A Marshall County Dairy Operation has taken the first steps toward making a multi-million dollar investment.
During Monday morning’s Marshall County Council meeting, Homestead Dairy appeared alongside Marshall County Economic Development Director Jerry Chavez to request a tax abatement.
Before that can be completed, though, Chavez says the Council must first resolve to designate the land an Economic Revitalization Area.
“Agribusiness is very important,” says Chavez. “We can see agribusinesses with not only dairies but also local farms.”
Once the ERA has been applied, the tax abatement can be implemented.
Homestead Dairy is operated by Floyd Houin and his brother after they purchased the land from their father in 1979. Right now, the dairy operation has the goal of investing $14-million into the property for buildings and equipment. The investment will allow them to increase their cattle under management and refortify their operations for future expansion.
Further, Homestead Dairy intends to run a pipe under U.S. 31 to prevent waste from the operation from being trucked on the highway. The piping is expected to eliminate nearly all of that risk and smell.
Houin says the upgrades are designed to move the operation forward over the next 20 years.
“In this project is a lot of the most current technology that’s going to give us the best environment that we can create for the cows,” says Houin. “Because the success of the dairy is how well the cows do.”
A public hearing on the tax abatement will be held at the next Marshall County Council meeting in September.
The Council designated the land an economic revitalization area at their meeting, yesterday.
