Summit Pork Asks Gage County Board to Reconsider Permit

By Gordon Hopkins Despite a denial by Gage County Supervisors earlier this month, the backers of a proposed CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) near Liberty are still hoping to make it happen. A special use permit for the controversial facility failed to garner enough votes and was denied on the morning of Wednesday, November 1, 2023. While the vote was a tie, three for and three against, with one abstention, in this instance the county's zoning rules require a minimum of five votes. Mitch Baum, business development manager for Summit Pork of Alden, Iowa, made his case during the public forum of the Gage County Supervisors' meeting on Wednesday, November 15, “I'd just like to ask for a motion from the board to reconsider our application from this previous board meeting for the Gage Island Grove 25 site. I think everybody is well aware of the site, and its placement. We've met or exceeded the zoning regulations in your county.” The Island Grove Summit Swine CAFO was intended to hold an estimated 6,200 animals in section 25 of Island Grove Township, just north of Liberty and near the Gage-Pawnee County line. While the swine operation would belong to Summit Pork, the animals would actually have been provided by Fairbury-based Livingston Enterprises Inc. (LEI). The land belongs to Otto Farms, which intended to use the liquid hog manure from the CAFO, injected as fertilizer on farm grounds. While the proposed CAFO did meet or exceed all zoning requirements, the project was opposed by a number of residents in and near Liberty, who expressed concerns about the impact the facility would have on groundwater, the local road, and property values, along with issues like odor. Earlier this year, Gage County Supervisors approved another similar swine operation, this one near Hanover, along South 82nd Road, between Pickrell and Adams. Baum encouraged supervisors to visit that site, “I believe there's been numerous opportunities for a number of board members to come visit the site in northern Gage County.” No action was taken at the meeting. The public forum is for people to speak about matters, not on the current agenda. Although Baum offered to answer any questions, board rules prohibit questions or discussion during the public forum period.

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