Walkin down the dusty gravel road with my walk'n stick [a new rake handle] talk'n to my Lord as I mosey'd along, it didn't take long to reach my destination. Down at the end of this little road was a larger "blacktop" road that snakes it's way to the river bottoms and across a new bridge over that river. By the time I reached the end of this little road I was rather "winded" and mosey'd over to the ditch bank and had a "setdown" for a spell. The walkin stick helps an old dude to get up and down and kinda usin it as a crutch I guess. Well anyhow, just across the blacktop road is a hog factory contain'n about 6000 head of feeder pigs. In my own little world of rest'n it became apparent real quickly that I wouldn't be able to rest very long there. Those squeal'n pigs, bangin of feeders, automatic windows openin and then the stink! Wow!

Water tables that are laced with hog manure should be a crime. The stink is bad enough but when the water supply is affected then somebody needs to do something about it. I've tried and the EPA just kinda looks at me funny and say's "well, he's legal"! Others say "let farmers farm"! I agree with that last statment but-----these "johnny come latelys" move'd in and started this hog operation without even tellin others what was goin on. We soon found out and it was too late by then. I don't consider him a farmer--just a sharecropper for the big businesses that run these hog operations.

Not all in this life is as it should be and, of course, won't be until we have leadership that's fair and just.

No human can be that objective and I know it. I may be an old dumb hick but I do know some things. Jesus Christ is the fair and just one and He's coming back real soon for His own. Ya'll have a nice day. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), May 04, 2001

Answers

Hoot you remind me of my Grandpa from Wyoming (he actually settled in Denver ). Simple, to the point and resourceful.

If they hauled the manure out for farming, would it ease the problems?

May the Lord keep you well,

Rick

-- Rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), May 04, 2001.

Rick! They do spread the liquid onto the farmground nearby. When they do that it's really unbearable to have an east wind then. All doors, windows closed tightly and no outside work/play or anything until the wind changes and spreading is stopped. The chemicals in the feed compounds the problem also. When that many animals are penned up it's really bad. We used to raise hogs outside on the ground and they never stunk like these confinded hogs. Overcrouding is the main culprit---along with GREED!

Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), May 04, 2001.

Hoot,

i agree things aren't always as they should be...and the reality of "modern" hog raising in places like that are a nightmare. They do attempt to keep a "clean" environment for the animals in their little metal strait jackets. But all that stuff they wash out ends up in a lagoon and eventually into the groundwater. Too bad they didn't have to give notice and intent. Here is WY you do...if you're going to put in a commercial pig farm like that. Sorry it ruins a nice setting and that you have to endure it.

-- Deborah (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), May 04, 2001.

Hoot:

I find it a bit amusing people want to move to someplace with no zoning, so they can do whatever they want with their property. However, when a hog farm moves in upwind, their attitude on zoning suddenly changes. One can't have it both ways.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 04, 2001.

The ATTRA site has information about operations as you described. I was researching more info on vermicomposting when I read their site. Some folks set up with hog farms to process the pig manure solids and reduce contaminant levels of the liquid holdings through use of commercial grade compost processing systems in greenhouses. They contract to the meat producers for a fee and also sell the vermiproduct and reduce pollution levels of the local environment some. Go to www.attra.org and look under vermicomposting for the info if your interested in reading more about it. I know its like grasping a straw when yo see something like that , but an entire meadow can spring from a single blade of grass too. Hope it gets better there.

-- Jay Blair in N. Al (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 04, 2001.

I believe the real problem is that people keep buying what these large production places produce. As long as there's consumer ignorance and demand, there will be someone trying to make as much money as they can supplying the products with little or no thought to the consequences. We are only on this earth for a short while and though we're suffering from it, it is our children and theirs that will truely suffer. I am glad that I won't be around to see what future generations will have to deal with and how they'll think of us and what our generations have done to the food supply and the environment.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), May 04, 2001.

Hoot I certainly do sympathize. I know of what you speak....We have a agri-business hog farm not too far from us. Half the farmers want it gone and half feel threatened that they might be next. While it dosn't impact us directly, it does my friend who lives a 15 minute walk away. When the wind is blowing the wrong way.....you have to run for the house, It's truly awful! They are one house away from the "farm". The poor people who live next door to it woke up one morning to see a giant structure (that houses up to 5000 hogs)about 50' from the property line which is about 100' from their house. They couldn't even sell their house at auction. There have been a few town meetings on it and all that was acomplished was that he dosn't seem to transport or dump the sludge in extremely hot weather. All I can personally do....?? Buy pork from a neighboring farmer, don't support the big name companies.

-- Judy in Md. (trailhppr@msn.com), May 04, 2001.

Well, this is really wishful thinking, but anyone who eats pork (or any meat) should be required to view the operation from whence it comes -- that would wake a lot of people up really fast! :-(

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), May 04, 2001.

Hoot, I don't like to say anything "religious" on this forum because it sometimes starts something----But: If you and 4 to 9 people from your church (or any church), went down to the hog factory and just prayed together that the thing would "go away," you might just really get rid of it. I don't mean break the law, rebel, yell, carry signs, block the road, or anything like that. I mean just go down there and pray. If you see the "pig people", just tell them "God Bless You." If you could get "you know who" on your side, there's no telling what might happen. He doesn't like pig farms either. If nothing else, you'd get to spend a lot quality time with the Lord. That might be better than getting rid of the pig farm. Eagle say, "God Bless You" and keep on

-- eagle (eagle@alpha1.net), May 06, 2001.

"when a hog farm moves in upwind, their attitude on zoning suddenly changes. One can't have it both ways."

I believe in live by the sword, die by the sword.

But creative homesteading is hardly comparable to making millions at the expense of the locals' water supplies.

-- Rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), May 06, 2001.

Jay Blair just may have the answer for us. What we want, is a clean environment, so why sit around and wiat for it to happen? this overabundance of nutrients in one place, which is viewed as a burden for the business which produces it, can be the basis for another business to process it into clean, environmentally-friendly stuff to make a profit on!

Why not sign a contract with that hog operation to take their wastes for a fee (they pay you of course.) and then you take that manure and compost it, and sell it by the ton to those who are desperate to upgrade their cropland?

Seems to me we should be looking for oportunities here, instead of just sittin around complainin.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), May 10, 2001.

Daffodylllady! Your suggestion sounds good but----the manure is in liquid form and impossible to compost. Even if it was possible to compost why in the world would anybody want to buy it when hog factories are very plentiful in this whole area and would be glad to give all you want. They will even knife it it your farmground for you. Personally I don't want the stuff on my farm because of the chemicals in the feed which migrates to the manure. The owners are not about to pay anybody to take it away as they spread it on their farmland to dispose of it. I also assume you've never been around a hog factory. After awhile the farmground that's been used for a dumping ground becomes dead and will not even grow weeds. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), May 10, 2001.

umm, no, I generally stay away from places that stink so badly that I can hardly breathe. lol I guess I was just trying to find a way to be creative about the problem...

I still am.. seems to me there has to be a way... If they can take city sewage and treat turn it into "drinking water" (YUCK!) why cant we somehow take control of this situation instead of demanding someone else to do it? And a good businessperson could find a way to make a profit in the meantime.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), May 11, 2001.