A federal district court judge says medium sized concentrated animal feeding operations are required to have an environmental assessment if they want a loan from the Farm Service Agency.
Michael Formica, the chief legal strategist with the National Pork Producers Council, says this could make it more difficult for young and beginning livestock farmers to build barns.
“This loan program is important. We want to encourage people to get involved in agriculture.”
In 2016, FSA adopted a rule exempting certain livestock facilities from environmental assessments.
