Key Facts & Figures
March 1, 2023, Silver Creek Poultry, LLC submitted a Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) application to the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD).
The proposed factory farm is for 45,000-layer hens. 11,250 per barn will be 42 feet by 500 feet in size. The two manure barns will be 60 by 60 feet.
The factory farm would be located near 51501 Bakeman Road. There are families, children, family farms, the Sacred Heart of Mary church, a wedding venue, and a daycare near the proposed site.
Priest Lake, Magician Lake, Dewey Lake, and Silver Creek are less than 1 mile away.
Factory farms negatively impact public health, environmental quality, and local economies. These impacts occur up to 5 miles away, putting the vast majority of Sister Lakes at risk.
This factory farm will hurt every aspect of our unique, renowned community. We must do everything possible to stop it from happening.
The Red circle is a 1-mile radius, the Yellow circle is a 3-mile radius, and the Orange circle is a 5-mile radius.
Our Drinking Water, Not Theirs.
The Silver Creek Poultry Factory Farm will house over 45,000 chickens, resulting in 900 tons of manure a year.
Contaminated groundwater poses a significant threat to nearby residents as everyone uses well water for drinking. Viruses and bacteria in animal feces can leach into groundwater and survive in the soil for extended amounts of time, contaminating the drinking supply.
Ammonia from contaminated soil contributes to elevated nitrate levels in groundwater drinking supplies, which can pose a severe health risk to the community. If you live nearby, you should get your well water tested now. Please contact us if you have questions on how to do so.
Protect Sister Lakes Now.
Environmental and Public Health Hazard
Industrial poultry production (CAFOs) is widely known as a major environmental hazard. Research has confirmed that concentrated poultry production results in significant air and water pollution. Factory-style chicken farming creates greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication of nearby waterways, and large volumes of waste.
The public health threats posed by industrial livestock operations are so serious that in 2019, the American Public Health Association called for a moratorium on constructing new CAFOs until regulations and enforcement measures are strengthened to protect the public sufficiently.
Air quality
Any of the following pollutants can have devastating health effects, resulting in chronic and acute conditions, including bronchitis and asthma in children, heart disease, and lung cancer
Poultry production releases significant airborne emissions of:
Ammonia (NH3)
Methane,
Sulfur dioxide
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
Particulate matter (PM), including PM2.5,
Airborne nitrogenous compounds (e.g., nitrogen dioxide)
Water Quality
Imagine a Sister Lakes community, rife with dead fish, algal blooms that prevent swimming and boating, and not being able to sit on your deck because of the smell of manure.
Current practices used to manage livestock wastes do an insufficient job of protecting rivers, streams, lakes, and other water bodies from contaminants present in chicken waste. Nutrient levels present in the surface waters surrounding factory farms contribute to oxygen depletion, killing aquatic life and aquatic vegetation and permanently affecting their biology. These nutrient levels contribute to the formation of algal blooms, cyanobacterial growth, and shifts to noxious phytoplankton species.
Moreover, the large volumes of waste produced by chicken farming are associated with elevated health risks for nearby residents because poultry by-products typically contain pathogens, such as:
Avian Influenza virus
Salmonella
Campylobacter from contaminated blood, flesh, and feces.
Decreased property values for their bottom line.
As a community with high property values, this is a huge concern. The National Association of Realtors sees large decreases in property values from factory farms.
“According to a multitude of studies conducted since the late 1980s, the construction of a CAFO lowers the home and land values around it. A 2015 publication found that properties located within three miles of a CAFO lose up to 26% of their value, and neighboring houses, those within .25 miles, lose up to 88%
In fact, it is estimated that CAFOs around the United States have reduced property values by twenty-six billion dollars as of 2008.”
“We’re all for farmers. We know all the farmers in the area, we love them. This has nothing to do with them. This is a whole different thing. This should not be done. This should not be done to a community.” -
Candy Young, Sister Lakes Resident
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What happens if the state approves the GAAMPs?
Residents that have property within a half mile of the location will be able to submit an appeal for up to thirty days after the farm’s approval. We need to support this group of people that have the opportunity to help us all.
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Make your voice heard.
We need EVERYONE to contact decision-makers and representatives at every level in Michigan to let them know the harm this would cause our community. Share your concerns, your story, and why the community, environment, and economy of Sister Lakes are important to you.