Planning panel backs after‑the‑fact feedlot expansion with 1,568‑animal cap

The Morrison County Planning Commission on July 7 recommended that the county board approve an after‑the‑fact conditional‑use permit allowing an existing dairy operation to expand from a tier 3 to a tier 4 feedlot, subject to five conditions including a cap of 1,568 animal units and required MPCA permits.

Amy, land‑services staff, told the commission the application requests expansion to 1,568 animal units and described two infrastructure projects — relining two existing manure pits and expanding the north liquid manure pit — plus a proposed 60‑by‑100 stacking slab for sand and bedpack drying. "The applicant is requesting an after the fact conditional use permit to continue the expansion of the dairy feedlot to tier 4," Amy said during her staff report and recommended conditioning the permit to limit the operation to the applicant‑requested animal‑unit number.

Applicants David and Jesse Brucher answered commission questions about manure management, pasture seeding and storage. David said the herd grew over time rather than being purchased in a single event: "it isn't like we went out and bought a bunch of cows. It just kinda grew," he told commissioners. Applicants said they use about 1,374.16 acres for manure application and that, on paper, the upgraded pit would be rated to serve roughly 1,200 cows for nine months, with the full expanded storage estimated in the range of 10–11 million gallons.

Commissioners pressed for limits to prevent unchecked growth inside tier 4. Several members said they preferred using the applicant's explicit requested maximum rather than the tier‑4 ceiling of 2,500 animal units. The commission agreed to five written conditions read into the record by Amy: (1) seed the berm before construction commences, (2) cap animal units at 1,568, (3) calf hutches must meet setback from the road/right‑of‑way upon completion of pit construction, (4) the north lot shall be maintained as pasture, and (5) obtain an SDS (construction/stormwater) permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

The feedlot officer confirmed MPCA oversight and permitting requirements, and staff noted the MPCA has initiated permitting and corrective actions related to the expansion. Darv Keer, a Ripley Township supervisor who visited the site with another supervisor, spoke during public comment and said the township supports the application.

After answering the five statute‑based criteria in the affirmative, the commission voted unanimously in roll call to recommend approval of the conditional‑use permit to the Morrison County Board of Commissioners; the recommendation will be considered at the board meeting on July 14, 2026.