The Davison County Commission yesterday approved a conditional use permit and variance request for the expansion of a concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO, south of Mitchell. Jackrabbit Family Farms applied for the permit and variance for their CAFO located about ten miles south and just over a mile west of Mount Vernon.
Marty Rost with Pipestone outlined the current operation. He says there are two gestation barns that house about 5,680 sows and gilts, a farrowing barn that houses about 936 animals, a gilt developer barn that houses about 1,200 head, an office building, a compost building, and a tractor shed.
He then explained their expansion plans, which includes adding one gestation barn and one farrowing barn, expanding the gilt developer barn, and expanding the compost area.
The conditional use permit and variance requests were approved unanimously by both the Davison County Commission and Davison County Planning and Zoning. The project is expected to be completed in January of next year.