After a process spanning over a year, Ridge Breeze Dairy in the Town of Salem saw the approval of its permit for expansion from a 1,700-cow dairy farm to 6,500. The Nutrient Management Plan for the project was submitted back in January 2024, and after a lengthy series of hearings and meetings, the Wisconsin DNR announced Feb. 21 that the permit was approved.

“We’re just very excited about the project,” Breeze Dairy Group CEO Gregg Wolf said. “Moving forward, we’ve always felt that this is a responsible growth plan, and we’re excited to see that the DNR, after really combing through it, and looking at it, and evaluating it, also came to that conclusion.”

Some members of the public pushed back against the passing of the permit, to which Wolf said they are aware of. Now, Ridge Breeze Dairy and the Breeze Dairy Group are looking to prove that they can be trusted.

“I know there’s a lot of concern or apprehension, and we feel it’s a very responsible plan,” Wolf said. “We know the microscope is on us, and we feel we have a good plan, and we’re good operators, and we’ll prove ourselves.”

A combination of state, county and DNR monitoring is a part of the post-permit process, and Ridge Breeze will also face the magnifying glass of some watchful public eyes.

At an August meeting, about 300 people registered online and another 140 flooded the Elmwood Village Office to provide public comment to the DNR. Many shared concerns of noise, road use and pollution of air and soil that Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) can have.

Wisconsin DNR CAFO Compliance and Enforcement Coordinator James Salscheider said the department has limits to which areas they can enforce and which they cannot.

“With our permit, we have a pretty narrow legal lane of authority that we can enforce,” Salscheider said. “The WPDS permit is a water protection permit. So, everything within the WPDS permit is tailored toward that. Some of the concerns that we typically field are traffic concerns, odor concerns, noise concerns, those are things that permit doesn’t have authority to regulate.”

Salscheider mentioned it is important to factor in public input where they can, but many of the areas of concern mentioned were not a part of the permit process.

“In terms of making the decision, our biggest factor is the application materials,” Salscheider said. “There’s continued monitoring, inspections, report review throughout the permit term that the department conducts to verify that they’re maintaining compliance with permit requirements.”

Wolf feels the approval for expansion is not just a positive for the farm, as there are community benefits packaged inside. Ridge Breeze sells milk to Eau Galle Cheese which is also in the process of expansion, he said. According to Wolf, the Eau Galle Cheese expansion may not have been possible without Ridge Breeze’s expansion as some dairy herds left the western Wisconsin area.

“They were concerned about having milk supply, and through working together simultaneously, they could grow their business and sell more great cheese,” Wolf said.

Wolf also cited the money paid to local farmers for their crops to feed the 6,500 cows.

“A lot of the dollars are spent locally with local growers, offering local farmers another market for their crops, hay and corn,” Wolf said.

Wolf said there is not too much alfalfa production in Pierce County, and they hope with the expansion that a market can get off the ground to grow it locally. Additionally, Ridge Breeze spends dollars locally on a variety of necessities and services including trucking and electrical work.

During the summer hearing, a handful of property owners came forward to share that their land was listed in the Nutrient Management Plan as a site Ridge Breeze could spread manure when they did not actually agree to that. The DNR requested Ridge Breeze get signed affidavits from operators of every listed field, which has since been completed.

According to Grass Roots Organizing Western Wisconsin community organizer Danny Akenson, the DNR said it would require Ridge Breeze to submit signed agreements with the landowners. However, they’re just requiring signed affidavits from operators, not landowners.

“We’re going to produce a locally organic source of fertilizer that’s cost-effective,” Wolf said. “As we’re seeing grain prices decline, property owners are under stress, so they’re excited to have access to Mother Nature’s most natural fertilizer that’s been around for thousands if not millions of years.”

The approval kicked off a 60-day window to contest where petitions can be sent to the DNR secretary office to contest or request a petition for permit review.

“Massive livestock operations like these tear up roads, contaminate water, and shut down small farms across the state, but this is just a bad permit for a rogue corporation,” Akenson said. “They operated a concrete factory without county permits, ignored DNR orders and have stated they won't comply with local ordinances. We will be taking the next 60 days to explore contesting the DNR's deeply flawed determination.”