More hog regulation needed (8/3/04)

To the lady who thinks only city slickers are against the more hog farmers in Jay County. We own 400 acres and have farmed as much as 1,000 acres. We had a hog operation at one time but we followed the rules. Other farmers who are just starting up do not consider the neighbors at all. We have a hog operation go in less than one-half mile from us. We were not contacted at all. In fact, I got up a petition and gave it to the zoning committee, who did nothing. It came out in the paper that no one had objected.

This farmer has let black gooey stuff get into the ditches and headed for the river. I was told that (Indiana Department of Environmental Management) did give him a warning and the next time it would be a fine. This farmer put his dead hogs right next to the road where everyone passing down the road can smell it.

There is another farmer about two miles from us that the black gooey stuff gets into the river every time there is a flood. There are good hog farmers and there are too many bad ones in Indiana — and in Jay County, in particular.

What about our groundwater? Will our grandchildren have good water to drink? Will they be able to fish in the rivers or will all the fish be poisoned by farmers that don’t care?

Now they want to put a hog farm across the road from us on ground that floods in years with heavy rain. Not to mention the smell we will have to put up with. Will our children have good air to breathe? Would you want to have a hog feeding operation in your front yard or just across the street?

I also have the new rules put out by IDEM and I will turn in a complaint from now on on anyone who I find in violation. Indiana needs more strict rules and enforcement like the ones Ohio and other states have. Indiana and Jay County are getting polluted with hog operations. The price of pork will soon come down if we continue to flood the market. So let’s slow the production of hogs down and keep the price up for farmers.

There is another case of farmers not following the rules. The black flies that were mentioned in one of the letters came from the turkey manure that was never sprayed and left on the ground for five or six months before anything was done with it. We had no smell or flies from our chicken manure (we sprayed ours).

I personally would like for the rivers and streams to be good for fishing for the grandchildren. I would also like good fresh air for the children to breathe. We have too many hog operations in this area already. We don’t want the groundwater polluted. We don’t want another eyesore in the neighborhood like the one we already have. Weeds growing up all around the hog house. I really don’t see how the fans that keep the poor hogs cool get any air with all the weeds growing so close to the house. And we don’t want farmers who are so inconsiderate as to put the dead hog building within 20 feet of the road so all passing can smell it.

Yes, there are good farmers and bad ones. Just like there are farmers who like to work to keep their places looking nice and those who are lazy and don’t care or who have no consideration for the neighbors. There are farmers who get up early in the morning and work hard all day and into the night. Then there are farmers who never get started until noon and have to work long into the night when they can’t see what they are doing to get their work done. There are farmers who plant early and get good crops and those who plant late and don’t get such good looking crops.

Ohio farmers want to come over to Indiana with the hog operations because they are running out of places to put the manure because of Ohio’s strict rules about polluting their groundwater and soil. I sure hope the good farmers in Indiana take notice of the situation we are in before it is too late to stop the calamity of overproduction of hogs and the price goes down and the ground is all used up.

As for the lady who lives in a little piece of heaven who is getting put in hell. I didn’t know the property was for sale. But you can bet that any other property for sale close to my piece of heaven will have to be bought at a very high price. I have worked hard all my life and would like to enjoy what little remaining time I have left to enjoy what my husband and I have worked so hard for.

I have worked long into the night and many days when I was sick to enjoy my last remaining days. And I would like to do it in peace. If my last day can be spent getting regulations to help protect the children of the future will be well worth it. All little boys like to go fishing in the river. It is quite a thrill for a little boy to catch his first fish. And the little girls don’t like to smell rotten hogs when they ride their bicycles down the road.

Maybe the bad farmers should move to town and get jobs there so the good farmers can keep their places free from weeds and junk, follow the rules, and live and raise the crops and animals in peace.

Some of the neighbors have spent their life savings or inheritance to get their nice homes. Some have built retirement homes here like the man from Fort Wayne who will be moving here after he retires. Please don’t make it miserable for these people.

Lady who lives in a little piece of heaven,

Mary Scott

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