LANSING — As 2026 begins, Michigan’s long-running debate over large livestock operations is heading back to court, with potential ripple effects for rural communities across the state, including Lenawee County.
The Public News Service is reporting that the dispute centers on updated state rules for concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, which would tighten limits on winter manure spreading and expand required buffer zones.
In December, the Michigan Farm Bureau and more than 160 livestock farms asked the Ingham County Circuit Court to block those rules, arguing they could threaten farm operations.
Dennis Kellogg, a Michigan small family farmer with more than six decades of experience, says the trend toward larger and larger operations is raising serious concerns about the future of farming.
Supporters of the rules say they are needed to protect water quality, while opponents argue existing regulations already go far enough. State regulators say they will weigh environmental impacts and public input before making final decisions.