By: Chad Wallace, Food Systems Policy Director
“…I am told—don’t know this as a fact, but I’m pretty sure it’s right—if those exhaust fans shut off, within ten minutes or so, those hogs can be dead.”
–Sharon DeWeerth, Landowner in Marshal County
Relatively unheard of outside rural Illinois, a deadly industry wreaks havoc on the environment, public health, and the future of family farms. Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) spill pollution into the land surrounding them. They’re notorious for causing air and water pollution, harmful algal blooms, antibiotic resistance and water scarcity. In fact, “livestock factories” may be the most accurate way to describe them.
“Illinois EPA doesn’t really have regulations with any teeth,” says Danielle Diamond, attorney and co-founder of the Illinois Coalition for Clean Air and Water. Millions of pounds of nutrient runoff from CAFOs harm those in the immediate communities where they are located. They also harm rivers and wetlands downstream throughout the Mississippi River watershed.
In my work as Food Systems Policy Director at IEC, I set out to find folks in rural Illinois living on the frontlines of these livestock factories. I hoped to learn if anyone succeeded in preventing one from setting up shop and, if so, how they got it done. In October 2023, I met a tenacious farmer and her neighbors. They took on the agriculture industry—and won.
Finding Leading Community Voices
“I found out what could happen and…I was scared to death with what this could do to my community, to my neighbors, to my family.
– Sharon DeWeerth
To find these folks, I spent a fair amount of time researching the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) informational hearings on siting for industrial livestock operations. I hoped to use the hearing transcripts to gather insight into who was already leading the charge against these facilities. Some of the hearings were several hundred pages long and filled with concern, fear, and unanswered questions. One particular hearing in June 2019 from Marshal County caught my attention.
This public hearing was the last one held by IDOA on industrial livestock operations. As I read the fairly heated transcripts, several landowners stood out to me as key community members. The decision was made and I was off to Marshal County to try and locate the folks who were so vocal about this issue in their community.
What Happened to the Factory?
From the transcript, I knew where the proposed facility would be located. That’s where I intended to start. Surprisingly, I could not find it. At one point, I remember thinking if nothing else, I should be able to smell it; This particular project was to be a sow operation. I knew I had to be close, so I started turning into driveways, knocking on doors, and making new connections. I had names from my research, so I hoped that someone would answer with a name I recognized.
You meet some great people in rural Illinois. The conversations I had were informative and quite interesting. I soon discovered that I was a couple country blocks from the proposed site and realized that the sow operation was never actually constructed. Over the two days I spent in the county, I talked to several of those involved in the hearing that started my journey. As I neared the time I planned to head home, there was still one person I had not been able to connect with.
Are You For or Against CAFOs?
Her neighbor told me she lived in a “house across the field and creek there to the north.” I stopped by several times, missing her every time. I decided to try once more. No answer. Then I noticed someone on the other side of the driveway. I walked over and asked if they knew Sharon DeWeerth. Lucky for me, he said, “Yes. I’m her son.”
I explained what I was doing and why I was hoping to talk with her. I also told him how hard it had been to find her at home. He explained that she kept pretty busy. She was always helping someone get to an appointment or just whatever they needed help with. He offered to call her to let her know that I was hoping to meet her. At one point, while he was on the phone, he asked, “Mom wants me to ask if you are for or against the CAFOs.” I chuckled to myself, thinking this lady was not going to talk to just anybody. I quickly responded that I was definitely on her side. She said she was getting her hair done and had to run an errand for someone and she would be back to the farm in about an hour and a half. Perfect. So I waited. Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait.
A Fight for Survival
“Delving into the CAFOs and all that went on, and the damage that they could do to my community –our community –I couldn’t let that go. And I didn’t let that go…”
–Sharon DeWeerth
Sharon gave me the entire story that evening in her kitchen. She shared the material that she and her friends had gathered back in 2019. We looked at the 75 signatures they collected from neighbors that they needed to force a Livestock Management Facilities Act informational hearing, the articles written in the local paper about the project, the content she presented when she attended an IDOA meeting, and documentation of her visit with legislators in Springfield. We had an incredible conversation.
Due to the group’s engagement with the CAFOs industry and its issues, we asked them if they would be interested in helping IEC by telling their story. They agreed. Meeting Sharon was a great and moving experience. What’s concerning is that Sharon isn’t alone. There are folks throughout rural Illinois with fears about factory farms just like Sharon.
Many things came out of this initial meeting with Sharon and her friends: A story map, which we’re using to educate Illinoisans and decision-makers on issues within the livestock industry, and policy solutions that could help others who find themselves in a situation similar to those in Marshal County. We all want to restore the public’s voice in this process—a process frequently overshadowed by the might of the agriculture industry.
Building Power in Illinois’ Rural Communities
Over the past two years, IEC has laid an important foundation through extensive outreach and coalition-building in rural communities that have been negatively affected by CAFOs. Rural residents and their concerns about CAFOs are silenced due to the current regulatory process.
In Fall 2024, we launched the Illinois Livestock Reform Coalition. This is a space for community members to share their own CAFOs impact stories. In the long term, IEC sees this effort as an essential step toward building power in Illinois’ rural communities. Folks in these communities care deeply about their families and friends’ livelihoods, the long-term success of their own farm operations, and stewardship of the land. However, these priorities are not represented by their lawmakers, who are often beholden to powerful agriculture industry interests rather than those of the family farmer.
Together, we’re collaborating on policy education, grassroots advocacy, and direct lobbying in pursuit of legislation that restores the public’s voice in the process and reduces harm caused by CAFO operations.
I’m definitely looking forward to my next county visit to meet with even more folks. You just never know the story you’re going to hear until you knock on that door. No one can tell these stories better.
Click here to see our brand new, interactive story map. You’ll get the scoop on the dangers of livestock factories in Illinois and dive deeper into Sharon’s tale of victory.
About the Author
Chad Wallace currently serves as the Food Systems Policy Director at the Illinois Environmental Council. In this role, he meets and strategizes with rural landowners and residents throughout Illinois who are impacted by the adverse effects of industrialized agriculture. In addition, he works closely with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and currently serves as their Executive Board of Directors President.
VIDEO: Sharon DeWeerth and her friend Vicki Waldschmidt reflect on the letter Sharon submitted to local papers to raise awareness of the threat of livestock factories.