Iowa Project Maps 11,000 Factory Farms, Linking Facilities to Violations

Sentient Media’s Inside Iowa project has mapped approximately 11,000 medium-to-large factory farms across all 99 counties of Iowa. John McCracken, a reporter, discussed the project, which estimates 126 million animals and 170 billion pounds of manure are managed annually. The map links these facilities to Iowa Department of Natural Resources records, including violations and proximity to waterways and flood zones. The project also featured a short documentary on the cancer crisis in Hardin County.

The mapping tool improves public access to information regarding the scale and concentration of factory farms in the state. This increased public scrutiny of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and environmental violations relates to regulatory oversight and public health concerns.