Submitted by Danny Akenson, Field Organizer, GROWW
PIERCE COUNTY, WI – In June of 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rejected most of a factory farm’s request to spread manure on land in Pierce County. The factory farm, Ridge Breeze Dairy, had submitted over 2,600 acres for approval—but the DNR only approved about 600 acres. This decision came after a public hearing and comment period in March that was attended by Pierce County residents concerned about the harm that could be done to water quality if these acres were approved.
Following the public hearing, the DNR found that some testimony provided warranted further action. In the determination letter for the proposal provided by the DNR, it states “Department and county staff investigated fields that had been identified in the comments as having significant erosion. Approximately 2/3 of the acreage included in the original application was removed or rejected due to erosion and fields not meeting tolerable soil loss.”
“We are glad to see that the DNR took our comments seriously and rejected these problematic fields,” said Danny Akenson, field organizer for Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW). “It shouldn’t be left up to volunteers and residents to watch after Ridge Breeze in order to protect their water and their homes. If not for the testimonies submitted, these acres could have been rubber stamped. Ridge Breeze needs to be held to a higher standard. They are putting profits over the health and safety of our region.”
A week after the determination, Ridge Breeze resubmitted the fields, claiming the problems had been fixed. Local residents will be requesting a second review of the fields.
GROWW members have been organizing in opposition to Ridge Breeze’s expansion for two years, while calling for more stringent regulations of large corporate agribusiness operations like Ridge Breeze. In April, GROWW, along with five individual Pierce County residents, took legal action to block a DNR permit that would allow Ridge Breeze to expand its herd from 1,700 to more than 6,500 dairy cows. Nonprofit law firm Midwest Environmental Advocates is providing legal representation in the permit challenge.
Meanwhile, GROWW members are also organizing throughout Western Wisconsin to bring local Operations Ordinances to towns in the area. The ordinance addresses various holes in state regulations where factory farms like Ridge Breeze are unregulated. The Town of Maiden Rock passed the ordinance in 2024 and several other local towns are now exploring the ordinance.
GROWW is a grassroots organization based in Western Wisconsin. Together, we work toward a future where we all make ends meet, live with dignity, and have a voice in shaping the decisions that impact us. To get connected or learn more about GROWW, visit us at GRO-WW.org, on Instagram at @GrowWisconsin, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/GROWWisconsin.
