Any thoughts on living near a very large hop farm?

People used to get a mania, who worked in the hop fields; aka "mad as hops".

Hi Lisa,
In addition to the Bonners Ferry property, we will also look at two properties in Cocollala this weekend. And, I suspect we will be back for another trip to look at more property (unless one of these properties screams "I am it", stop looking). We want a nice size garden and orchard area. I understand the growing seasons vary throughout N. Idaho, so that is another area in which I need to gain some knowledge, before we make a final choice.

And, I was mistaken about the proximity to the Hop farm, the property we are looking at is about 5-8 miles south of it, not less than the mile I stated previously.

Today, I was able to speak on the phone to two people that have property, on the same street in BF, with home/businesses on the land and they were so nice, I wanted to pack my bags and move on the spot! But, cooler heads must prevail; they gave me so much inside info and I feel much better armed to judge the property.

I will be sure to post here after we return.

Thank you for all your good advice and sharing, I am very grateful.
Janna

[QUOTE=jassar;6827113
I admire and respect all small/family farmers and ranchers, and would love to hear first hand your views on factory farming, China's purchase of Smithfield foods, GMOs, Monsanto etc. and the current state of our food supply in general. I know..... a topic for another thread.

Appreciate your perspective Paul

Thank you,
Janna[/QUOTE]

I think 'factory farm' is kinda just a made up thing people use when they have an agenda to try to make some point. Generally when someone uses that term, they know little of farming, and want to apply their lack of knowledge to how farming should be done. My term would be BTO - Big Time Operator - which describes a few of the really really big farms, its more about their attitude tho, where they need to get bigger and bigger just for bragging rights.... Phffft. Seems in today's world a single person can handle about 600 acres of row crops, now I know good farmers around here running 2500 acres; but they are a couple brothers, with a son running the operation, and during planting and harvest a wife and uncle pitch in quite a bit - gets close back to that 600 acres per person.... I have a much much much bigger fear of the govt than I do of BTO or factory farms.

I'm opposed to china investing in businesses in this country, but that is where we have put ourselves, disturbing as it is. For me personally as a farmer it is good news, it means china would have a harder time playing their boycott and price meddling games, when they own the company they would be boycotting against.... But I don't like it.

GMOs are just another tool. I'm gonna be squeamish when the animal GMOs come around, but in plants it seems we have enough testing and such to be using them properly. Just another tool, in general they mean much safer farming for me, but for those less connected to farming they appear to raise some fears.

Monsanto is like Apple or Microsoft or other big companies, they find ways around consumer rules and try to monopolize and corner all possible business. Clinically I kinda admire how well they run their business. Some day they will fail, and another company will come along to take ther place. They really aren't all that big a deal, I buy most of my seed from other companies. We have many choices. The monopoly I fear is when the govt forces you to do something, there are no choices then. I think regulations and mandates from the govt will wreck agriculture in the USA long before any one company will.

I really wonder what Monsanto, John Deere, and others will do soon. Row crop agriculture has gone through a bit of a golden period here, high grain prices, Rosey outlook for 5-6 years. That is uncommon in agriculture.

We are headed for the crash again, you get $3 corn, and no one can pay $310 per bag of seed corn. Just can't. Same with buying a new combine or tractor, farmers will cut back.

Monsanto is stuck on producing only its top end, high dollar seed. When we farmers tighten the belt, and look for cheaper seed corn, they are in for a world of hurt. They are not prepared.

Short answers to deep questions, and there are always shades of grey.

Paul

Just an excellent post, Paul. Good job, and well said.

Great Post, Paul!

My parents live in a city of 100,000. Miles away, in the center of the industrial area, there is a place tbat used to process beer. Even though they've been closed for years I still remember that awful nauseating smell. The days the wind blew the nasty stuff the five to ten city miles (and with all the houses and tall buildings between them) to our home the smell would stick in your nose and give you nausea.

Another nearby city still processes corn into alcohol. It also has a nauseating aroma. If those smells permeate cities and 'burbs containing 300K i would hate to smell them in a rural area.

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Moms don't look at things like normal people.
-----DD

There are many ethanol plants around me. They smell like fresh bread to me - the yeast. I enjoy driving past. It is not so strong, that it would bother me, I don't think.

Years ago I would drive past a shingle making plant. Wow, that hot tar smell was worse, different than the road-making tar smell. It had a burnt smell to it. Bitter. That place was closed down decades ago, the big city grew out towards it. 2nd worst man made smell I've experienced.

The worst is a sweet corn silage pit I drive by every few months. Oy! A lot of sweet corn is grown around here, my county is where the Jolly Green Giant was born, lot of sweet corn and peas. Anyhow, the state mandated how they handle the husks and bad ears and cobs left from the canning. It makes very good silage, a cattle feed. But the storage facility needs certain water ponds, monitoring, and so forth that are unusual for a regular silage setup. Govt got involved....

Those ponds are putrid! Ish. Worst thing I've ever smelled. It is out in the country, but just off a state highway. And there is a farmstead across the road, downwind of it. Like, 800 feet away? I can't imagine living there, ever getting used to that awful smell!

Now adays hogs are mostly in 1000 head barns around here, and set back from any other houses, and they are ventilated differently to just put out a bit of a smell.

Back 40 years ago, every 4th farmer had 100 hogs, and a pile of manure built up over winter. Did that stink as we rode around the countryside on the bus route, yish! But that was the common way, no one thought anything about it, just how it was.

Now a days folks moving out to the country worry so about the 1000 head hog barns, but it is far far less smelly, and far less likely to leak into the groundwater, than what it was way back when with the smaller operations. But no one remembers back then. Back then manure was a waste to get rid of, now a days we value manure for its fertilizer, pay good money to get it, it is in short supply. Back then folks spread it on the same ground all the time, just to use it up and make the shortest haul with it. Now it is hauled 5 miles, after paying for it, because we value it so much as good fertilizer.

Now there are many rules and hoops to follow, farming has to be done just by the rules. My small herd of 25 cattle falls under regulation in my very rural county, I get inspected every 4 years, have to fill out forms. For a small 25 head of mostly grazing cattle..... Some of the rules are needed, but like any govt deal, it just keeps growing beyond reason.....

Paul

Free beer?

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Boldly going nowhere.

??? maybe???

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Do not Lead for I will Not Follow
Do not Follow for I shall Not Lead
I am but a Simple Drummer

RAMBLER, (Paul). Very good statements. I wish I could express myself as well as you do. The profession of farming needs more people who can present our side of the discussion with the clarity and first hand knowledge you have. Well done! Thank you.

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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-

They sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

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Recognize the beauty in things, in creation, even when thats difficult to do.
Be loving, show compassion. Create while we're here.
Enjoy this life, be in this life but not be of it.

I do not!