Counsel helps family farmers battle noxious "factory" hog farms

Law Reporter, Jun 2003

Finding that Iowa Select had acted with willful and wanton disregard for the families' rights, the jury awarded each couple $8 million in punitive damages, bringing the total award to over $33 million. Under Iowa law, 75 percent of the punitive damages award was to be placed in a civil registration fund administered by the state. The parties subsequently entered into a confidential settlement.

Plaintiffs' expert in this case was Ron Miner, agricultural engineering, Corvallis, Oregon.

Defendant's experts were Dwaine S. Bundy, agricultural engineering, Ames, Iowa, and Fred Greder, land appraisal, Mason City, Iowa.

Reflecting on this case, Lipps said the outcome was a victory for family farmers, "who seem to be able to raise livestock without polluting the environment. The defendants had all of the money and power of the factory farm industry behind them. For these four families to take on Iowa Select, it was truly a David and Goliath thing."

LF