Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning.

Posted by Hal/WA on April 10, 2003 at 00:45:53 from (208.8.194.28):

In Reply to: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. posted by Deas Plant. on April 09, 2003 at 12:28:50:

The farmers have had an organization for a number of years that has fought the burn ban every way they could think of in courts and also in the court of public opinion. They have consistantly lost.

The farmers have made what I thought was a very well thought out, logical argument as to why they should be allowed to burn. To me the most compelling part of that argument was that the technique of raising grass seed allowed the farmers to not till their land anywhere nearly as often, which cut down on dust pollution and the semi-permanent sod really cut down on soil erosion from water and wind.

I believe that a farmer deserves to be able to make a profit for his efforts and investment. For 40 or more years, grass seed production allowed many of the farmers in this are to prosper, or at least make a living. The alternative crops--wheat, dry peas, lentils and feed grains did not do as well, and in recent years, many times the farmers did not even get back the costs of production, which have steadily raised over the years.

I don't know how the government affects agriculture in Australia, but in this country, our government has really tied the farmer's hands in many ways and has made many of them totally dependant on price subsidies and other government programs.

There are relatively few farmers anymore. They no longer have much of a political voice. And in the State of Washington, most of the political might is concentrated in the cities on the West side of the Cascade mountains. The city people really just don't care about the farmers and especially those in far rural Eastern Washington. And they make laws that reflect their city values.

It would be nice if farming, or for that matter any activity could be done in such a way that no pollution was caused. But realisticly, no matter what you do, there will be some pollution.

I am not a grass seed farmer, and in fact am not trying to make a living at farming. I fool around on my acreage with old equipment mostly for enjoyment. But it makes me mad to see my friends and neighbors who are trying to farm for a living struggling or even going broke. Oh there are some very big farmers who seem to be doing well, but government intervention has virtually ruined the small to medium sized farmers.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. Deas Plant. 05:00:59 04/10/03 (6)
  • Re: Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. THE JAILHOUSE LAWYER 00:59:41 04/13/03 (0)
  • Re: Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. Hal/WA 17:33:03 04/10/03 (0)
  • Re: Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. paul 05:56:55 04/10/03 (3)
    • Re: Re: Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. Deas Plant. 12:15:06 04/10/03 (2)
      • Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. kydavid 17:59:14 04/10/03 (1)
        • Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Query To Hal/WA Re Grass Burning. Deas Plant. 01:46:34 04/11/03 (0)

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