Are South Dakota feedlots trying to protect the environment?

Cattle in a feedlot barn eating. One looks toward the camera.

South Dakota State University Extension is offering an environmental training session for concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, on Tuesday, June 23, in Huron.

Bob Thaler, SDSU Extension swine specialist, said people do not have to own livestock to attend. He said the one-day training will provide science-based information on how CAFOs manage their environmental impact.

The session will cover “everything from odor, manure management, soil health, soil quality, nutrition, basically the whole gamut that's going to impact a CAFO and the surrounding neighbors,” Thaler said.

He said there also will be presentations on water quality, tilling and the permitting process.

CAFOs must get a permit and follow state and federal regulations in South Dakota, and owners are required to attend trainings like these. CAFOs in the state and across the country have been cited for manure leaks into waterways and other violations.

Map of the state of South Dakota, showing portions of surrounding states — © iStock - klenger

Odor is one of the most obvious downsides for people living near CAFOs, and Thaler said it is nearly impossible to have a livestock operation that does not stink to some degree. He said the stench is made up of more than 200 gases, making it difficult to measure and regulate all of them.

But Thaler said feedlot operators can take steps to reduce odor.

“We can change nutrition, it's going to change odor levels coming off of there,” he said. “There's different management tools. We can add a biofilter to a swine barn. We can cover a lagoon like a lot of dairy people do.”

Thaler said he hopes the session will offer a different perspective on CAFOs while helping operators learn new techniques.

“What works well for a thousand-animal unit are going to be the same things that are important for a 500- or 100-animal unit operation, because everybody wants to make sure that first of all, we're good neighbors, and that secondly, that we take care of the environment,” he said.

The training is from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Crossroads Convention Center. It costs $50. Registration is available through SDSU Extension’s website.