Former Marion Family Leads Fight Against Proposed Linn County Factory Farm

A former Marion family was at the forefront on a successful effort to defeat a proposed Linn County factory farm this month.

Matt Ditch, of Center Point, withdrew his application for a 5,661-hog confined animal feeding operation, otherwise known as a CAFO, after Regina Behmlander and her husband Chris Behmlander teamed up with neighbors and activist group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) to oppose Ditch's proposal, The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.

The group was able to convince members of the Linn County Board of Supervisors to challenge Ditch's application's master matrix score. The master matrix score measures such things as environmental impact and safety that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources takes into consideration when reviewing a farming operation's application.

The Behmlanders moved to their rural home near Center Point from Marion around two years ago.

“We are united and we will not tolerate any more factory farms in our community,” said Regina Behmlander in a statement on the ICCI website.  “We will continue to fight any attempt by any party to build corporate factory farms which pollute our air and water and ruin our quality of life.”