Exception allows 4,200 hogs

A Williamsburg couple received a special exception to operate a hog confined feeding operation at a 48-acre North Centerville Road farm.

Jonas S. and Mamie F. Fisher plan to construct a 34,500-square-foot building to house 4,200 hogs in two groups each year. The young hogs would be moved from the site when they reach a certain weight. Manure would be contained underneath the building.

The Wayne County Board of Zoning Appeals approved the special exception during its Oct. 10 meeting. It also approved a variance from development standards that reduces the required distance between the building and the William Creek floodway. A drainage plan consisting of berms will increase the distance the stormwater runoff travels before reaching the floodway.

During June 2023, the Fishers purchased the former Radford Hog Farm, and Jonas Fisher received transfer of the farm’s CFO permit. That farm has been sold and the CFO permit transferred last May to Samuel and Nancy Fisher, according to county and state records.

Some communities limit or ban CFO operations because of concerns about groundwater contamination, harmful emissions, the use of antibiotics in animals and the impact on surrounding property values.

Dennis Chenoweth, a consultant hired by the Fishers, said the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the state chemist regulate CFOs stringently, including regular inspections. The Fishers had not yet applied for a CFO permit at the 10961 N. Centerville Road location while waiting for the zoning approval.

The Fishers plan to pump the manure from the storage and distribute it on farmland. Chenoweth said calculations estimate the CFO will generate 240,000 cubic feet of manure annually, which requires distribution on 180 acres of land. There are 490 acres lined up to receive the manure, which will be transported by haulers regulated through the state chemist’s office.

Neighbors expressed concern about smells from the animals and manure. Chenoweth said CFO technology has improved, leading to modern, enclosed buildings with ventilation systems that reduce dust and smell. Additives also can be used to reduce manure odors.

Laura Miller, head of county planning and zoning, said she’s visited a modern CFO facility in Wells County. The new facilities differ greatly from the former facilities that used open manure pits.