Nebraska


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Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition (NEAC)

This grassroots organization works tirelessly to prevent the expansion of CAFOs in order to preserve Nebraska’s natural resources, family farms, and rural communities. As dedicated advocates of community empowerment, NEAC activists strive to give citizens a voice and to provide them with opportunities to be part of solutions for positive change.

Information and Resources

America’s Animal Factories: How States Fail to Prevent Pollution from Livestock Waste

This Natural Resources Defense Council report describes the environmental and public health impacts of pollution generated by factory farms. Includes activist contacts and resources.

Anti-Corporate Farming Laws in the Heartland (1997)

Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Works to help create a rural community and agricultural structure that is economically viable, environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and sustainable. (University of Nebraska.)

Impact of Anti-Corporate Farming Laws in Nebraska

  • By 1979, almost 20% of the state’s sow herd was in corporate operations and one corporation, National Farms, Inc. was planning to increase its annual marketings by 365,000 head (a 6% share of Nebraska total production).
  • Nebraska’s share of the national hog slaughter has increased, has retained more pork producers than any other leading pork producing state; far larger percentage of operations with under 1000 head of hogs and far more of its hog inventory on those smaller farms.
  • The number of Small Sales Class farms increased from 11,200 to 14,000 farms (1993-1998); Middle Sales Class farms fell from 27,800 farms to 22,600 farms; Large Sales Class farms increased from 17,000 to 18,400 farms.
  • Source: Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund.

Nebraska district proposes stricter farming practices to deal with groundwater quality problem

A local natural resources district is proposing stricter control of farming practices to deal with nitrate-contaminated groundwater in Holt and Antelope counties, where it could take 40 or 50 years to bring nitrate levels down. (US Water News, December 2002.)

State Information

Provides state legislative information along with documents related to state and local government. (Washburn University School of Law.)

US Farms – State Fact Sheets

Links for each state, with current information about farm size, financial status, rural employment, land use, and more. (USDA.)

State and Local Government

Groups

Center for Rural Affairs

Committed to building communities that stand for social justice, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship. Offer many types of publications for a nominal charge, including information about livestock, sustainable agriculture, impacts of technology, beginning and family farmers, and rural communities. (Based in Nebraska.)

Deaddrift.com

Protecting, against long odds, big money and state agencies’ ineptness, one of Nebraska’s few class A trout streams. Involved for about 1 1/2 years in a struggle to stop a dairy expansion on the watershed.

Friends of the Constitution

A Nebraska coalition that promotes and defends Initiative 300, the state’s constitutional prohibition on corporate farming.

Plains Justice

A Great Plains public-interest law center working as advocates for clean, safe, and healthy communities. They’ve recently release a report titled “Public Heath and Livestock Confinements: Identifying Threats to Human Health” that’s a valuable resource to anyone dealing with the effects of CAFOs in their community.

The Great Plains Environmental Law Center (GPELC)

This non-profit public interest law firm provides research, organizing, and legal assistance to help communities protect their natural resources and quality of life from the devastating impact of industrial livestock operations. The GPELC also created the Living Farms Initiative which promotes sustainable agriculture by linking sustainable meat producers in the Omaha/Lincoln area with consumers who want to purchase these meats.

Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition (NEAC)

This grassroots organization works tirelessly to prevent the expansion of CAFOs in order to preserve Nebraska’s natural resources, family farms, and rural communities. As dedicated advocates of community empowerment, NEAC activists strive to give citizens a voice and to provide them with opportunities to be part of solutions for positive change.

Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society

Promotes an agriculture that builds healthy land, people, communities, and quality of life for present and future generations.

Regulations

Nebraska Livestock Legislation 1999

Summary of what Legislative Bills 822, 870, and 835 mean to livestock producers. (University of Nebraska-Lincoln.)

Protecting Initiative 300

Analysis, summary, text, and factsheet about Nebraska’s anti-corporate farming law. (Center for Rural Affairs.)

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to the Management of Wastes

From the Nebraska DEQ.

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Livestock Waste Control

From the Nebraska DEQ.

Title 130 Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Livestock Waste Control

From the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

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