Eureka Springs Independent

Cargill defends C&H hog farm
Becky Gillette
Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Cargill, the international ag conglomerate contracted to purchase pork from the C & H Hog Farm located in the Buffalo National River (BNR) watershed, said owners of the 6,500-head swine operation are responsible stewards of the environment.
“The farm is owned by three local families who have resided in rural northwest Arkansas for eight generations, farmed the land for half a century and raised hogs for more than a decade,” Mike Luker, president of Cargill Pork said. “They grew up near the mountain community of Mount Judea, learning to swim in local creeks and fish in local ponds, all the while producing food for others.”
Luker said in 2013, with a state-approved permit in hand, the three families of C&H expanded hog production by building a farm incorporating the latest design elements, including environmental safeguards exceeding state or federal government requirements. The farm houses 2,500 Cargill-owned sows and up to 4,000 piglets. The piglets stay on the farm for about 21 days before being weaned and transported to farms outside Arkansas to be raised for pork.
“Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spent three days on the farm, and its report indicated that nothing noteworthy was found,” Luker said. “C&H has been a model farm for the more than a year it’s been operating.
“Cargill understands the importance of being environmental stewards who protect and conserve resources used to produce food. Last spring, our Cargill Pork leadership team embarked on an outreach effort in Arkansas and met with many people and organizations to hear from them regarding concerns about the farm,” Luker said. “We listened, and learned about the passion for the Buffalo River. We came away believing all sources impacting Buffalo River water quality, present and future, must be addressed. We are working with C&H to further enhance the environmental safeguards already in place. Synthetic liners and covers will be added to manure ponds; we have implemented a permanent moratorium on hog facility expansion in the watershed, and we support the state’s approach for making decisions based on science and facts.”
Luker said at Cargill Pork, they believe various uses of land, water and other resources can continue to successfully coexist in the Buffalo River watershed, as they have for generations.