Riverview

Overview:

Minnesota’s largest dairy entity, Riverview LLP, has proposed the state’s first livestock operation exceeding 26,000 animal units—an unprecedented concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) housing nearly 19,000 dairy cattle at a single site. At more than 60 times the size of the average Minnesota dairy, this Riverview proposal represents a fundamentally new threat to the environment and rural economies.

In June, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency failed our state when it refused to require a full environmental impact statement (EIS) for Riverview LLP’s massive West River Dairy expansion. That decision left Stevens County families, farmers, neighbors, and local officials to face the risks of an operation that would hold more than 26,000 animal units without the full review this project demands. Now the responsibility is here at home: our local elected officials must step up to protect the people, land, water, and future of Stevens County.

On Monday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m., the Stevens County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at the Morris Senior High School Auditorium (201 S. Columbia, Morris, Minn.) to review Riverview’s conditional use permit application.

This hearing represents the last chance to provide formal public comments related to this factory farm expansion — and we need to show up, be heard, and be seen. A massive turnout will make it clear that Stevens County residents are watching, organized, and ready to hold local officials accountable.

Ways To Take Action Right Now:

Attend in person: Be at the Morris Senior High School Auditorium next Monday by 7 p.m., and stand with your neighbors against this expansion.
Speak up: Share your concerns directly with the Planning Commission during the public hearing portion of the meeting. If you are considering attending, please sign up here so the Land Stewardship Project can get in touch with you.
Submit written comments: If you cannot make it, e-mail your comments in advance to rebeccayoung@co.stevens.mn.us, or mail your comments to 400 Colorado Ave., Morris, MN 56267 (Attn: Rebecca Young).
Sign the Petition: Sign this petition asking the Stevens County Board and the Stevens County Planning Commission to make sure that important questions are answered related to this proposal’s impacts on water, community, and land.
Place a Yard Sign: LSP has created yard signs to place at your home or place of business to signify your position on this project and visibly let local officials see how big of a footprint our opposition fills. Fill out our yard sign request form here.

LSP is following the Riverview situation closely and will be providing regular updates. If you would like to be included in those updates, sign up here:

ANIMAL AG UPDATE SIGN-UP

About Riverview LLP:

Riverview LLP, based out of Morris, Minn., is one of the largest milk producers in the country. The firm now owns 16 permitted dairy CAFOs in Minnesota alone, and these facilities house a total of more than 135,000 cows, according to the Star Tribune. That accounts for nearly a third of the state’s entire dairy herd. Riverview also has a major presence in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Riverview’s Market Concentration
• Riverview LLP operates 16 large-scale dairy facilities across Minnesota, collectively housing approximately 135,000 cows.
• This concentration represents roughly one-third of Minnesota’s total dairy herd, all under the ownership and control of a single entity.
• Notably, the 14 largest dairy operations in the state are all owned by Riverview, including at least one facility with a herd exceeding 12,000 cows.
• The proposed West River site would surpass all existing operations in size, making it the largest concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) ever constructed in Minnesota.

Impact on Family Farms
• In 1995, Minnesota was home to approximately 9,000 dairy farms, reflecting a widely distributed, family-based agricultural economy.
• By 2025, that number had fallen to just 1,605 farms, illustrating decades of accelerated consolidation within the dairy industry.
• Today, the average Minnesota dairy farm maintains a herd of about 274 cows.
• In contrast, Riverview’s combined operations are nearly 500 times larger than the state average, placing them far outside the scale of traditional family farming and fundamentally altering the structure of the dairy sector.

Jobs and Local Economies
• Riverview estimates that the proposed 18,500-cow facility would generate approximately 40 permanent jobs.
• By comparison, distributing the same number of cows among farms of average size could sustain roughly 70 family-owned dairy farms — each supporting local suppliers, schools, service providers, and rural communities, and contributing to a more resilient local economy.

Riverview’s West River Dairy CAFO Proposal:

Extraordinary water use threatens local resources: The proposed Stevens County facility would be permitted to pump up to 226 million gallons of groundwater per year and would use a total of 319 gallons per year according to their permit application, nearly rivaling the nearby city of Morris’s 300 million‑gallon annual limit for a population of over 5,000 people.

Massive manure production poses contamination risks: The expansion would involve 250 million gallons of liquid manure storage and require spreading waste across 13,200 acres of farmland, increasing the risk of runoff and groundwater pollution.

Sensitive and already impaired waters are at risk: The site lies within the Pomme de Terre River watershed, near eight protected wildlife and waterfowl areas, and close to waterways already listed as impaired by the MPCA.

Critical groundwater data is missing: Stevens County lacks a completed County Geologic Atlas, meaning key information about aquifers and groundwater vulnerability is not yet available to guide permitting decisions.

Documented compliance and pollution concerns: In February 2025, Riverview reported a manure spill at its Pennock, Minnesota facility, raising concerns about operational safety and spill prevention.

History of excessive water use: Riverview recently agreed to pay $11 million to Arizona residents after the state’s Attorney General found the company had over‑pumped regional water supplies.

Calls for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Land Stewardship Project and others argue that an EIS is essential to fully assess environmental risks, evaluate alternatives, and identify mitigation strategies before permits are approved.

Legislative momentum supports stronger review: Proposed Minnesota legislation would require an EIS for feedlots with 10,000 or more animal units, directly relevant to this project.

Pattern of controversial expansion: Riverview’s rapid growth across the Upper Midwest has sparked opposition, including lawsuits in North Dakota over water‑quality impacts of large dairy proposals. Similar concerns have already delayed Riverview’s 25,000‑cow proposal in South Dakota, underscoring unresolved questions about environmental and regulatory impacts.

Over the past five years, the Land Stewardship Project has been building a farmer-led campaign to address this consolidation problem and to take action. Our goal is to stop the problem in its tracks and build a better system of animal agriculture in Minnesota that helps small and mid-sized producers get a fair shake, keeps the land and water healthy, and puts more farmers on the land. Right now, that work involves pushing back against this unprecedented operation.

Support our work in keeping more farmers on the land and keeping Big Ag accountable by becoming a member here.