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Minnesota Pork disappointed nuisance protection bill didn’t make it

The Minnesota Pork Producers Association is disappointed state legislators failed to pass a bill removing nuisance protection size limits for all livestock producers.

Executive Director David Preisler says legislation proposed this session would’ve done away with 30 year old rules capping protection for hog farms at 1,000 animal units and 2,500 head of cattle.

“But if you’re a poultry farm (raising) turkeys, chickens or egg-layers, there are no size limits.  So there’s nuisance protection no matter what the size of the farm is.  So what we’re advocating for is to treat everyone the same.”

Had the nuisance bill become law, Preisler says farms would still need to be in compliance with all state permits and standards.

“And they’d also have to be operating for two years without any sort of legal challenge before they would receive nuisance protection.  So it’s certainly not a free pass.  You have to meet the standards, like anyone should, in order to receive that protection.”

Preisler tells Brownfield Minnesota Pork will continue looking for opportunities to provide nuisance protection for larger livestock producers.