In the past year, Kansas has been the site of several high-profile fights over the future of chicken farming. Residents of Leavenworth and Sedgwick counties successfully challenged attempts by local governments to build a new Tyson processing plant in their area. But last week, Kansas state senators nonetheless advanced a bill that would increase the cap on how many chickens a farmer can raise at once.
By a vote of 30 to 9, the senators passed a bill that paves the way for the construction of up to 11 chicken houses on one property. Residents have fought the construction of new processing plants because of the chicken farms that would accompany them. They worry that the quality of their water, soil, and air would be affected by close proximity to large numbers of chickens.
Senators who opposed the bill argued that their colleagues were capitulating to agribusiness. The bill’s supporters argued that with more notice and planning, communities would get used to the idea of chicken farming in their area.