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Supporters and opponents packed a public hearing Monday on proposals that would temporarily halt all large-scale livestock farm development in Vernon County and set limits on the numbers of animals.

Vernon County farmers showed up in force Monday night, rolling more than 50 huge tractors and farm implements into Viroqua and parking in the streets around the Western Technical College building, where the county's Health Committee was holding the hearing. Not all of the farm implements were from those who oppose the new regulations, a number of the farm implements and tractors had signs that said farmers support the pending county ordinances.

The Vernon County Board is expected to consider two measures on Aug. 7. One is a moratorium on new large-scale livestock operations. The other is an animal siting ordinance that limits animal units on farms to 500.

About 300 people filed into the largest room available in the WTC building, with the overflow listeners spilling into the hallway.

The health committee earlier this month had passed a draft moratorium on large animal confinement operations, citing health and safety concerns. The issue was sparked by a proposal by farmers Jeff and Bonnie Parr, who live near Retreat, for a 2,400-head hog operation.

Neighbors had raised concerns about a lack of zoning and local controls, pointing out only state and federal regulations now apply.

Animal operations of more than 1,000 animal units must meet tighter state regulations, but operations in the 500- to 1,000-unit range are largely unregulated except for the manure storage requirements and preconstruction controls, such as setback requirements.

Health committee member Gail Frie addressed the group at the start of he meeting. Frie said the moratorium is not anti-farming regulation.

"This is a temporary short-term moratorium, not a prohibition," Frie said. "Agriculture is the life blood of our local economy and we want you to know we all appreciate that."

Local physician Dr. David Chakoian presented a report to the health committee earlier this month that pointed to research he found that indicated a risk to workers at and neighbors of large scale confinement hog operations because of anti-biotic resistant air plumes coming from facilities like the one proposed by the Parrs. The health committee recommended the moratorium to the county board to give it time to do its own scientific analysis of such facilities.

Dr. Arthur Mueller, who is veterinarian who has worked with pork producers for many years, disagreed and spoke to the likelihood of bacteria plumes being produced by hog facilities.

"I want to talk about bacteria," Mueller said. "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), it's real and it will kill you and you should be nervous about it, and it doesn't come from pigs. We don't use methicillin on pigs anywhere. So, if you are worried about that, study the science. Manure goes into a pit. There is no oxygen there. Staphylococcus doesn't live there. In fact, almost nothing lives there but anaerobes."

"The important thing is this confinement unit will not threaten the public health of its neighbors," Mueller said.

Armand Bringe said he disagreed with the "factory hog farm" label being used, especially by the media.

"Last winter I started reading articles in our local paper about factory hog farms coming to Vernon County," Bringe said. "We were warned they were going to be very large and very dangerous to our environment. Our paper seemed to enjoy printing every week two inch headlines with the words ‘factory farm’ included."

(Editor’s note: A search of all the Vernon County Broadcaster’s articles on this subject since March shows only one headline in the newspaper included the term “factory farm,” and that was a headline on a letter to the editor published on page A-4 on March 22.)

Bringe said he eventually learned it was his neighbor proposing the facility.

"That's interesting because all of us in Sterling Township have always considered Jeff and Bonnie family farmers just like the rest of us," Bringe said. "They manage their business just like the rest of us. They do most of the work just like the rest of us. They participate in our clubs fairs and social gatherings just like the rest of us. I don't see any of that changing when they build their barn."

Bringe said the fact that there will be a one million gallon manure storage pit does not make them a factory farm.

"That's nothing new I have had one myself for 26 years," Bringe said.

Bringe said many farms in the county have county regulated storage of that size.

Westby attorney David Abt, a part-owner of Wild Rose Dairy in rural La Farge, one of two farms in the county with more than 1,000 animal units, said the proposed moratorium is not legal and will lead to "years of legal wrangling" and cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation.

"I know you have received legal advice that says this moratorium is something you are legally allowed to do," Abt said. "I beg to differ."

Abt said the state Legislature recognized the need to have a system to decide where large farms can go, and recently passed a siting law. The county would be putting the "cart before the horse" by challenging that law without first having a land use or zoning ordinance, he said.

Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute disagreed with Abt, saying the county does have a legal basis for the moratorium because of the health and safety concerns. Kastel said the issue is about independent family farms versus corporate farm ownership.

"David Abt is my attorney and I really respect him - he is a smart guy - but I disagree with him on this issue," Kastel said. "There is a state siting law, but a moratorium will not ban agricultural production."

Kathy Fairchild said the state siting law was passed with "business development" as its No. 1 priority because of pressure from agricultural groups and is heavily weighted to those interests.

"The recommendation for a series of regulations to 'improve the ease and speed of the animal agricultural expansion permit process' was made because the taskforce listed 'to facilitate growth of business' as the No. 1 priority,” Fairchild said. “But to think only one set of regulations permitted at the state level can provide adequately for the primary government charge of protecting public health and safety is to say we live on the same soil, have the same topography, the same plants and the same occupancy. Clearly this is not the case."

Patrick Strickler said he moved to Vernon County to retire and respects all the points of view, but is hoping all involved can find a way to work together and be influenced by outside forces that may be at work.

"I am seeing here a classic issue in the American frontier and the American way of life in which we have large corporate interests at work," Strickler said. "They are pursuing their own earnings and investment interests. That's good, it has driven our economy... But frequently those interests come into conflict with the existing infrastructure of an area like Vernon County. What I see here tonight is a case of a bunch of people who have a very strong shared interest in the future of Vernon County somehow being led into a dispute among ourselves over who is right and who is wrong when in fact we are all right. We are all interested in the good of Vernon County."

Strickler asked the county leaders to do what is "good in the long-term however that works out," and not be led into a trap by corporate interests.

State Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, who commended the civil nature said the right to farm legislation and ag siting law were passed because the legislature recognized the need to protect agriculture.

"There is room for everybody in this county," Kapanke said. "We have big farms here because we need big farms. This is the breadbasket of America and we have obligation to feed the world."

Kapanke said the state also has the NR 243 law that regulates runoff.

"Runoff is never acceptable," Kapanke said.

He urged the county to look at zoning as a remedy to the dispute.

Organic Valley representative Jerry McGeorge read a written statement that said the issue was not about hog farms or even the Parrs, but a type agriculture that was not in keeping with the philosophy of Vernon County and Organic Valley, which is based in La Farge.

"We have always championed farmers' rights to work their land and bring their product to market. However, we also support measures that preserve the rural heritage and character of Vernon County," McGeorge said. "Vernon County has a distinct agricultural tradition and culture, and the scale of agriculture you have proposed is not consistent with this culture."

McGeorge said the moratorium also would give the Parrs time to consider other farming methods, such as organic production.

In closing Frie said the health board is getting constant input on the legal options for a moratorium and will present a "legally defensible" moratorium to the county board on Aug. 7.

"We would be pretty foolish to present something that was not legally defensible," Frie said.