Living in a farming and agricultural state such as Indiana, many residents do not think about the harmful effects of large farms housing hundreds or even thousands animals next door, but for some residents throughout the state of Indiana, living next to a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is not an ideal situation.
Federal law defines Animal Feeding Operations as "agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. CAFOs congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals and production operations on a small land area." However, CAFOs are larger. Indiana law defines CAFO's as "any animal feeding operation engaged in the confined feeding of at least 300 cattle, or 600 swine or sheep, or 30,000 fowl, such as chickens, turkeys or other poultry."
Sponsored by the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, the goal of the 2010 Indiana CAFO Watch Conference is to educate the public about the problems caused by factory farms, while helping communities protect themselves from the devastating impacts of the farms. But the project does not stop there; another main goal is to provide help and guidance for those who are trying to make a new name for agriculture by using and making sustainable agricultural goods.
Barbara Sha Cox, 2010 Indiana CAFO Watch Conference organizer, hopes to educate Hoosiers about CAFOs, teach residents how to speak to government officials about the issue and learn how to network with grassroots organizations.
"Its important for everyone because when you are confining that many animals together, you are finding that the outcome is the same with humans. They have to use more antibiotics in the feed to keep them healthy. So in the end that will come to the product you buy in the grocery store," Cox said. "Everyone is affected, either at the grocery store, through the water and by compassion for fellow man."
At the meeting, Cox said people should expect CAFO-free meat for lunch, followed by educational lectures.
"It will be a learning experience because we need to be knowledgeable and we don't want to work with half-truths," Cox said. "I don't like to say anything unless I can back it up. Everything said can be backed up by personal experience or science. People will also have the opportunity to be active, meaning, they can be part of a movement."
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