County approves permit for Schwartz Farms swine operation

Rock County Commissioners recently approved Schwartz Farms’ request for a conditional use permit to increase the number of swine in an existing barn in Luverne Township.
No building addition is planned at the site, but the permit would allow the Pleasant View facility to operate at its maximum number of animals when needed, as the coronavirus pandemic demonstrated last year.
Kevin Barnhart, business developer with Schwartz Farms, said the request for the conditional use permit at the barn comes after pork processing plant closures during COVID-19 outbreaks.
He said Schwartz Farms’ just-in-time production created a housing issue when the mature hogs could no longer be taken from the barn as the new feeder pigs were ready to enter.
The barn was built in 2014 to hold 1,089 animal units or 3,630 hogs.
However, Schwartz Farms only filled the barn with 990 animal units or 3,300 head, as was permitted six years ago.
“We actually built the building with more square footage than what we needed,” Barnhart said.
“Having the ability to overstock the barn was a godsend, and we had a place to go with those pigs (instead of euthanizing).”
With packing plants now back to production capacity, the Luverne Township barn has returned to the original permitted levels.
The new conditional use permit will allow Schwartz Farms to add 330 more animals to the barn in case another production interruption occurs in the future.
No one from the public brought issues to the Jan. 11 public hearing for the Schwartz Farms conditional use permit request.
Members of the county’s planning and zoning commission recommended the County Board approve the permit request.
Commissioners approved the request with a 4-0 vote. Commissioner Jody Reisch was not at the meeting.
Seven conditions were placed on the new permit including following all state and federal guidelines under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.