Residents of Lone Jack, Missouri, and the surrounding area won a stay last week against the planned expansion of a local cattle farm. The farm, Valley Oaks, filed an application for a permit to grow its herd from 600 to 6,999 cows in December 2017. After much public debate, the state’s Administrative Hearing Commission issued a stay on the permit on July 26.
After the farm expansion was announced, a coalition of local residents called the Lone Jack Neighbors for Responsible Farming organized meetings and a hearing on the potential environmental harms caused by an influx of cattle to the area. Neighbors worried about decreased land values, air and water pollution, and a reduced quality of life.
One of the leading opponents of the farm expansion has been Powell Gardens, a botanical garden just down the road from Lone Jack. The garden’s leaders have argued that the odors and pollution that accompany thousands of cattle would drive away visitors.
“Powell Gardens couldn’t be more thrilled with this result,” Tabitha Schmidt, CEO and president of the botanical gardens, said in a press release. “It is just the first victory in our fight, but it validates the concerns of the Gardens and the community.”
The state Department of Natural Resources initially approved Valley Oaks’ permit application on June 15. Powell Gardens appealed the decision, then turned to social media, crowdfunding, and media outreach to promote a campaign against the expansion.
In its ruling to stay the permit, the state commission found that “[p]etitioners have shown a significant potential for irreparable harm” as a result of the increased number of cows in the region, and that “the environmental protection interests outweigh Valley Oaks’ interests in accelerating its operations.”