Cargill says no ‘flood’ of hog factories planned for Arkansas
Becky Gillette Eureka Springs Independent
Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Cargill, the company buying the pork produced by the C&H Hog Farms located near the Buffalo River, has thus far responded to about 300 letters or e-mails from people concerned about how the operation might impact the nearby Buffalo National River.

Mike Martin, Cargill director of communications, in an interview this week with the Eureka Springs Independent, said that “Cargill has no plans for further expansions or additional CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) in Arkansas; C&H Hog Farms isn’t the first of a ‘flood’ of CAFOs planned for the state.

“We don’t have plans to have our contract suppliers increase operations or add additional farms in Arkansas,” Martin said. “Eighty five percent of hog production has left Arkansas in the past ten years. It is unlikely that will come back. This is simply a case where a family farmer wanted to expand his operation.”

Martin said C&H Hog Farms has put into place proper controls to prevent environmental problems.
“Be aware of the fact that in the immediate area where C&H Hog Farms exists near Mt. Judea, historically there have been more hogs in that area than there are now,” Martin said. “At one point, there were 11 hog farms in that watershed with a larger aggregate number of hogs than the 2,500 sows at C&H. Almost all of those farms have disappeared. They have gone out of business or moved. That is true of hog production in Arkansas in general.”

Martin said some production has been moved to states like Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri that are closer to the main sources of food for hogs – corn and other grains. He said another factor of hog production moving out of Arkansas is increasing regulations restricting farming in the state.

“It is a combination of tighter environmental regulations on farming, higher costs in the form of taxes, and more government oversight by federal agencies such as EPA and others,” Martin said. “It has made it a more challenging environment for farmers. As far as C&H is concerned, Cargill doesn’t own the farm. The farm is owned by three families who have lived in that area for several generations. They have been hog farmers for about a dozen years. About two-and-a-half years ago they asked if they expanded, would Cargill agree to take additional piglets? The lead farmer, Jason Henson, is a very responsible steward of the resources and is known for following rules and regulations. He has never been cited for anything at all. We said we would accept additional piglets if they expanded the operation.”

Martin said C&H Farms went to an engineering firm that specializes in building or expanding farms, and had plans drawn up for construction of hog barns and waste lagoons that complied with existing laws, as well as Cargill’s requirements. The farm then applied for what is known as a general permit for CAFOs. The farm received the first general permit CAFO in Arkansas.

“The environmental safeguards on that farm far exceed anything required by the state or federal government,” Martin said. “It has a nutrient management plan as part of the overall permitting process and focuses especially on hog waste and hog manure, which is basically used as fertilizer for hay fields in the immediate area. It comes down to doing it properly, being a good steward of resources, having a nutrient management plan approved by the State of Arkansas, and following that.”

Martin said that animal manure has been used for fertilizing crops for thousands of years, and Cargill believes that protection of the environment can co-exist with animal production.

“Those who oppose C&H Hog Farm are opposed to it on a ‘what if’ scenario that may never occur,” he said. “Certainly neither the farm owners, Cargill or anyone else wants to see harm come to the Buffalo National River. But anyone honest about the situation knows there are already sources impacting the Buffalo National River that have nothing to do with hog farming. There are actual real impacts to the river right now that are not being addressed.”

Martin said the owners of C&H Farms have been very transparent about their operations, even holding media tours of the farm.
“Both Cargill and the owners of the farm believe people have a right to see what is going on there,” he said. “There is nothing to hide. It is a pretty straightforward farm. I’ve seen people refer to the size of the farm and number of animals as large. In today’s context, it is a small- to medium-size hog operation. It is not by today’s standards a large operation. Farms have gotten bigger over time. It is a function of productivity and technology that has allowed farmers to produce more per acre or per animal. Farmers have become more productive in feeding a lot of people.”