Animal
Agriculture in Douglas County
Per most recent Douglas County Feedlot records, there remain 502 livestock farms in operation throughout the entire county. This includes dairy, beef, swine, poultry, and all other livestock sites down to 10 animal units (as few as 7 large livestock animals). 93% of these farms are owned by either an individual or family.
The average age of the principal operator of these farm sites in Douglas County is 55 years. There has been discontinuation of at least 86 livestock operations in Douglas County within the last decade. All of these farm operations are considered “feedlots”.
The County definition for the term “feedlot” matches that of the state agencies. In summary, a “feedlot” can be described as an area of land or a building where animals, mainly livestock, are confined over time with an accumulation of manure. A pasture may or may not be included under this definition based on a variety of factors including number of animals, time of year, landscape, type and amount of vegetation, to name a few. The majority of pastures do, at some point in the year, fall under the “feedlot” definition.
The MPCA requires that all feedlots over 50 animal
units (10 animal units for feedlots in shoreland zones)
register with their delegated county and update their registration
every four years. The registration process is fairly simple;
it requires that a producer provide information on the numbers
and types of animals at his or her facility. In addition, feedlots
are required to be inspected with their initial registration
and periodically after that according to the delegated county’s
work plan.
In addition to the MPCA rules, livestock operators must also follow
rules as determined by the Douglas County Zoning Ordinance which can be more defined than MPCA rules. These
rules are different for every zoning district. For more information
on Douglas County’s livestock regulations click on Zoning
For Animal Agriculture in the right side navigation bar.
As part of the MPCA's
Delegated County
Program, Douglas County
receives grants to
maintain feedlot
registrations and enforce
the MN Chapter 7020 Rules.
For
more information on
the County Feedlot
Program see Feedlot
Program Overview, a
publication by the MPCA.