Venture Dairy Cooperative (VDC), Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance (WDA), sent a letter to the Town of Peck in Langlade County to express concerns over the Town’s “Implements of Husbandry Ordinance,” Ordinance #2021-01, adopted in July. The groups, collectively representing thousands of farmers across Wisconsin, are concerned the ordinance effectively bans farmers from moving manure on town roads and is destructive to the community’s rural economy.
According to the ordinance, prior to hauling manure on town roads farmers would need to “post a surety bond of $100,000” with the town for each road used, to cover any possible damage that may occur. This ordinance is not only bad public policy, but it is unlawful. Notably, the ordinance singles out and targets livestock manure hauling only, not other heavy industry that could also be a factor in road impacts.
Farmers comprise a vital and necessary part of the Wisconsin economy, including in the Town of Peck. Farmers need to haul manure to fertilize their fields and to maintain a clean and healthy environment for their animals, employees, and communities. The town’s unlawful actions will harm local farmers and likely lead to costly and reputation-damaging litigation.
Venture Dairy Cooperative, as well as Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance asked the Town of Peck to rescind the ordinance and work with its farming community to come to a mutually beneficial solution.
cheryl says
Maybe the “damage” they are anticipating is environmental damage (from spills) and not structural road damage?
Tim Zwirschitz says
They are definitely hard on the roads and use them much more than other heaver trucks
farmer says
Try amish steel wheels and horse shoes, much worse. Next you will complain about milk trucks, you dislike the slow moving machinery, I wish these people would learn more about farmers and their
hard work they do. Stay in town if the smell bothers you and help each other make a better world.
Farm Wife says
As a farm of 180 miking cows directly impacted by this ordinance, I can tell you this is not directed at “mega farms”. There are 3 farms in the whole town! The roads in question are used daily by logging and potato operations and they are not targeted by this ordinance.
Which farm will pay for the “road damage”? How will they determine who is at fault? This is discrimination, and we intend to treat it as such.
Ram says
This is really nothing new, can remember a liquid waste hauler posting $100k too travel on some town roads in Washington Co, back in the early 80’s. Granted the manure must be hauled out on to fields, but the hauler should be held responsible for damage done to the roads while hauling, and held too a legal weight, just like commercial trucks are held too 80,000 lbs. Why don’t they just use hoses too pump manure out to the fields like some farms are doing already?