To the Editor:

In 1993 when I retired as County Extension Director in Dickinson County and my wife retired as Health and Wellness Coordinator for Berkley and Company we decided to purchase an 80 acre farm in Liberty Township that had been in her family since 1893. It was like coming home since we both grew up in Renwick.

When a 1.2 million bird laying operation was to be built less than a mile south of us we decided to join with our neighbors and fight against it. That’s when we heard about Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI). They are a non-profit organization that fights for social and economic justice for the good of all people. We were involved in helping the citizens of Mason City in stopping Prestage.

If you want to hear how people feel about the Prestage slaughterhouse I would suggest you go the Mason City Council website and view the May 3 video of the council hearing where they voted no on the proposal.

I have been involved with farmers and agriculture all my life. My sister and I still own our family farm in Boone Township. It concerns us greatly that the State of Iowa and the Wright County Board of Supervisors would promote an out-of-state corporation into our area to implement an industrial model of livestock production that destroys the land, water, air and quality of life of those next to it. They did the same for Jack DeCoster and where is he now?

Jim Yungclas

Grinnell