Let’s talk about CAFOs (Confined Animal Feed Operation)
Have you heard the word CAFO used in a derogatory way? Like it’s some sort of cuss word? Well let’s talk about CAFOs.
A CAFO, or a Confined Animal Feed Operation, is a government-issued permit. Every grade A dairy in Oregon has one.
Honestly, I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. It requires a farmers tp implement a comprehensive nutrient management plan and apply manure (read: organic fertilizer) to property in a safe, environmentally-friendly way.
Cows love to go to the bathroom wherever they stand, so we scrape the manure into a holding tank.
My farm’s manure tank is 100 feet in diameter and cost 250K to construct.
From the holding tank, the manure is piped underground to a drag line system where it is applied to the fields. We take soil samples in the spring and in the fall so we know how much manure we need to apply to each field so we don’t over saturate the soil, and also so our crops receive nutrients they need to grow delicious and healthy food for our cows.
But, since you’re here to learn more about CAFOs, let’s go into it a bit more.
Farms categorized as CAFOs have nothing to do with ownership. The truth is vast majority of farms in the United States are family-owned and operated. While a family may choose to incorporate their farm, much like any business would do for tax and legal reasons, most farmers are still the owners - and farmers - of their farms.
While CAFOs consider the number of animals on farms, it has nothing to do with the size classification of farms. Farms are actually classified as small, large, and very large based on annual sales rather than on their physical size.
About the number. For dairy farms, 700 is the magic number.
CAFOs also consider how long a group of animals is kept on the farm: 45 days or more within any 12-month period. Our cows live on our farm year-round.
So, yes, because our farm is a CAFO, we have a comprehensive nutrient management plan, which we would have anyway.
