Minnesota Town Debates Massive Dairy Farm Expansion

Nonprofit raises alarm over proposed 140% increase in operations and environmental concerns

Mar. 29, 2026 at 10:00am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a pastoral countryside scene with rolling hills, distant barns, and a faint silhouette of a dairy cow, all in soft pools of warm color and light, conceptually representing the environmental concerns surrounding a proposed dairy farm expansion.An environmental nonprofit fights to ensure a massive dairy farm expansion doesn't come at the cost of the region's natural resources and rural character.Morris Today

A Minnesota nonprofit, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), is advocating for a comprehensive environmental review before West River Dairy is allowed to expand its dairy operations by 140%. The proposed expansion would create the state's largest concentrated animal feeding operation with around 19,000 cows and necessitate pumping 226 million gallons of water annually, raising concerns about the impact on local communities and protected wildlife areas.

Why it matters

The unprecedented scale of the proposed dairy farm expansion has sparked concerns from the LSP and local residents about the potential environmental and community impacts, including water usage, manure management, and proximity to protected wildlife areas. The nonprofit is pushing for an Environmental Impact Statement to fully understand the consequences before any permit approval.

The details

West River Dairy, led by agribusiness giant Riverview LLP, aims to expand its operations in Stevens County, Minnesota by 140%, hosting about 19,000 cows and developing over 13,000 acres to manage manure. This would make it the state's largest concentrated animal feeding operation. The expansion would also require pumping 226 million gallons of water annually from a well, which the LSP noted is close to the 300 million gallon annual limit for the nearby city of Morris (population 5,000).

  • The public comment period on the proposed expansion ends on April 9, 2026.
  • The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will decide whether to require an Environmental Impact Statement.

The players

Land Stewardship Project (LSP)

A Minnesota-based nonprofit organization advocating for the comprehensive environmental review of the proposed dairy farm expansion.

West River Dairy

A dairy company in Minnesota that is proposing to expand its operations by 140%, which would make it the state's largest concentrated animal feeding operation.

Riverview LLP

An agribusiness giant that leads the West River Dairy company.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The state agency that will decide whether to require an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed dairy farm expansion.

Morris, Minnesota

A city of 5,000 people near the proposed dairy farm expansion site that is only allowed to pump 300 million gallons of water per year.

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What they’re saying

“The unprecedented nature of this proposal requires the most accurate examination possible of the potential impacts it could have on our land, farmers and rural communities.”

— Sean Carroll, Policy Director, Land Stewardship Project

“It is irresponsible to other water users and residents of the area to move forward with this permit without a full understanding of the potential impacts.”

— Sean Carroll, Policy Director, Land Stewardship Project

What’s next

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will decide whether to require an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed dairy farm expansion after the public comment period ends on April 9, 2026.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing tensions between large-scale industrial agriculture and local communities concerned about the environmental and resource impacts. The Land Stewardship Project is pushing for a comprehensive review to ensure the expansion does not come at the expense of the region's natural resources and rural way of life.