HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-09-03, Page 5Lueltnew Sentinel, Wednesday, September 3,1997 — Page 5
'Pro farmer' says stand up and be counted
Dear editor
If tomorrow you were told that you
could never drink water again, because it
was so contaminated it 'would kill you,
',What would you do?"
If you were told that by protecting
your water today, you could drink water
tomorrow and forever, with no fear of
ever becoming sick, "What would you
do?"
The difference between these two
question is that one has no solution, and
the other does:
,Why do people wait until a situation is
out of control,, and beyond repair before ,
they do something?
Why does it have to be in your back-
yard beforeyou stand up and say "NO.p
MORE."
Is it fear? .Is it indifference? Oris it ,
just ignorance? Are people educated
enough on what's going on around them?
Do they realize how it indirectly impacts
on their life? If they do, do they feel
helpless about how to make change?
Guilty as . charged,. I am one such-per-
son.
uch•per-
son. 'In my case it was all three.
Fear of'knowing how bad the situation
was. Indifference was easier than know-
ing the truth. And ignorance of not wanti-
ng to be educated, for. fear -that I would
actually have to do something about it.. .
However, something happened, that
changed the way I felt and thought about
SSS
lace �o
all the above. "IT" came to Boy backyard.
By "IT," I mean a 3400 head intensive
livestock operation, that threatened the
one thing that is more important to me
than anything else - my family.
My husband and I own a house on an
acre and a half, severed from 300 acres
that was a cash crop operation,until the
property changed ownership, and that
300 acres became the plot location of an
intensive livestock operation.
Needless to say, I feltquite bitter and
betrayed by the previous landowner for.
putting me into thiscurrent situation,. But
most of all, I felt helpless, and trapped;
As a• mother of two young children,
my maternal instinct kicked in. I auto-
matically started, to panic about how the
close proximity of. such ari'operation
would affect: their health, and our water. -
I've known for a longtime, that the
shores of Lake Huron .are contaminated,
and'I gd to great lengths; not, to swim in
it. . • •
But this was different, This was my
home.' I've come to realize, that the rea-
..sons the lake is polluted are the reasons I
am currently dealing with.
tarn "pro -fanner." My husband and . I
hope to farm in the near .future. I respect
Many local -farmers, their efforts to man-
age their businesses properly,and their
responsibility to the Iand and theirneigh-
bors. .
SSSSSSSSSS
S.S
F hdTh Nid e'f igs
There, are."eight: different things hid.der in the rug
pattern below, Can you find. them?
Please find answer on page 11
I am however,'astonished at the aston-
ishing research that has been compiled all
over the world that reveals the horrific
results :of improper management and disr
tribution of livestock wastes. '
Although anyone, large or small, can
do 'equal amounts of damage to the envi-
ronment, if they are disregardful of
manure management and distribution, it
only stands to reason, that .the risk for
potential environmental danrage is higher
when your operation is bigger, and con-
centration of livestock is larger.
I came to realize, that I was not alone
in my: concerns.. Several other residents
of Ashfield were 'also. worried about the
impact that the intro.ductibn of larger cor-
porate operations would have on our
community. Needless to say, it goes
. above and beyond the environment and
water.
I do not blame anyone for wanting top
dollar for their property. The price that
these large corporations are paying for
land puts competition out for the local
farmers. '
Although Ashfield is proud of its agri-
culture sector, it is also home to many
rural' residents, cottagers, hamlets and
businesses. As these sinnaller farmers are
• weeded out, it only can be speculated as
to:how people with little or no land.
acreage to accompany their homes will
find the market value when it coatnes time
to sell their properties.. •
Businesses in surrounding towns and
villages, .who base their living on the
contribution of the rural community and
urban tourists, should be warned at how a
.decrease in population andtourism could
affect their daily income: .
People have come to realize, that.
although it inaay not be in 'their backyard.'
right now it is just a matter of time. Our
communities as we know them today will
be seriously altered. `I.guess the question
is "What are we going to do about it?"
• In closing I would like to hope that
these following words will someday
become famous. "Nothing in life is ever
changed, if the voices of yours.. and mine
are not heard."
Pleasestand up, and be cpunted... Get
educated. Don't wait until it's too late. :
Support your community. now,
Julie Kuik
Ashfield Township.
Skelton
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