Article excerpts:

“The Oregon Department of Agriculture has rewritten its regulations on dairies, following pushback from some small farmers.

Previously, the ODA had warned some dairy farms that they could face fines if they failed to register as Confined Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs.

In a memo from last year, the agency said several raw milk producers were ignoring the registration requirement, creating environmental concerns and generating complaints from other dairies.

However, critics argued the state’s criteria was too broad, and would have saddled small businesses with regulatory requirements meant for large-scale farms. This included a plan for wastewater management…”

“…State officials ultimately didn’t move forward with their plan to fine the dairies, and have instead developed new criteria for the CAFO program.

On Sept. 25, the state adopted the final version of these rules, which includes a more narrow definition of confined feeding, with more exemptions for small farmers”.

Link to article: HERE