Is putting up a new swine barn in southwest Wisconsin national news? With all the important issues facing our world today, it doesn’t seem to be a pressing issue worthy of national media attention. So when the Associated Press released a story about Howard “AV” Roth’s plans to construct a new hog building, he admits he was a little surprised.
Roth plans to put up a 5,000-sow, farrow-to-wean building in Crawford County, a region known for its rolling hills and clear trout streams.
AV Roth’s family has farmed for five generations in southwest Wisconsin. Photo provided by AV Roth.
Although his permit was approved by the Department of Natural Resources to begin construction, it still found a way to make the news as some residents in Crawford County are concerned that liquid manure could be overapplied to fields as fertilizer and potentially seep into the groundwater, or run off the soil and into streams and rivers, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The DNR believes as long as the farm abides by its nutrient management plan, there should be no issues for water.
Roth, a fifth-generation farmer, says the last thing he would ever want to do is harm the water supply or the environment his family calls home.
“I was born and raised here,” Roth says. “I want my family to be here for another five generations to come. I care about the water just as much as anybody else does. I do everything possible to be able to do that.”
There’s no doubt hog farming has changed a lot in Roth’s lifetime, he says. Most of those changes have positively impacted the environment and communities around them.
The Roth family is taking part in an On-Farm Sustainability Report program to help measure progress in the area of sustainability. Photo provided by AV Roth.
“That’s one of the reasons pigs were brought inside, not only for the health of the land and the environment, but for the health of animals,” Roth says. Modern pig farming allows for better climate control on hot or cold days, in addition to helping keep disease out and protecting pigs’ health.
Sustainable pig farming is not only about the environment and water quality — it’s also about being profitable, he says.
“A person can take the best care of their land they can and if the next generation isn’t there because they can’t afford to do it, then what will happen to that land?” Roth asks. “For me, it’s about taking care of animals, the land, the community and the people I work with. I care about it all and do everything I can to protect it.”
To be more specific, Roth says that looks like following a nutrient management plan put together by a nutrient management specialist who abides by DNR’s rules and complies with their requirements for sampling, testing and tracking.
“It’s everybody’s job to keep the environment and the water clean. I hope people understand you can’t just point a finger at farming. I am not saying farming is free of problems, either, but that’s why we have to keep improving,” Roth says.
In an effort to be even more transparent about his farming practices, Roth is taking part in an On-Farm Sustainability Report, an opportunity offered by the National Pork Board to help farmers show progress taking place on their farm in the area of sustainability.
“I think it’s a great program,” Roth says. “The reports share information in a way that people outside of farming can understand.”
Request an On-Farm Sustainability Report here.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Pig Farmers Commit to Sustainability: Here’s the Proof
The Proof is in the Data, Minnesota Pig Farmer Says
It’s Time to Get on the Bus: National Pork Board Unveils Sustainability Goals
U.S. Pork Seeks To Reduce GHGs 40% By 2030, Announces On-Farm Sustainability Report For Producers
