What is a CAFO?

Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures, fields, or on rangeland.

Your operation is an AFO if:

You confine animals for at least 45 days in a 12-month period, and
There's no grass or other vegetation in the confinement area during the normal growing season

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are AFOs that meet certain EPA criteria. CAFOs make up approximately 15 percent of total AFOs.

Your operation is a CAFO if:

It meets the definition of an AFO, and
The operation meets one of the Regulatory Definitions of Large CAFOs, Medium CAFO, and Small CAFOs [PDF 26KB] About PDF Files

On Dec. 15th, 2002, the EPA Administrator signed revisions to the regulations for large CAFOs. Region 7 is one of the regions which will be most affected by these regulations. (Read more)

What is a CAFO?

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