The Lead Off

• A proposed egg farm in Defiance County that would house 210,000 hens is drawing concerns from nearby residents about groundwater, manure management, and increased truck traffic.
• M&D Farms is seeking approval to build the facility near Flory Road, with state officials scheduled to hold a public forum allowing residents to comment.
• Neighbors say they have concerns about water availability, runoff impacts, and whether local roads can handle additional commercial traffic.

Residents question impact of proposed egg farm

DEFIANCE, OHIO (WOWO) Residents near a proposed large-scale egg farm in Defiance County are raising concerns about potential impacts on groundwater, manure management, and road conditions as state officials prepare for a public forum on the project.

M&D Farms, owned by Mark and Diana Wachtman, is seeking approval to build an egg production facility off Flory Road that would house approximately 210,000 hens.

The proposal has drawn opposition from some nearby residents who say they are concerned about how the operation could affect existing resources in the area.

Neighbors raise groundwater concerns

Shirley Gebers, who has lived on Flory Road for nearly 70 years, told WTVG the proposed facility would be located directly across from her home.

“I appreciate the Wachtman family, but I just feel they’ve made the wrong decision to do it here,” Gebers said.

Gebers said one of her primary concerns is the impact the farm could have on her private well.

“I’m worried about my well. If it goes dry, I’m going to need a new well,” she said.

Neighbor Jason Rickenberg said water access is already limited in parts of Richland and Adams townships.

“Water is an issue here in Richland and Adams Township,” Rickenberg said. “The neighbors, many of them have ponds and most of them also have cisterns and wells because there’s so few water options.”

Rickenberg said many wells in the area produce about two to three gallons of water per minute and typically reach depths of 60 to 70 feet.

He said the proposed farm’s well would be deeper than 180 feet and would produce about 34 gallons per minute, based on information submitted with the facility’s permit documents.

Facility expected to use thousands of gallons of water daily

According to the facility’s permit to install, the proposed egg farm would use more than 13,000 gallons of water each day.

Deb Peter, Gebers’ daughter, said the projected water usage was one of the concerns raised by residents.

“When he first mentioned it, our first thing was, ‘Mark, we don’t have any water here.’ When we were growing up, our baths [had very little] water in the tub just because we didn’t have it to spare,” Peter said.

Manure management and runoff concerns

Residents have also raised concerns about manure produced by the proposed operation and the potential impact on nearby waterways.

Rickenberg said the facility is expected to generate more than 300,000 tons of manure annually.

“There are actually two creeks, the Benin Creek and the Bower Creek behind me that actually run about two miles to the east that actually dump into the Maumee River,” Rickenberg said. “So obviously we’re concerned about all of the runoff and things of that nature also that’s produced with the manure.”

The proposed farm would be subject to state regulations regarding manure handling and environmental protections.

Residents question road capacity and truck traffic

Some neighbors are also concerned about the effect increased truck traffic could have on local roads.

Aymie Barnes said area roads were not designed for the amount of traffic expected from a large agricultural operation.

“It just wasn’t built for that. Not that many trucks. We get semis when they’re hauling grain. Harvest season, we get semis, not so much during planting, but the summer harvest of wheat, winter harvest of beans and corn. But this, the traffic would be daily, nonstop,” Barnes said.

Rickenberg said information submitted with the farm’s permit applications estimates more than 800 semis weighing over 40 tons could travel on Defiance County roads as part of the operation.

Neighbors say concerns are about location, not owners

Residents said their concerns are focused on the proposed location and potential impacts of the facility, not on the Wachtman family.

“They’re good people. This is just unfortunately not a good idea,” Rickenberg said.

Rickenberg said he has spoken with the farm owners about the concerns raised by neighbors.

“I actually had a great conversation with them, raised the same concerns that I’m speaking with you about and they attempted to answer those questions,” he said.

Public forum scheduled on proposal

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is scheduled to host an open forum Tuesday, July 7, where residents will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed egg farm.

The forum is part of the state review process for the facility.

The Takeaway

• M&D Farms is seeking approval for a Defiance County egg facility that would house 210,000 hens, with residents raising concerns about groundwater use, manure production, and transportation impacts.
• Neighbors say water availability is already limited in the area and are questioning how the proposed facility’s estimated daily water use could affect existing wells and resources.
• The Ohio Department of Agriculture’s public forum will give residents an opportunity to provide feedback as the proposed egg farm moves through the state approval process.