Story on manure contamination raises more questions

I learned a lot from the article in Thursday’s Gazette about manure runoff (July 6, “DNR: Iowa company took no action to stop manure runoff”) and the article also posed a number of questions that deserve further follow-up.

It sounds like there is a lot of environmental science involved in applying manure to farm fields. The rate of manure application, location of tiles, drainage patterns of fields, and more all have to be considered.

I didn’t know that there were companies that specialized in manure application, like Cat-Nip Ridge Manure Application. I suppose if manure application requires a lot of environmental science, it makes sense for specialists to do the work. But on the other hand, if you hire a specialist, aren’t you paying them to use their expertise?

I also find it interesting that the farm is owned by Woodford Creek Farms and managed by Seaboard Foods of Iowa who hired Cat-Nip Ridge to apply the manure. Are these companies owned by Iowans and are they family corporations or hedge fund-owned? It doesn’t sound like anyone was in a hurry to correct the issues and a fine of $8,000 on an operation that houses 4,500 hogs works out to less than $2 a head — barely more than 1 percent per head and probably considered a cost of doing business. Maybe if the fine were $80,000 it would get someone’s attention.

Tom Persoon

Iowa City