Ward Farms - Silo Site - Feedlot Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft permit for the Ward Farms - Silo Site animal feedlot located in Faribault County.

The facility will house 3,400 head of swine in total confinement barns. Liquid manure generated by the animals will be stored in concrete lined storage structures. Manure generated at the facility will be applied to surrounding cropland at agronomic rates.

This permitting action includes an animal unit (AU) expansion. The AU expansion will utilize existing structures for animal housing and manure storage. The animal unit capacity will be increased from 755 AU to 1,020 AU

This permit requires the facility to be designed, operated, and maintained to prevent discharge to waters, except in an extreme storm event. Operators are required to land apply manure at agronomic rates, observe water setbacks, and maintain records of land application activities, including location, timing, and rate of application. Please refer to the draft permit for additional requirements.

The MPCA’s feedlot permit strives to protect our lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater by preventing manure from polluting water. The permit applies to most aspects of livestock management including the location, design, construction, operation, and management of feedlots and manure handling facilities. Minnesota has approximately 18,000 registered livestock operations.