By Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel

The operators of a Fond du Lac County dairy farm are asking for state
approval to double the size of their herd to 8,000 dairy cows, making
it the largest dairy farm in Wisconsin.

The Department of Natural Resources said Monday that it will hold a
public hearing on Dec. 3 to accept comment on the farm's spreading of
manure on agricultural fields in the vicinity.

Rosendale Dairy, in the Town of Rosendale, needs the DNR's approval to
expand.

The agency has made a tentative decision to approve the expansion and
has written an environmental analysis of the project but is listening
to comment first.

Rosendale is part of a growing trend of large-scale dairy farming in
Wisconsin. Once farms reach the size of 700 cows, they come under
regulation for the waste their animals produce. Operators must file
plans showing that the manure won't harm surface or groundwater.

The farm represents a $70 million investment.

Manure from 8,000 cattle would produce 92 million gallons of liquid
waste annually.

The hearing will be 5 p.m. Dec. 3 at Royal Ridges, 1 Westgate Drive,
Ripon.