Civically Engaged-- Citizens v. Hi-Q Egg Products & a talk with Vicki Garrett of American Community Gardening Association

http://civicallyengaged.net 

A group of citizens from Union County who oppose the proposed installation of a large-scale egg-farm in their community met with Adam Ward, who is legislative liaison of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Kevin Elder, who is Executive Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Livestock Environmental Permitting Program.

The company, Hi-Q Egg Products wants to build a facility near Mansfield that would involve 6 million chickens. Citizens formed the group called No More Chickens because they are concerned about , as their website says “the further negative impact that this facility will bring to our health, ground water, streams, air, soil, property values and roads.”

The meeting between community members and Adam Ward and Kevin Elder of the Ohio Department of Agriculture was part of the Ohio Environmental Council’s Environmental Lobby Day. It’s an event via which members of the community, along with members of environmental groups meet with Ohio legislators.

The conversation you will hear took place in the State House atrium. It was noisy. About 12 or 13 people sat around a banquet table in the echo y atrium, struggling to hear one another. I huddled closely with the people at the table in an attempt to hear what was being said.

The meeting between community member and Adam Ward and Kevin Elder of the Ohio Dept of Agriculture interested me because the concerns that were being voiced is a specific case which reflects the broader issue of problems associated with some aspects of industrialized agriculture.

When I spoke with some of the people working with the community group NO MORE Chickens , some of them said that promoting local and organic food is part of the solution

Later in the program, Vicki Garrett of the American Community Gardening Association, will talk about community gardening and local, organic food. Vicki Garrett and I spoke in February 2009.

But now we go to the meeting between community members from Union County voicing their concerns about a proposed mega egg farm to Adam Ward and Kevin Elder of the Ohio Dept of Agriculture.

You’ve just heard a recording of community members from Union County speaking with Kevin Elder and Adam Ward of the Oh Dept of Agriculture. They have formed a community group called NO MORE CHICKENS. Find out more on the web at NO MORE CHICKENS DOT ORG

They were voicing their concerns about a proposed mega egg farm in Union County. The company involved is called Hi-Q Egg Products.

The community members spoke with Oh Dept of Ag offcials as a part of the Ohio Environmental Council’s annual Environmental Lobby Day.

As the meeting between citizens opposing the Hi Q Egg Products mega farm broke up, I spoke with Michelle Davis. She has a horse farm located near the proposed egg facility.

The opposition to the proposed Hi-Q Egg Products, mega farming facility in Union County is one example of people trying to take action to address problems associated with industrial agriculture.

People complain about the stench and people have multiple other concerns such as contamination of water, loss of topsoil, the formation of dead zones caused by chemical run-off into rivers and streams that feed into bodies of water such as the Gulf of Mexico.

People are also concerned about industrial agriculture because of the vulnerabilities to our food security that relying so heavily on access to petroleum poses.

Many people I have spoken with think that investing into local and organic food systems is a way to address the environmental, social, and energy security issues associated with industrial agriculture.

Vicki Garrett and I spoke about local and organic food. She is Project Coordinator for the American Community Gardening Association. Our conversation took place in February of 2009.

Before that we heard from Michelle Davis and other members of the community from Union County who are opposing the plan to allow Hi-Q Egg Products to set up a facility which would have approx. 6 million chickens, leading to various environmental concerns pertaining to air quality, water quality, and the stench of waste lagoons.

Members of the community group No more Chickens met with Kevin Elder and Adam Ward of the Ohio Dept of Agriculture. The meeting was part of the Ohio Environmental Council’s annual Environmental Lobby Day which took place on March 31, 20009.

To find out more about the controversy over the proposed mega egg farm, go to No More Chickens DOT org