Friday morning when it exploded. The tanker was being welded on the bottom while three men were walking on its top.

The farm is north of Fallsburg in Licking County, about 40 miles east of Columbus.

One person was flown to a Columbus hospital with extensive burns. Authorities have not released the name of the deceased.

Proposed expansion of Indiana
hog farm causing concern

ROCHESTER, Ind. (AP) — The Fulton County Plan Commission has declined to step into a dispute over a proposed expansion of a hog farm just across the Miami County line.

Mark Wildermuth’s neighbors were concerned because a ditch on his farm drains into Rain Creek, which eventually empties into northern Indiana’s Lake Manitou. They complained to Fulton County commissioners, who referred the issue to the plan commission. The panel made no recommendation last week.
The Rochester Sentinel reported that Wildermuth plans to add 1,320 hogs to his 400-hog farm. He declined comment to the newspaper.

Plan Director Casi Cramer said the numbers were not high enough to trigger county ordinances. Fulton County allows up to 3,000 hogs before a permit is required. Rezoning is required for farms with more than 1,200 confined animals.

Neighbors say they also plan to contact officials in Miami County and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Weather delays planting
across the Corn Belt

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Cool, wet weather has slowed corn planting this spring across much of the Corn Belt, raising questions about the crop’s size and quality. Planting progress so far this year compared to last in the top five corn states:

•Iowa - Top corn producer in 2007 with 13.85 million harvested acres. Farmers have planted 93 percent of this year’s expected crop, compared to 97 percent at this time last year. But some of this year’s corn has been lost to weather and is being replanted.

•Illinois - No. 2 corn producer in 2007 at 13.05 million acres. So far, 87 percent of this year’s crop is planted, and some has to be replanted. Farmers had all but finished at this point last year.

•Nebraska - Third in corn production last year at 9.2 million harvested acres. Farmers have 96 percent of their crop planted, the same as this point last year. But experts say cool, wet weather has slowed growth.

•Minnesota - No. 4 corn state in 2007 with 7.8 million harvested acres. 2008 crop is 95 percent planted. Farmers were essentially finished a year ago.

•Indiana - No. 5 corn producer in 2007, 6.37 million acres harvested.

Farmers have 77 percent of their expected crop planted and were all but done at this point last year.

Criminal charges possible
at abandoned hog farm

SCOTT COUNTY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities are considering criminal charges after a health inspector this week found the remains of more than 50 hogs while checking an abandoned southeast Missouri farm.

Investigators with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the county health department said it appears the animals died in February when an ice storm left the farm without power for four days and the hogs went without food, water or adequate ventilation.

Sheriff’s Capt. Gregg Ourth said that without ventilation, ammonia fumes from the animals’ waste could have eventually asphyxiated them. He said the farmer removed the surviving hogs less than 24 hours after the others died.

State law requires farmers to dispose of animal carcasses within a day.

“Criminal charges could stem from neglecting to properly dispose of the animals,” Ourth said.

Barry Cook, the county health department’s administrator, discovered the hogs’ remains Tuesday after receiving two complaints from neighbors. After seeing only a couple of the dead hogs, he said he notified the sheriff’s office, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources.