After four of 19 applications for factory hog farms were rejected by county supervisors in Franklin, Humboldt and Webster Counties, picketers gathered Saturday in the Glen Oaks gated community of West Des Moines where Iowa Select Farms owner, Jeff Hansen, lives. They were demanding he withdraw all 19 applications. Led by the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI), the picketers say that Hansen failed to respond to the request made by over 700 Iowans across the state. “We’re here to tell Jeff Hansen that he can’t just put up factory farms without a fight,” said Stacy Hartmann, a Dallas County resident, where Iowa Select has planned five farms. After picketing, the group went to the house of Bruce Trautman, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to deliver a letter demanding the agency extend their review period for the applications by 30 days. Although those three counties have rejected the applications, final approval lies with the DNR.
