When is our land, not our land?

[farmers_son]

odor from livestock facilities varies with management practices, air currents etc., and of course sometimes it is the 'eye of the beholder'. There was one study done with a newly constructed hog facility where neighbours were polled as to the odor on a scale of 1-10. Most of them rated the odor as high, when in fact there were no hogs as yet in the facility !!!
Minimum Distance Separation and adequate manure management are practices that mitigate the impact of odor on neighbours. I do feel that there are certain facilities that have a severe odor and of course it is not very pleasant to live close to them. You are correct when you say that urban folks don't realize that they, too, are polluters. Many of them do not realize the jobs created by spin offs from the livestock industry so of course they feel justified in complaining about the impact that industry has on their little corner of the world.

[cakadu]

Sadly, it is a case of pointing one finger outward, yet having 3 pointing back at yourself. The majority of urban folks likely don't realize that whatever runs down their storm sewers is NOT treated prior to going back into the river system. I'm not sure how much knowing that fact would stop them from doing what they do, but it may have some effect.

I don't for a moment think that we are free to do with our land whatever we want and I would agree with you that it is a misconception to think otherwise.

The other thing that I would add is that some of the decisions made by folks - whether it be urban, rurban or rural - sound good and work on paper, but in practice are a totally different story. Look at all the people that say they want the environment protected/preserved/conserved yet the number one thing that is picked up out of ditches are throw away coffee cups. You don't have to drive very far down a "rural" stretch of road to see all kinds of garbage strewn all over the place.

When a big event that attracts large crowds is over, ever looked at the amount of garbage that is thrown all over the place, left for someone else to clean up? Easy to talk the talk, not so easy (or desirable) to walk the talk.

For those of us who do try to walk the talk, that is not such an easy thing to do either.

[cakadu]

one of the largest costs to municipalities both rural and urban is solid waste disposal. In our county we have transfer stations in close proximity to hamlets where people take their garbage. Many folks drop by these stations on a regular basis checking to see what is in the 'help yourself' corner. Old lawn chairs, barbeques, kids toys etc. are left there daily and are usually gone within hours according to the lady that looks after the facility.
Now we have been advised that nothing but household garbage may be put into the bins or left on site. This means that any farmer that wants to dispose of baler twine must haul it to the landfill, spend half an hour waiting in line and put the bags of twine in the area that is designated for such items.

For many farmers in this area it means over an hours drive one way so I am willing to bet that a lot of twine will be either burned or buried on farms or left piled up somewhere ! There is a no plastic burning clause in our fire bylaw here.

As our population grows and more disposable items are available it becomes more of a problem. The ag industry isn't totally blameless either, plastic silage bags are a huge waste, and often near the farms of those that use the darn things pieces of these bags are found in ditches and on neighbouring property.

In urban centres grass clippings are hauled to the landfill when they could be easily used as compost at home.

Its a major issue and one that is only going to get worse.

[cowman]

Actually baler twine burns very well, gives off a lot of heat so what is the problem? Tired of paying $1/day to keep a cattle waterer from freezing up?
Everyday in Alberta millions of cubic feet of gas are flared off? Now that is okay...but it is some kind of big crime to burn a bit of baler twine? Give me a break!
Landfills in this country are a scandal! In Germany the traditional landfill is a thing of the past. Everything is either recycled or incinerated to provide energy. It's going to happen here eventually when people finally have to pay the full price to get rid of their garbage?
In reality paper and cardboard products in the ditch is a good thing? It breaks down into organic matter rather than go to a landfill and take up space! The only one it bothers is the people who spend their time looking in the ditch!

[cowman]

Many municipalities have a no plastic burning clause in their fire by-law cowman. If you consider what would happen if not only the rural folks but those within hamlets decided to burn plastic milk containers, and other plastic materials on a contual basis it could have a negative effect on air quality. Personally, I see no problem with farmers burning twine and other plastic materials as long as its done in a safe manner, but if I decide to do it here I am acting outside our municipalities bylaws and could get fined.

[cowman]

cowman, I have to add further comments. How would you like to live along a busy roadway where people threw their paper and other garbage into the ditch ? Bet your attitude would change if the paper were blowing into your yard !!
Our local landfill authority is having all sorts of problems coming to agreements between the rural and urban municipality on expansion, costs of operating transfer stations in the rural area etc. This landfill has cost millions, adding new lands and opening new cells etc. If the county in their wisdom decides to opt out of the agreement it will leave rural property owners and businesses paying a lot more for garbage disposal. At this time garbage is hauled over 100 miles into our landfill as a money maker when in fact it has only served to fill up the darn place and cause increased tipping fees for all users in order to develop further capacity.

I'm sorry don't understand your comment about being tired of paying $1 per day to heat the stock waterer. Please explain what burning twine has to do with that ?

[cropduster]

Back in the `old` days stock water heaters were small water proof stoves emersed in the water trough.You could use any flammable material in these things.One of my schoolmates tried to light one of these gizmos with some gasoline.....needless to say it did light...but just when he had stuck his face into the opening to see what was going on!!!!!!!!!His scabs healed over before the Christmas concert!!!

[cropduster]

I still have one of those tanks with a heater around here, it was purchased at a farm auction 30 years ago but the heater has never been used. Stock waterers are a lot more conventient although they are also a lot more expensive !!! Imagine your friend learned a good lesson about using gasoline as fire starter !!!

[cowman]

The only winter water I have available for cattle in my corrals is one large well insulated stock tank, serving three pens. The tank is fed from a hydrant that drains the water below frost level once you turn it off. No heated building for a pump, it is wired to a switch. Turn it on and it fills the tank, turn it off and it drains back down the hole. The tank is heated by a tank heater described above. Takes probably 5 minutes a day to maintain. We've got lots of wood around.
There is nothing more frustrating, in my opinion than dealing with a froze up cattle waterer at minus 40 with a south east wind!
My cow herd drinks out of flowing springs so it is only a couple of pens of calves(about 60) and late in winter maybe the bulls. I leave the bulls out with the cows until they start to calve.
This system works well for me as I believe it is less work and expense than messing around with frozen waterers and pressure systems.
Baler twine, used oil, all sorts of garbage go right into the tank heater.