New website launched as hub of information on Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) in Indiana

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The majority of the 41.5 million chickens and 10.5 million pigs sold each year in Indiana are raised in confined feeding operations (CFOs).  About 2,000 CFOs are currently operating in Indiana, and the farms are regulated by standards set by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Where exactly a new CFO can locate within a specific county also can be dictated by the county’s zoning ordinance.  

In response to the growing interest about CFOs, Purdue University’s Department of Animal Sciences launched a new website to serve as a portal for information about CFO standards and regulations in Indiana.

The CFO website, which is located at https://ag.purdue.edu/cfo, will provide updated information for people who are involved in CFO regulation, including county plan commission members, boards of zoning appeals, and planning professionals. It also will be of interest to environmentalists, Purdue Extension educators, and the general public who want more information about CFOs, according to Paul Ebner, associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences in Purdue’s College of Agriculture.

The comprehensive website includes descriptions of county and state regulations pertaining to CFOs in Indiana, tools for planners involved in CFO siting or ordinance development, and information on current issues related to CFOs.  The site also contains new research conducted at Purdue that analyzes and compares CFO ordinances across all 92 Indiana counties. 

“Purdue has a lot of information about CFOs and we’ve provided a centralized resource for that information. This also helped us identify gaps in CFO knowledge and where we need new or additional research,” Ebner said. “In the end, we hope that Hoosiers can use the information on the site to make informed decisions on matters that impact their communities.”

To visit the website, go to https://ag.purdue.edu/cfo 

Source: Paul D. Ebner, pebner@purdue.edu, (765) 494-4820

Writer: Shari Finnell, sfinnell@purdue.edu,  (765) 494-2722

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-8415;
Shari Finnell, Manager/Media Relations and Public Information, sfinnell@purdue.edu  
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