Surviving Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

I missed a day and a half on here, and I don't think I have enough time to catch up on the over 75 messages since I was on last. I hope everyone is enjoying and taking advantage of this lovely weather!

The tracks @Ralphie look canine to me also. I don't agree that it is mink since they are much smaller than these ones. Mink and weasels are about the same in my book and better off NOT on my property.

I went to a meeting last night concerning a 4700-hog operation that is proposed to go in about a mile and a half or so up the road. The township doesn't want anything to do with it and its 3.7 million gallon manure pit, so I am going to be out collecting more signatures this week so we have a good force of folks to get our township ordinance well supported. The operation trying to run this through don't even leave in our township, but they don't mind dumping their waste in our water and stinking up the area. I raised pigs, and one is bad enough, but that many????? No way, Jose!

 

[KlopKlop]

I missed a day and a half on here, and I don't think I have enough time to catch up on the over 75 messages since I was on last.  I hope everyone is enjoying and taking advantage of this lovely weather!


The tracks @Ralphie look canine to me also.  I don't agree that it is mink since they are much smaller than these ones.  Mink and weasels are about the same in my book and better off NOT on my property.


I went to a meeting last night concerning a 4700-hog operation that is proposed to go in about a mile and a half or so up the road.  The township doesn't want anything to do with it and its 3.7 million gallon manure pit, so I am going to be out collecting more signatures this week so we have a good force of folks to get our township ordinance well supported.  The operation trying to run this through don't even leave in our township, but they don't mind dumping their waste in our water and stinking up the area.  I raised pigs, and one is bad enough, but that many????? No way, Jose!

Good luck with that. There has been a 5-6 year battle going on down here on a feedlot that went up by dodge center. The permit was granted in a fly by night fashion that was a bit under the table without the input of the community so it has been back and forth

 

[jerryse]

Not a good pic . Me in harness on roof . Umm after the fall .

 

[jerryse]

No deer seen . I went to swap camera cards and buck scent slapped me in the face . Very strong odor . Think I will sit in another stand this evening .

 

[duluthralphie]

Not a good pic . Me in harness on roof . Umm after the fall .

I thought you were lying in snow there for a second...

 

[duluthralphie]

I am going to take a different view on the hog operations than the two of you.

The smell from these operations are less than the old family farm pig yard of the past. There is less pollution from these large producer than most small producers. If you have water pollution in your streams look at the family farm that is exempt from regulation. The large operations have liquid manure systems are required to work the manure into the ground when applied. They have 1/4 mile set backs from streams. There can be no run off.

A family farm that is exempt can lay the manure on the top of the ground 50 feet from a stream and wait for the rains.

This applies to chickens. pig or beef, we cannot feed the country if we do not have these operations. They bring a tax base to rural areas. They bring jobs to the area, they allow local supply merchants to stay in business.

I understand NIMBY and participate in it. That does not make it a logical position.We lost most of our family farm to a federal wildlife area. The land was taken, one of the things the supporters said, was it is a remote area near but way outside the residential areas. As soon as the wildlife area became reality people surrounded it with their 2 acre ranches.

Airports and freeways the same thing people protest them, when they come into existence they move right on top of them. Rural areas are areas that should have farms. These places are just farms. you may not like the size of them, but they are farms. If we did not have them 3/4 of the people in the country would starve. The cost of living would be enormous.

My response to people not wanting farm operations in rural areas is simple. Stay in the city. There will never be a livestock operation in the city. Other than scale what difference is there between these operations and the protesters and the neighbor that "female dog's about your rooster crowing in the morning and wants it gone?

Sorry, I cannot agree with you two on these items. Please do not let that hurt our relationships.

BTW the ones in Dodge Center could very well be my relatives. I know the misery they went through putting them in. Their family has farmed there for generations. They had two choices expand or go bankrupt. The hoops they had to jump almost bankrupted them.

 

[jerryse]

Okay more thoughts on cabin . I could do each rooms walls in a different species of wood . Oak , ash , birch , popple , pignut hickory , black walnut , black locust are possible choices . I could get a Norwood mill without hydraulics and power feed the 36 is a nice one . I could add features as DW warms up to the idea . Until then a little more effort on my part but hey I am used to hard work . This could be worth keeping when I pass on . My monument so to speak . I know I could mill enough in two weeks for the basic cabin . 3 days work for the mills with power feed and hydraulics . I would have to roll the logs manually on the mill without hydraulics but a loggers cant makes that not so hard . Well the roof is still wet but sun should come out later . I can fill the dumpster until then . Burning daylight .

 

[KlopKlop]

I am going to take a different view on the hog operations  than the two of you.

The smell from these operations are less than the old family farm pig yard of the past.   There is less pollution from these large producer than most small producers. If you have water pollution in your streams look at the family farm that is exempt from regulation.  The large operations have liquid manure systems are required to work the manure into the ground when applied. They have 1/4 mile set backs from streams. There can be no run off.

A family farm that is exempt can lay the manure on the top of the ground 50 feet from a stream and wait for the rains.

This applies to chickens. pig or beef, we cannot feed the country if we do not have these operations. They bring a tax base to rural areas. They bring jobs to the area, they allow local supply merchants to stay in business.

I understand NIMBY and participate in it.  That does not make it a logical position.We lost most of our family farm to a federal wildlife area. The land was taken, one of the things the supporters said, was it is a remote area near but way outside the residential areas. As soon as the wildlife area became reality people surrounded it with their 2 acre ranches.

Airports and freeways the same thing people protest them, when they come into existence they move right on top of them.  Rural areas are areas that should have farms. These places are just farms. you may not like the size of them, but they are farms.  If we did not have them 3/4 of the people in the country would starve. The cost of living would be enormous. 

My response to people not wanting farm operations in rural areas is simple. Stay in the city.  There will never be a livestock operation in the city.  Other than scale what difference is there between these operations and the protesters and the neighbor that "female dog's about your rooster crowing in the morning and wants it gone?

Sorry, I cannot agree with you two on these items. Please do not let that hurt our relationships. 

BTW the ones in Dodge Center could very well be my relatives.  I know the misery they went through putting them in. Their family has farmed there for generations. They had two choices expand or go bankrupt. The hoops they had to jump almost bankrupted them.

I'm actually in Agreement with you in most points. Regulations are strong for large operations, I know the troubles my uncle has to go through with his turkey operation. The money they had to spend on environmental studies and water run off etc before they could even start...
I'm not opposed to the feedlot I mention, just meant to point out the long battle that may ensue if they want to fight it and they get their permits. I think as long as a farm is honest in their permitting process and takes into account their neighbors that operations are fine. You definitely aren't wrong about tax income for a county either as long as some sort of tax break deal set up

I've got 4 or 5 operations within a couple miles of me and I rarely see, hear, or smell any of it. Usually only when the closest one is loading out hogs do we really notice anything

 

[duluthralphie]

I'm actually in Agreement with you in most points. Regulations are strong for large operations, I know the troubles my uncle has to go through with his turkey operation. The money they had to spend on environmental studies and water run off etc before they could even start...
I'm not opposed to the feedlot I mention, just meant to point out the long battle that may ensue if they want to fight it and they get their permits. I think as long as a farm is honest in their permitting process and takes into account their neighbors that operations are fine. You definitely aren't wrong about tax income for a county either as long as some sort of tax break deal set up

I've got 4 or 5 operations within a couple miles of me and I rarely see, hear, or smell any of it. Usually only when the closest one is loading out hogs do we really notice anything

Sorry. I misunderstood her.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Jerry Glad to see you harnessed in.
When dealing with larger health systems: too many cooks in the kitchen: = lots of messed up communication. Not good. It down right ticks you off. Because we are a ways away from our healthcare and because I've had an insider look at how these operations run, I'm constantly hand-holding with calls until the point I get there. A person shouldn't have to hand hold with unified record keeping (computers) these days, but there you have it.

I even had a foul up at my local chiropracter. 2 people working in the office. The chiro and her secretary. Went to her for nutrition testing. I did the testing and she wanted an hour to discuss results. Secretary gave her 15 minutes. I looked at her and said, you and I will have to wait then until I can take another day away from work. 35 minutes one way drive, appointment, drive back...takes a chunk out of my day. I like the chiropractor, but I will not bend to timing issues, and let this one blow off...when I know I need to eat more friggin' salad. I have not gone back. Disgusted. I'll let them stew on it a bit.