Rosendale Dairy’s Owners Say They Are Committed to Environment, Economic Development

Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:40 AM CST

Last week’s decision by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to begin requiring environmental impact statements for commercial dairies creates an unnecessary burden, according to Rosendale Dairy, Rosendale. Nevertheless, the dairy’s partners say they will adhere to rule change.

The DNR’s decision to require additional environmental documentation comes as the partners of Rosendale Dairy were expecting to receive notice of a draft permit needed to complete the facility based on their already-extensive environmental research and assessment filings with the agency. The partners of Rosendale Dairy say they are investing in significant technological infrastructure and have developed operating procedures for the farm that meet or exceed all state and local environmental standards.

“At a time when the state of Wisconsin desperately needs new jobs, and our communities are in dire need of reinvestment, it is true that we also must remain vigilant about our environment,” says Jim Ostrom, a partner in Rosendale Dairy. “That is why we have spent the past two years conducting extensive environmental research and engineering analysis of our plans. Our documentation and permit application materials have been on file at the DNR for 10 months, and we welcome the opportunity for public involvement as this additional process gets underway.”

Although the requirement for an environmental impact statement represents a major policy change by the DNR, Rosendale Dairy partners say they intend to work cooperatively with the agency in the weeks ahead to achieve the new timeline its staff has outlined. Correspondence to Ostrom from DNR Deputy Secretary Pat Henderson indicates that if the DNR has the necessary information, the agency expects to release an environmental impact statement in mid-December and provide for a 45-day comment period. A public hearing on the environmental impact statement will occur approximately 30 days into the comment period and will coincide with the department’s hearing on a draft Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) wastewater permit, according to Ostrum.

Ostrom says the policy change by the DNR will add costs to the project as a result of additional document preparation fees and other expenses. However, the thorough environmental research already conducted by the farm is consistent with the environmental impact statement process, he adds.

Ostrom says Rosendale Dairy has been in substantial contact with DNR staff in recent weeks, providing additional details about the project, including the extensive manure management plans. He says the farm’s manure processing facilities would provide organic soil nutrients needed by contracting crop farmers and would reduce by 90 percent the amount of fossil fuel-based chemical fertilizers being trucked into the area and applied to surrounding fields.

“Thanks to the scale of our operation, location, the proximity of local dairy and cheese plants and the exceptional base of local crop farmers, Rosendale Dairy will operate as one of the lowest carbon footprint dairies in the nation,” Ostrom assures. “But even more important during these difficult times for working families and our communities, Rosendale Dairy intends to create needed jobs, support area businesses and provide much-needed stimulus to the local economy.”

Set on 2,000 acres in the Town of Rosendale in Fond du Lac County, Rosendale Dairy is being developed as one of Wisconsin’s most environmentally sound, modern and efficient farms, according to the dairy’s owners. They say it will create 70 permanent, local jobs, support hundreds of construction jobs, and will purchase $40 million per year from local contractors and vendors.

The $70 million investment by partners Jim Ostrom, John Vosters and Todd Willer also is significant because of its beneficial ripple effects on the state’s rural economy, the operation’s partners say. They add that Wisconsin agriculture is at a crossroads and commercial farms such as the proposed Rosendale Dairy will play an increasingly important role in sustaining the state’s agricultural infrastructure, including dairy processing plants, agricultural supply companies, grain and livestock marketers, and implement dealers.

Such businesses are a critical source of jobs and the foundation of Wisconsin’s rural communities, Rosendale Dairy partners say. Approximately half of the 70 jobs at the farm will be highly skilled positions, providing opportunities for dairy science graduates and experienced herd managers.

Ostrom says his two existing large farms, Tidy View Dairy, near Kaukauna, and Omro Dairy, near Omro, have achieved an exceptional environmental performance record. Omro Dairy received an award from the Thompson Administration for its efforts on behalf of the environment.

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