From: roxann <roxann AT ancientearthwisdom.com>
If this was limited to CAFO's I wouldn't have an
issue with it. 50 cows in a 1/4 acre feedlot is very
damaging to the environment. Even so, the fees in this
proposal are outrageous. But 50 beef cows spread out on 200
acres should not be the same scenario. Factory farms are not
the same thing as homesteads or family farms, or even large
farms. But it certainly would bankrupt a lot of our food
suppliers and we would be importing more food, which I think
is not a good thing. But if it encouraged more small farms
to supply our food demand, it would be a good thing. The
chicken barns out here in AR, where Tyson is king, are
beginning to install air cleaners so that air released to
the environment is cleaner. If you've ever walked or
driven past a barn being 'aired out' you might not
eat chicken any more. To expect farms to grow food in a
responsible manner, for the animals, a quality product, and
for the environment is not asking too much. Without
regulations, corporations just seem to be interested in the
profit and those pesky regulations are merely hassles.
Something does need to be done about it, but I don't
think taxes are the answer. We have a hog grower out here, a
factory farm, and they have a huge sewer system installed to
treat their effluent water. One of the ways they keep it low
on bacteria is to pump tons of antibiotics into the hogs so
that their guts are sterile. Might not want to eat pork
anymore now, either. But at least their effluent is cleaner,
bacteria-wise. The nitrates are still out of the roof,
though. This is not a family farm, but a factory farm, and
the two need to be categorized differently by the government
and regulating agencies.
Roxann, NW AR
http://blog.ancientearthwisdom.com (Ozark Musings from the
homestead)
-------Original Message-------
From: bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>
Subject: [Homestead] You think they won't tax your
homestead...............
Sent: 05 Dec '08 13:56
I saw a similar article last week about small farmers in
rural NY protesting about this very same issue. They
will t*x our spit if they can figure a way. This is
just a proposal, likely to fail at first, just like all
other t*xes started out as a 'likely to fail'
proposal....
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