Krochmal Farm Owners Answer Odor Complaints Before Board of Health

Owners and staff members of Krochmal Farms appeared before the Tewksbury Board of Health Thursday night to respond to the latest wave of odor-related complaints directed at the farm.

According to board records, complaints included reports that the odor in the area near the farm was "just impossible" and "brutal," according to specific callers.

The farm was hit with 28 complaints in the month of August, bringing the total for the year to 115, according to board records.  Saying the farm had received just two days notification of hearing,  John Michael Cave, son of farm owners John and Jan Caves,  stood up to ask why an emergency meeting of the Board of Health had been called.

"This is not an emergency meeting; this is our regularly scheduled meeting," said Board of Health Chairman Ralph McHatton.

"This is not accusatory," added McHatton after giving the farm representatives time to defend themselves.

Other board members present included Director of Public Health Lou-Ann C. Clement, Mary Ellen Fernald and Edward Sheehan. 

Krochmal Farms held its second annual Krochmal Cares for Kids Fundraiser for young cancer patients last Sunday and reported that they received no complaints from the hundreds of people who spent the afternoon partaking in live music, food and games to raise money for three young, local leukemia patients.

The Children's Hospital Blood Mobile blood donation van also attended the event to take blood donations and agreed to return to the farm for future fundraisers.

The farm is also gearing up for its annual Pumpkin Festival, their busiest time of year.

Jennifer Nagle, a spokesperson for the farm, explained to the board members that residents are being encouraged and provoked by the town of Wilmington and tewksburyodor.org, a website that is critical of the farm, to complain as often as they can to the Tewksbury Board of Health.

According to Nagle, the town of Wilmington is attempting to use the Tewksbury Board of Health to shut the farm down and take over its property. Wilmington is "telling Tewksbury residents to contact Wilmington with odor complains," said Nagle.

Krochmal Farms is located in both Tewksbury and Wilmington, and Nagle believes Wilmington is attempting to promote complaints to eventually take partial control of the farm.

Records that the farm requested showed that many individual complainers left multiple complaint messages within a short time span long after office hours when no board member could answer. Each of these complaints is being counted among the 115 complaints of the farm in 2010.

Nagle also highlighted other nearby sources of odor that could be the reason for all of the complaining, such as a biomedical center within two miles of the farm, a location that tests products on rats, swine and monkeys.

Nagle pointed out another possibility.

"Fields within two miles of us, not at all associated with Krochmal Farms, use human manure," she said.

Krochmal Farms now owns a new, $30,000 odor management system that they believe cuts down on the amount of odor emitted from the farm.

"When you get complaints, ask them to call us," said Nagle, who believes that she can personally investigate the odor situations if brought specifically to her. She went on to claim that 90 percent of complainers who dealt directly with her were satisfied and had no reason to complain further after meeting with her.

Board members  explained that it is not practical to have every single complainer contact the farm directly, as residents still have the right to anonymously complain to their local Board of Health.

"We're doing everything we can," Nagle told the board.

Resolution of this matter does not appear imminent with controversy between Krochmal Farms and the Board of Health increasing. Board members did indicate they would investigate allegations that Wilmington officials were provoking and encouraging complaints.

The hearing became heated between farm representatives and McHatton. McHatton had previously made a complaint about odor in the neighborhood of Krochmal Farms without referring to the farm specifically. This made things personal between the two parties.

McHatton drives near the farm every day with his son and never complained about the odor, but called his own board to complain about odor while driving between exits 41 and 42 on Interstate 93.

"So, you lied," accused John Michael Cave.

"No, I didn't lie," responded McHatton in a tense moment in the auditorium. Both parties were visibly upset with each other.

The next Board of Health meeting will be held at the Town Hall auditorium on Oct. 7. The agenda can be found online as it becomes available at http://www.tewksbury.net/Pages/TewksburyMA_HealthAgenda/ .