Think Out Loud

New large scale industrial chicken farms draw fierce opposition

By Allison Frost (OPB)
June 6, 2022 6:29 p.m. Updated: June 6, 2022 8:18 p.m.

Broadcast: Monday, June 6

In this file photo, a truck enters the Foster Farms processing plant, in Livingston, Calif., Oct. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

In this file photo, a truck enters the Foster Farms processing plant, in Livingston, Calif., Oct. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Rich Pedroncelli / AP

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Three new industrial chicken farms proposals in the Willamette Valley have drawn grave concerns from residents and smaller farmers in the region. They say the chicken operations on prime farmland pose a serious threat to already limited water supplies and the environment. Eric Simon grows chickens at Simon Range, a chicken farm in Brownsville, and is close to getting all the approvals he needs for a large-scale operation in Scio. He says the new J-S Farm has environmental impact mitigation built into the planned facilities. Simon says he’s helping provide affordable food, a much needed commodity. Kendra Kimbirauskas raises livestock in Scio on a smaller scale and is one of the organizers of Farmers Against Foster Farms. She and Simon join us to share their perspectives.

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