As concerned citizens of Cayuga County town of Montezuma, I would like to make the public aware of the proposed 2000 head CAFO in the town of Montezuma.

A farm this size is a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, also known as a CAFO. In these industrialized operations, the animals are held throughout their lives at high densities in indoor stalls until they are transported to processing plants for slaughter. The waste from CAFOs has been a long standing concern for many communities throughout the United States, with research that examines the affects of CAFOs to the surrounding communities within a two mile radius which include; The Impact of Waste from CAFOs on Water Quality, Airborne Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from a CAFO, and Community Health and Socioeconomic Issues Surrounding CAFOs.

These CAFOs have begun to infiltrate New York, and potentially Cayuga County, with regulations that are antiquated for this size of an industrial agricultural operation.

The citizens of Cayuga County need to be informed on how CAFOs can affect our community.

An informational session will be presented by Connie Mather, director of Neighbors United for the Finger Lakes (NUFF), for anyone interested in learning more about CAFOs at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27, Montezuma Town Hall, Dock Street, Montezuma.

Dan and Connie Randolph

Montezuma