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Who Are We?

KnowCAFOs, Inc. is a non-profit educational corporation that is concerned about water, air and rural quality of life. The new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) that are targeting Northwest Wisconsin bring with them the potential to crush family farms, tourism and property values. To support us in our efforts to protect your way of life, please donate to support the costs of signs, website and brochures. Include your email address to receive periodic updates. It will be safe with us and never abused.

What Can You Do?

6 Mile Radius

Click Image for a Larger View of the Proposed Trade Lake CAFO Location

What is a CAFO (Factory Farm)?

  • “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation” = CAFO (Industrial Producers)
  • Houses hundreds to multiple thousands of animals in confined warehouse style buildings – no little red barns and few (if any) pastures on these industrial agriculture properties
  • There are nearly 300 CAFOs in Wisconsin alone
  • Wisconsin currently has 14 hog CAFOs statewide

Why are CAFOs a Concern?

  • Barns emit toxic gases/odors – risks to workers and neighboring residences
  • Huge problems with animal wastes (volume) and farm field spreading creates issues with ground and surface water pollution (algae-green lakes, fish kills, undrinkable water in private homes)
  • Infiltration of bacteria into wetlands, lakes, rivers and streams
  • Private well contamination issues (nitrates and bacteria such as e. coli, salmonella, etc.)
  • Overuse of antibiotics due to close proximity of animals to each other (residual medications in meat, milk, & cheese linked to antibiotic resistance in humans)
  • Creates monopolies in the meat industry (751 family farms went out of business since April 2018)
  • Decreased property values for surrounding rural residents within 3 miles of the facility
  • Self-reporting by industrial producers of violations (spills) is not working; DNR staff only cited 4% of violations committed by industrial producers per the Legislative Audit Report in June 2016

What about proposed Burnett/Polk County CAFO (Suidae Health & Production are the industrial ag owners)?

  • Close proximity to St. Croix River – located in the St. Croix River watershed
  • Close proximity to Fish Lake Wildlife Area
  • Proposal for 26,350 hogs in this one location
  • 6.8 million gallons of manure produced annually and spread on area fields where run off into groundwater, rivers, and streams is very likely
  • Potential expansion to include slaughterhouse (along with its contaminants)
  • Out-of-state company with no roots in Wisconsin – not a local family farmer to approach with concerns

Burnett County and State of Wisconsin Legislator Contacts