What you Need to Know Before you Buy that Livestock Operation!
Nutrient Management Farm Feasibility Studies
Purchasing a livestock operation is a capital-intensive venture that requires careful thought and considerable due diligence. Our team of nutrient management experts have helped our clients save hundreds of thousands of dollars or more by conducting pre-purchase feasibility studies that look carefully at whether the operation you are considering meets the legislative requirements necessary for its intended use.
With our guidance we can discuss existing barn sizes and types, the storage size and type and at when existing barns were built and whether there is an up-to-date Nutrient Management Strategy in place. If there isn’t a current Nutrient Management Strategy, we can help you to determine what would be necessary in order to obtain one and at whether that would even be possible given the features of the site. We can also help you to look carefully at what would be necessary if your plans include the expansion of the existing operation and again, at whether that would be possible and at what cost.
We also look at proximity to sensitive features, confirm if the land is reported as tiled, and let you know about any potentially limiting factors for future builds (Is there a pond at the back of the property? How far do you need to stay away from it? If you build another barn is there enough room for a permanently vegetated area (PVA) to manage manure runoff or would they need to cover the storage, etc.)
We also look at Source Water Protection Mapping - this is a quick but important search to ensure that the property is not limited due to being in one of the prescribed activity areas of Source Water Protection. With Source Water Protection we look up the mapping and interpret whether the operation is in an area of concern.
If you are selling your operation we can also help you get your property ready so that any concerns outlined above, have been addressed so that, where possible, any issues that may prevent you from selling, have been addressed before you list your property.
Knowing what you are buying or selling before offers are submitted can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars or more!
What you Need to Know Before you Build
MDS I & MDS II
Another important study to undertake when buying or building is MDS I & MDS II. Taken from the OMAFRA website an explanation of MDS I & MDS II is as follows:
“The Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) Formulae are land use planning tools that determine setback distances between livestock barns, manure storages or anaerobic digesters and surrounding land uses. The objective of MDS is to minimize land use conflicts and nuisance complaints related to odour. MDS does not account for other nuisances such as noise or dust. MDS is made up of two separate, but related, formulae that act reciprocally to site both new development and new or expanding livestock facilities."
MDS I – provides the minimum distance separation between proposed new development and any existing livestock barns, manure storages and/or anaerobic digesters.
MDS II – provides the minimum distance separation between proposed new, expanding or remodelled livestock barns, manure storages and/or anaerobic digesters and existing or approved development.
Crop Quest’s team of experts can help you to calculate MDS I and MDS II, looking at potential housing locations, barn builds or expansions, and considerations when it come to lot severances and how that will affect future MDS considerations.
