Countywide

San Diego County supervisors on Wednesday agreed to consider a zoning change that would allow dairy owners to expand their herds to 10 times their current size.

Supervisor Paul Eckert proposed changing the allowed limit from 1 to 10 dairy cows per acre in areas zoned for light agriculture.

Most of the 32 dairy farms in the county already have more cows than the limit allows, but they are exempt from a zoning ordinance passed in 1975 because they were already in business at the time.

The issue arose after a Valley Center dairyman doubled the size of his herd in one day, from 200 cows to more than 400. His neighbors complained, but the county Department of Planning and Land Use refused to take action against the farmer because the policy was under review.