Hand County Commissioners are approving a 9,000 head hog confinement for Ratio LLC.
It’s the first such approval of an animal feedlot aided by the state’s livestock development program. That program reverts taxes collected on the project back to the county.
According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the county could receive up to half a million dollars in incentives from that state program.
JD Wangsness is the Hand County Commission Chair. He says the incentive program didn’t come up during the meeting.
“I’m sure there will be some more development for finishing and things like that,” Wangsness says. “Until we see requests for that I really can’t say. I see a lot of potential for the future, whether it’s a feed mill, or our commodities used locally, there’s a lot of upside to it.”
Wangsness says the commission voted 4 to 1 in favor of the feedlot. He says commissioners were focused on the company following county ordinance.
He says the county placed additional conditions on Ratio LLC’s permit, like well-water rights, a Department of Environment and Natural Resources permit and tree buffer zone.
