County spraying the fence lines!
 

I came home to find that a country truck had drove down my road and sprayed the fence line to kill the weeds (that's what my goats eat!!!) I called to find out what the heck they sprayed and the girl who answered the phone doesn't know. She took my name and number to have someone call me. Now I'm wondering if I need to keep the goats penned up? What the heck kind of poison did they spray on MY property. They sprayed right along the fence line and I know dang good and well that it came over onto my property. :Bawling:


Anyone had to deal with this before?

their phones would be on fire if that were my property. ask for supervisors and work your way up to the appropriate butt to chew on. ask for monetary compensation since they just took the food that was supporting your livestock! I'm ticked off and it isn't even my goats or property! whatever they sprayed you can be pretty sure its not approved to be consumed by animals and could taint your milk if you dairy. grrrrrrrrrrr so sorry this happened to you.

OH!!! I hadn't even thought of the danger to the milk. We haven't drank todays milk, it would probably be best to throw it out, or maybe send it to be tested for contaminates... yes, that would prove they are endangering our health along with the health of the animals. Thanks for the idea. :)

Around here you can post a "DO NOT SPRAY" sign along your property and the county is not allowed to spray. However, we've had run-ins with the phone company subcontractor guys who want to spray herbicide AFTER they cut the invasive acacia. I talked to the guy on the phone for a zillion hours with him treating me like I was slow, simply because I wanted information about the type of herbicide, etc. He wanted me to believe that spraying this stuff was akin to modern miracles. I had to sign a waiver, understanding that my acacia might "grow back". DUH! However, wherever the goats live, there's no more acacia. Hmmm....along the other neighbor's property line, where the stuff got sprayed (now 4 years out), there the old acacia is, a good 30 feet high! I HATE it when they treat you like crud simply for wanting facts. GRRRR....you go GET 'EM! See if they had to post some "intent to spray" information anywhere before they did it. Around here, some of the logging company's are really good about doing just that. Then folks have a chance to challenge.

I know what you mean, Dot here sprayed our blueberry bushes and fruit with an herbicide a few months ago, then tried to tell me it was okay to feed it to my kids if I rinsed it off, needless to say we didn't eat it! They were really obnoxious about it and said they couldn't see anything on my plants when they came back out(almost 2 weeks after they sprayed) It makes me so mad that we pay taxes so these people can do that sorta thing, I guess it's a good thing I saw them spraying my plants or my little ones would have been poisoned! I would definately keep them away from the tainted stuff, I know it's a pain when you can't graze your animals in your own field :(

Our county is to cheap to spray! They have thousands of Thistles on their right of way and property, but yet hassle farmers about some on private property. A few years back, I came home to find that the county had cut down some cedar trees along the road ditch. Not that THAT bothered me - what DID bother me was that they threw the dead trees up against my fence! I called them the next day and lit a fire. They came out and removed them. Two years ago, they "fixed" a washout around a culvert that runs across the road. It was washing into the road bed on my side of the road, about 200 yards up from my driveway. The "fix" was to dump over sized chunks of concrete into the hole and hold them down with dirt (it started to wash out two weeks later). In addition, they made a "diversionary pile" that ran parrellel to my fence and up the hill about 100 yards. All this accomplished was to creat a 3' tall pile of dirt ON MY FENCE! I had to go jump on them again! They came out to move it away from the fence, but left the pile. If they would fix the problem right in the first place, it would have been done with years ago.
I do hope you will go stand on someone's head and get this straightened out. Your county Road Department may hate you (mine sure does), but they need to be held accountable for what they do.

We have our counties divided into districts and each district has a commissioner. If that's the case where you live the commissioner would be a good place to start since he works for YOU.

It is likely not toxic to your animals. It probably isn't something you'd feed them intentionally, but with all the EPA rules, it's doubtful they'd spray a dangerous chemical without notifying landowners. It's probably Round Up.

They don't really spray here anymore. In places where they do you can post a NO SPRAY sign. We have these large brush cutters now. They work well and cut around objects such as mailboxes.

Is it safe for goats to eat browse sprayed with Round-up?

From the RoundUp label:

This product is considered relatively non-toxic to dog and other domestic animals.

It goes on to say that consumption of large amounts of freshly sprayed foliage could result in digestive distress.

I'd call your vet and ask.

I don't mean to hijack but....
 

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/r.../15_frogs.html
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Dang.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/aspfaq.html

oh boy! please don't think that just because a product has been "aaproved" by the government that it is safe! products don't have to show that they are safe, they have to show they aren't harmful. what that means is that they approve a product and then pull AFTER they find out people/animals/wildlife are getting sick. which is very difficult to prove since the enviroment is not a controlled enviroment. the atrazine (an herbicide) has devistated frog populations in some areas because it causes sex related birth defects. MSG (grandfathered in to approval if memory serves) has shown to be neuro toxic in levels that are put into our food today. not to mention it makes rats grossly obese when it is the sole addition to an otherwise equal control diet (possibly messing with insulin levels). MSG if tou don't know is in thousands of products. if you eat chips, canned soup or broth, pre-seasoned meat, ranch sald dressings or mixes your eating it. the list goes on and on...... just because something is used doesn't mean its safe. it just means somebody had the money to lobby it through.

Just a thought I am throwing out there,

We called DOT last year when the ditches weren't running off right. Asked when then were planning on cleaning them out. It hadn't been done in about 4 years. They said they would come out and look at it.

Well, they came out and said that the ditches were fine and it was my slus (SP?) pipe ends that needed cleaned out so it could flow better. We asked them "don't you clean out close to them when you clean the ditches?" This was their reply "Nope, we are responsible for the ditches and side of the road, You won the driveway and are to clean out on each side of it."

We also asked that they not mow down cat tails in the ditch, thought our property went to the road. They told us that it did not.

We are on a main route, so maybe it is different with county side roads, so to speak,
Not sure,

What I am getting at, though I took the long way around, LOL
Does your fence run right along side the road, or is it more than 6 feet from the road? It may make a difference in the area you are in, and you may not have a say so about where or what they spray, cause the state, county, township may own that strip.

I avoid Round Up like a plague. That's just what I need, some dingbat coming by to spray Round Up or some other chemicals on my organic land. Oops, I mean on my chemical free land. I guess I can't say organic anymore unless I buy a license giving me permission to use that word.

No one has called me back, but I will be in town in a few days and will make a point of stopping by there office with pictures of the damage they did to my property. I will also talk to a lawyer about putting a statement on file with the county that I plant organic foods along my fence. If they spray them again, they will be held responsible for replacement of all organic crops they destroy or contaminate. DS had a lot of garden plants in that fence row. It might have been a dumb place to plant them, but they were there.

In MN we give (or they take) an easement for road right-of-ways. The township road where my farm is has a 66' easement so the township has the right to maintain it 33' from the centerline. Beyond that is MY property and if they do anything beyond 33' they are trespassing. I believe that the property owner is responsible for controlling noxious weeds beyond the 33' boundary that are on the list maintained by the county.

Here they come down the road with boom mounted brush hogs and knock all the weeds trees and what ever else gets in their way. Last year they took out the neighbors corner post that corners my drive and just drove off. it just so happens that i was going into town and caught the supervisor for that crew up the road and told him what they had done. they never did fix it and neither has the neighbor :shrug:

Yep, they also come by our lane with the giant mower thing. I can't stand it when they do it but it is better than using chemicals. However, they do spray for mosquitoes... I can't remember the name of the chemical but it makes their legs fall off... off to do a bit of research!

Our county comes through with brush hogs too. They just did my culverts this morning and I went out and raked up 6 bales of super grass hay. The goats are in heaven! With no rain, they have chewed up their pasture to nubs and boy are they liking this new treat.

It's been raining hard for 2 or 3 days so it's either washed away the stuff they sprayed, or spread it out thru the pasture. Either way it's probably not good for the environment. I hope none of it seeps into the well water. I don't like chemicals in any way, shape, or form. They are just not good in my opinion.

Just because the label says it's safe for domestic animals doesn't make it so. DDT was approved for use once.

man i wish my town would spray my fencline for free.......

Round up won't hurt your animals. Maybe if you pour a gallon down their throat, but not in the small amount that is going to sprayed on your fenceline. And as far as comparing DDT and Round UP, the approval process for chemicals has come a ways since DDT was developed and used. Mentioning DDT on a farming board is like comparing any government agency you don't like to the Nazi's and really doesn't do much for your argument, if that's what you're attempting.

If you have an approved or certified organic property, as I do, and your property borders a county road, (as mine does) then there are lots of things YOU can do to prevent spraying of your property, instead of whining on a message board about how the big bad government is ready to come in and kill all your livestock. It isn't the county's responsibility to keep track of which properties shouldn't be sprayed, and the process of spraying is usually done before the mowers come in. Put up signs, be diligent in knowing when spraying will happen (contact the public works department and ASK them when they have it scheduled to spray along your border - they'll know). Move your fenceline back if you're that worried about your animals and property. The county has an easement at the roadside and that easement is accounted for in organic proposals. Generally the spray doesn't travel more than 3-5', less than most easements. If you're actually that concerned, find out and move your fenceline back - I doubt your farm is going to go bankrupt because you lost 2' of land along the county road - an area you probably don't want your "organic" animals grazing, considering the amount of auto emissions that are most likely clinging to the brush there.

Why do people ask for advice if they've already decided they can't do anything to prevent all the big bad conspiracies they perceive are happening? Please, drama queens, take a break. If you didn't do your homework before the spraying began (and come on, counties do it EVERY YEAR) stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes. In 20 years, my county workers, no Einsteins, have never accidently sprayed my property. Ever.

Sorry but here's MY rant again-


NEW STUDIES: MONSANTO'S BEST SELLING "SAFE" PESTICIDE IS HIGHLY TOXIC

Two new peer-reviewed scientific studies have further confirmed the toxicity of glyphosate, the world's most commonly used herbicide. The June 2005 scientific journal "Environmental Health Perspectives" reports that glyphosate, sold by Monsanto under the brand name "Roundup," damages human placental cells at exposure levels ten times less than what the company claims is safe. A study in the August journal Ecological Applications found that even when applied at concentrations that are one-third of the maximum concentrations typically found in waterways, Roundup still killed up to 71 percent of tadpoles in the study. Similar glyphosate studies around the world have been equally alarming. The American Academy of Family Physicians epidemiological research has now linked exposure to the herbicide with increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a life-threatening cancer, while a Canadian study has linked glyphosate exposure with increased risk for miscarriage. A 2002 study linked glyphosate exposure with increased incidence of attention deficit disorder in children. Despite these studies, Monsanto continues to advertise Roundup, sprayed heavily on 140 million acres of genetically engineered crops across the world, as one of the "safest" pesticides on the market. Learn more & take action:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything you never wanted to know about RoundUp:

Using RoundUp to kill Bermuda is a bad idea but so is leaving the Bermuda grass. It is the worst weed you can have in a bed. Plastic, both solid and the so-called weed-blocking kind, is also a bad idea because it doesn't work well and fouls up the most important part of the soil - the surface just under the mulch. That's where the temperature is ideal, minerals are available, life is transitioning back and forth between the mulch and the soil, etc. The best method is to remove the top 1 and 1/2 to 2 inches of soil and toss it in the compost pile. Then apply the compost and other organic amendments. Do not till the area first - that drives pieces of the stems (rhizomes and stolons) down into the ground allowing it to come back forever as a horrible weed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup

really funny when they talk about the scientist "studying" taking samples from the uterus of male rats! maybe I'm drama queen or a conspiracy theorist. I still think it takes more cash than science to get a chemical approved for use.

More than likely what they used is far stronger than Roundup.They spray here but you can't just walk in and buy what they use.

They say it won't hurt Livestock.But who knows for sure :shrug: I know vsome of this cemical I get into,burns to the point I have to bath soon after getting in to it.

big rockpile

The biggest coverup with all this chemical testing is the fact that the ingredients are tested separately!!! They are much more toxic in the combinations that they are separate, yet the govt does not test the combinations as they are sold. If they were tested in the combinations in which they are sold then the safe recommended amount of exposure would be much less than it is now.

Drama Queen chiming in
 

DocM, While I usually really respect your point of view, in this case I heartily disagree. Studies are finding that many common and approved herbicides aren't all that wonderful. In addition, the folks hired to do the job aren't necessarily always the most careful. The one they wanted to spray along my fenceline to eradicate the acacia (which it didn't where it was sprayed-acacia spreads along kind of like berry vines, under ground, long runners-hard as heck to eradicate) was less than 10 feet from our little seasonal creek, full at the time with salamanders and frogs. One of the main warnings on the herbicide they used (a relative of roundup, diff name) was NOT TO SPRAY NEAR WATERWAYS. Well, even though I showed the guy the creek and its little critters, he said it wasn't REALLY a creek since it was only seasonal and wasn't on the map. That being said, he was planning to spray while it was still running and draining into Lindsey Creek, one of our critical spawing habitats for the Mad River steelhead and salmonids. THAT was just knuckleheaded beaurocracy in my drama queen mind. I don't feel myself to be too cynical a gal, but whoever in this thread said that money wins over science, I have to concur. Look at the current administration and their running roughshod over our Constitution in the name of the almighty dollar. Lobbyists and pork barrels abound in Washington, and it DOES trickle down into our little counties, even into our ditches, pun totally intended. I am not slamming our local guys, just the fact that they get lost in the process and don't always stop to think things through, they just want to mark off another job completed, and not have to hassle with us hags complaining.

I meant to add a great site we have here in California. It is called Californians for Alternatives to Toxins. The site is:
www.alternatives2toxics.org

It is informative and helpful.

question.. here they go down the road spraying for mosquitos. Do you think that could be harm full to my animals? We still have tons of mosquitos but, I will say I don't see many fireflies anymore :(

The county never called, but I did make contact with someone who told me that they were not the ones who did the spraying. Now I need to find out who did the spraying. I have a call in to the electric company to find out if it was them.

The point is that this land belongs to me. Nobody has a right to come spray any type of chemical or poison on my land. The brush that they killed was food for my goats. They didn't spray the ditch, they sprayed the fence, which belongs to me. My fence is set 2 feet back from county property so there is no way they can spray the fence line without infringing on my property. They totally destroyed part of my animals feed. Yes, I am ticked off over this. They had no right to spray anything on my property.

They didn't spray the south pasture, only the north side. It's like they were spraying a particular area. I want to find out who did it, what they sprayed, why they did it, and what gave them the idea they can spray private property without the owners permission.

irrisponsible drama queen/conspiracy theorist
 

I just wanted to say that I am all for "personal responsibiliity". I take responsibility for the health and welfare of my animals and family and that includes not using potentially dangerous chemicals from being used in excess on my property and not depending on the government to make sure I am safe. when someone comes onto your property and does this without your permission, they have infringed on your right to protect yourself and your property. so do not let anyone make you feel like this is your fault or that you were irresponsible. thats just ridiculous. what is the point of owning your own property if anyone can come on and do whatever they please, unless you track them down first and tell them not to first? I see you are in oklahoma, as I. around my place the only spraying I've seen was done by PSO. it was probably them. or maybe it was the aliens! you know there is a huge coverup about the landing pads on oklahoma mountain tops :p

It never ceases to amaze me how many gov't conspiracies are aimed directly as HST posters. Again, you'd have to consume literally GALLONS of herbicide for it to affect you. No government agency is going to set themselves up for a lawsuit by spraying "dangerous" chemicals on your property. Well, unless you're a HST poster, then you're probably on a list somewhere. Twice if you have goats. Because we all know that all gov't agencies are ruled by a liberal agenda that wants to kill off your way of life.

Next year, mow your own brush. Put up signs. Move your fence back. And above all, stop whining about your "rights". You've been given advice on how to avoid this in the future. Take it or leave it.

Doc, I've got to say you do keep this forum lively...enjoy the day!!!

I don't use any chemicals around here, but I did use some on the sidewalk and drive when we lived in town. I will say that I NEVER had ANY luck with Roundup - I finally went to Weed-B-Gone and Grass-B-Gone.

It also sounds like you are getting the run around.

In some areas, if it's determined that you have noxious weeds on your property, they can come onto your land (not just the fenceline), spray, leave, and then bill you for it! That is the case here. All land along a road is sprayed every year unless you keep it mowed and post a no-spray sign (which isn't foolproof, sometimes they spray anyhow.

I suspect that they didn't use roundup. Here it is 2-4D, which wa ssupposedly a component of agent orange.

I don't think there's a lot you can do about it at this point, though it can't hurt to call. Ask them if you can avoid being sprayed again by mowing the area and posting no-spray signs. Also, learn what the noxious weeds are for your area and try to eradicate them or at least keep them from blooming (and going to seed).

DocM,
Not a conspiracy theorist per se (although hmmm maybe the grassy knoll theory... :) ), but definitely a cynic here. I DO believe that people get so caught up in their own lives/jobs, whatever, that they lose sight of the big picture. From my own experience with the telephone guy wanting to spray near my property despite my objections and evidence of aquatic life (which as roundup says, is harmful for), he just wanted to do his job and move on. I've got many college friends who farm in the Central Valley and are marvelous people, but have never lived outside of pesticide/herbicide use. They can talk about how restricted they are by the government, how regulated their use of pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers are, but they don't want to hear about the cumulative effects of said products over time, on the entire Sacramento River basin. Even worse than agricultural applications are suburbia. Lawn pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers put pressure on the entire system as well as they wash into waterways. I am a HUGE supporter of agriculture but the whole "its MY land, MY privacy, etc" chaps my hairy hide when said "rights" impinge upon the greater public. While my own roadway/fenceline might only get a light application of roundup, they are also spraying/using it in many places throughout the county. It's the cumulative effect that DOES create problems for the greater community. Studies are now showing it does not dissipate a quickly as previously thought and has been detected a full year AFTER application. Finally, I will admit to being a flaming moderate. I am a strong supporter of individual responsibility. We trim our own fencelines/roadside areas. We run the goats where the acacia is(was!) and the only times I complain (aside from general comments about laundry on the floor/dishes in the sink) are when folks like the telephone man come and argue with me without listening to my own concerns.

Take off your blinders and read what I posted.

I will not move my fence! It's on MY property and you want me to move it to give strangers a right to trespass further than they already have??? Are you NUTS???

Mow down and waste the food my animals need??? Again, take off your blinders and read what I posted.

It amazes me how some people think they have the only right answer to other peoples problems. And how they get sarcastic if others don't praise them for their idiosyncrasy.

Now for an update as to what happened...

It turns out a neighbor hired a man to spray his fences. The hired man sprayed the wrong property. He discovered his error before he sprayed the southern fence row. He apologized for his error and brought me a load of hay to replace the browse he destroyed. It all turned out ok in the end. I ended up finding a new source for hay if I need more later this year. :)

Ooops! It sounds like he did his best to make amends.

I stopped by the farm yesterday just in time to see the farmer spraying one of my dikes. I've been renting the property for 9 years and it wasn't until last year (when I got goats) that he decided to spray some of the dikes. I REALLY wish I had my own property.