SASKATOON – If pig producers want to prevent a big stink, they must be open, up-front and honest.
If they aren’t, the sensitive nose of the public will sniff out the most covertly organized new building or expansion plans and snuff it out, hog barn designer and consultant Miles Jorgenson told Saskatchewan pork producers at an industry meeting here recently.
“Although it gives you butterflies in your stomach to go out and talk to the public about your plans to set up a big pig operation … they will appreciate you for being honest,” he said.
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“They don’t like people to try to sneak in and try to put one over on them.”
Jorgenson said many producers have had extreme difficulties trying to build new facilities or expand standing operations. He offered examples of producers who ran into roadblocks as soon as local people discovered what the hog producer planned.
Jorgenson urged producers to be open with local residents from the beginning of any project to make sure problems don’t arise.
He said some communities, especially those with no previous hog experience, can be extremely apprehensive about the industry, and if the atmosphere is too hostile “the best thing in some situations is to walk away from that community or let it sit for a while.”
But if a community seems open to the idea of more local hog production and the producer begins working on a barn, he must provide lots of information to “pre-empt any sort of rumor mill, coffee row gossip.”
Any producer planning new hog production should let local people know how many pigs will be at the site, where the site is, and especially how much manure will be produced and what will be done with it.
“It takes a bit of guts to open your heart like that and reveal all your plans,” he said. “It’s often things you don’t want to reveal if you don’t have to. But if you don’t, if you try to keep it a secret, it’s going to backfire on you.”
Jorgenson said a good way for producers to share their plans is to have an open house, where the atmosphere is informal and local people can talk to project proponents in a relaxed environment.
“Espouse the economic benefits,” he said. “How many bushels of grain is this going to consume? Chances are the vast majority of the community are grain farmers. Their ears will really perk up with that.
“Although they still have some concern over the odor, they can’t wait to sell all their grain to this guy. The negatives will outweigh the positives.”
