Rosendale Dairy’s request to double to 8,000 the number of dairy cows housed at their Fond du Lac County operation and to increase the number of acres they spread manure over is the topic of a public hearing Thursday, Dec. 3 in Ripon.

The hearing begins at 5 p.m. at Royal Ridges, 1 Westgate Drive, just off West Fond du Lac Street.

Rosendale Dairy, between Pickett and Rosendale off County Road M, received a Wisconsin wastewater discharge permit earlier this year that limits the number of cattle to a maximum of 4,000 dairy cows and 150 beef cattle in a first phase of operation.

The permit was approved at the time with the understanding the dairy would pursue a second phase of development that would double the number of animals on the property, and that the original permit would need to be modified to accommodate the increase in size. 

An environmental impact statement examining potential impacts associated with doubling the operation size was completed during the first permit issuance process.

Wastewater permits are required for farms with large numbers of animals — about 700 milking cows, 1,000 beef cattle, 2,500 mature pigs, or 55,000 turkeys — to assure they properly manage their manure.

Rosendale Dairy requested modifications to the permit to account for Phase II of their operation and in order to increase animal numbers at the site to 8,000 milking cows and 300 beef cattle. 

The DNR has tentatively decided the permit can be modified to account for the proposed expansion. 

 Read the full story in the Nov. 26, 2009 edition of the Ripon Commonwealth Press.