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I'm with you plowman, and also agree with not using too much fertilizer, but so are most farmers. They certainly don't want to spend more than they have in fertilizing. But that's just not the case. Most already work within the state dept's of Ag for field managment. It's not fertilizer that comes in a bag, that they want to control. It's fertilizer that comes out of the cows, pigs & chickens. Like I think I may have said previously in this thread, part of the plan is to house as many animals together and collect the manure throughout the winter so that the state can mandate when and how much is put on the fields. It's a bad idea. They also want to control, tax and profit from all human waste control by mandating central collection and treatment with more chemicals. And if you won't hook up, they'll tax you for that too. It's about money.
I know of no excessive reliance on fertilizer due to no till. There are those that use excessive amounts to produce higher yields.
And a lot of the effort to save the bay centers on using watershed buffer zones to stop the flow of nitrates into the waterways. Not a bad practice.
I had a client in Jefferson county with a dairy operation. Zero pasture ground, all dairy cows fed on bought hay and silage. The entire farm was one, giant, manure pit. That's a problem and I don't care how you justify it. He couldn't afford to reduce his herd because of $$. He needed every cow producing to make it. That was his management plan with all the 'authorities', mainly to ensure repayment on the loans. Had big plans to use the manure for other purposes but can't afford the means to get it done, so status quo she goes.
But the bigger point is you can't afford one party the right to make money (dairy farm) at the expense of the other (watermen).
I had a client in Jefferson county with a dairy operation. Zero pasture ground, all dairy cows fed on bought hay and silage. The entire farm was one, giant, manure pit. That's a problem and I don't care how you justify it. He couldn't afford to reduce his herd because of $$. He needed every cow producing to make it. That was his management plan with all the 'authorities', mainly to ensure repayment on the loans. Had big plans to use the manure for other purposes but can't afford the means to get it done, so status quo she goes.
But the bigger point is you can't afford one party the right to make money (dairy farm) at the expense of the other (watermen).
You've made a good point. Why would someone want to be a dairy farmer (at all with Aldi & Walmart selling milk @ $2.29/gal) but not have enough pasture land? I drive by a dairy farm like that, probabaly that one, every day and want to swear off drinking commercially produced cow's milk because of it. Maybe it was government interference that produced the problem in the first place by tampering with the market. The evolution of milk pricing and subsequently farming as an industry just might be what has forced farmers to need more cows than the land can handle, and why the dairy cattle we have now produce such un-naturally high volume.
Also, why are there so many milk (and corn) byproducts used in foods most would never think of them being used in? Maybe governemt programs paid for with our tax money encourage overproduction then fund research to come up with ways to use the surplus? It's a sad cycle.
I think that a return to the days when many folks had their own cow, goat or sheep to produce milk just might be a good thing. But if the EPA and the CBF get their way, it will be illegal or too costly to own livestock and we will have to continue to rely on the megafarms for our food or maybe we'll be getting our milk from China like everything else. Take a look at the frozen vegetables in the grocery store. Most are now from China or Mexico.
I agree that the system is broke, but I don't think green groups or government enitities are going to be the ones to really fix it.
I agree- the greenies shouldn't dictate all the policy. However if there are better methods for domestic production that can also benefit other downstream (pardon the pun) issues then we should aim for them.
Hey- I'm a hunter, I've put up my fair share of hay and slaughtered my fair share of hogs and cows, so I'm not a greenie. But I also understand the benefits of clean water and productive water assets. I'm not ashamed to say I'm a conservationalist in that regards.
(Edit- as a matter of fact Thursday, Friday and Saturday I'll be in Jefferson County hopefully doing my part to reduce the ungodly amount of does on my friends farm. )
I agree- the greenies shouldn't dictate all the policy. However if there are better methods for domestic production that can also benefit other downstream (pardon the pun) issues then we should aim for them.
Hey- I'm a hunter, I've put up my fair share of hay and slaughtered my fair share of hogs and cows, so I'm not a greenie. But I also understand the benefits of clean water and productive water assets. I'm not ashamed to say I'm a conservationalist in that regards.
(Edit- as a matter of fact Thursday, Friday and Saturday I'll be in Jefferson County hopefully doing my part to reduce the ungodly amount of does on my friends farm. )
Hunters aren't greenies? I've never heard that. I can't think of anyone much greener than a hunter.
Most 'greenies' don't want you to hunt bambi's. At least the one's I've met before.
I guess that might have been true at one time. Most greenies are in favor of locally raised beef, chicken, and goat. Goat is showing up on a lot of menus because it is easier than beef to raise. Town and city ordinances are being changed so chickens can be raised. There is a whole new generation of hunters out there. Hunting is the ultimate in locavore eating.
Hunters also supply a huge chunk of the money it takes to keep our forests. You're meeting the wrong greenies. As a group they have a vested interest in keeping our forests pristine.
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