LEWISTON, Minn. – The Land Stewardship Project has responded to the latest lawsuit from the never-say-die Daley dairy operation to dramatical increase its Lewiston herd to almost 6,000. The Stewards argue that the Daley appeal is an attempt to circumvent Winona County’s rules related to the size of large livestock operations. In short, the Stewards argue that the Daley financial goals with a larger herd should not be allowed to trump the will of the people as embodied in the county’s herd-size limits. The Stewards note that the Daley plan is to  put their operation at almost four times the Winona Counts animal unit cap. Martin Moore, the Land Stewardship’s southeast Minnesota organizer, said the Daley expansion would concentrate the manure of 4,500 dairy cows in a region where drinking water is already plagued by high nitrate levels. Moore noted that federal regulators already have directed state agencies to take action to protect people around Lewiston from further nitrate pollution. Ironically, Moore said, the Daley appeal comes would be counter recent government initiatives to protect water:

> $495,000 recently was the allocated Legislature to encourage farmers to improve soil and protect water quality.

> $2.8 is being be directed for well-owners alleviate the cost of installing water treatment systems.

> $2.8 million is going to inventory water quality in private wells in southeast Minnesota and to provide education and outreach.

“We should be focused on promoting the kind of diverse, soil-friendly farming practices that prevent water pollution in the first place while supporting small and medium-sized farms,” Moore said. “Allowing a large livestock operation to disregard a county’s herd size restrictions and concentrating more manure in a fragile ecosystem is the wrong approach.”

Earlier: State regulators slow Daley dairy expansion plan

Earlier: Whack-a-mole: Daleys again file to expand herd

Earlier: Feds get serious, order Minnesota to fix tainted water

Verbatim

Moore: “Local units of government and community members, along with the courts, have repeatedly rejected Daley Farm’s attempts to circumvent Winona County’s animal unit cap. It’s time the operation’s owners stopped wasting public resources and accepted the truth: the people have spoken for the land and their community and will not be silenced by legal intimidation.”