An appeal with the Indiana Office of Environmental Adjudication by Carroll County landowners trying to stop a dairy from being built in northern Carroll County was postponed Monday.

Administrative Law Judge Mary Davidson assumed jurisdiction over the appeal of the Vreba-Hoff Carroll County Optima Dairy hearing.

Optima Dairy will be a 2,200-head controlled animal feeding operation at CRs 100N and 300E.

A conference call was held with attorneys for Vreba- Hoff/Optima, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and the petitioners, Bob and Bobby Shaffer, Walt and Eva Keller and Dr. Tom Anderson. By mutual agreement, Judge Davidson cancelled the hearing scheduled for Sept. 16, 17, 18, 22, and 23 and reset the hearing for Jan. 12-23.

"The petitioners were fully prepared for trial, with strong evidence to present," said the petitioners' attorney Courtney Justice. "The judge's fourmonth postponement was completely unexpected."

The petitioners are all members of a citizen action group called We Americans Love Our Land.