This reporting project was made possible by a grant from the Fourth Estate Fund.
Part I — CAFO Country: Touring NC's hog and poultry operations from the air
North Carolina is a national leader with more than 8 million hogs and close to a billion chickens and turkeys in production. Most are raised on an industrial scale, in what are known as "concentrated animal feeding operations," or CAFOs. They produce tons of waste, alter the landscape, and present new environmental challenges. Environmental reporter David Boraks has more, in the first of four stories in WHQR's series "CAFO Country."
Part II — CAFO Country: As hog and poultry operations spread, so do concerns
In 2007, North Carolina permanently banned new or expanded hog farms that collect waste in lagoons and spray it on fields as fertilizer. The idea was to shift to cleaner disposal methods at these concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. But apart from experiments with converting swine waste to biogas, little has changed. Meanwhile, the more lightly regulated poultry industry has exploded, prompting new concerns about poultry waste.
Part III — CAFO Country: A visit to the biggest U.S. hog-producing county
This week, WHQR is exploring the growth and impact of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in our series "CAFO Country." As we reported, eastern North Carolina is a national leader for hog and poultry operations, which bring billions of dollars to the state. Today, reporter David Boraks tours the front lines where neighbors worry about air and water quality. And he hears from industry officials who argue that North Carolina has some of the strictest rules in the country.
Part IV — CAFO Country: Down on the farm, a different view of CAFOs' impacts
The growth of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, has changed the landscape of eastern North Carolina in recent decades. Big companies now depend on North Carolina farmers to supply the hogs, chickens, and turkeys that wind up on grocery store shelves. But what about the farmers? In the final segment of our series "CAFO Country," reporter David Boraks visits a farmer in Goldsboro who has taken over and expanded her family's farm.
Part V — CAFO Country: A conversation with journalist David Boraks
All this week, WHQR has been airing episodes of our series, “CAFO Country,” taking a look at concentrated animal feeding operations. WHQR’s Ben Schachtman sat down with environmental journalist David Boraks, who reported and produced the series, to recap the big takeaways.
