mbox-34: Corporate Chickens

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The sad lament of odorous chicken farms is popping up in south central =
PA as well. Our Township is semi-rural, and becoming more suburbanite =
for Baltimore. Dedicated members of the local Township Planning =
Commission (I am a volunteer) have struggled with the issue of =
maintaining a good quality of life for our residents, while not =
encumbering the local farmers with restrictions. We have striven to =
protect the remaining farm and natural lands. While I may not agree =
with many of the farming practices of the neighbors, at least the farm =
land has not been planted with roads, cell towers, and one acre lots of =
fescue.

Large poultry farms in neighboring Townships have proven to be a problem =
for the small residential developments intermingled with agriculture. =
Zoning cannot exclude corporate farming, but it can place 'reasonable' =
restrictions on new developments of intensive animal husbandry. Our =
solution to quality of human life issues is two fold. The first has =
been to enact ordinances that require new farms producing over a certain =
number of animals, to provide large setbacks and buffers. The =
ordinances also look at stormwater management, road weight limits, truck =
traffic, access, etc. The second is to ensure that the farmers are =
abiding by the Conservation District Nutrient Management Plans that they =
have filed. While these plans are not as strict as I would like, they =
are a start to controlling the runoff.

I would encourage others to seek ordinances in their municipalities =
placing 'reasonable' restrictions on intensive agriculture farms. Keep =
in mind that ordinances in most states may take up to a year to get =
passed, even without protest by conventional farmers and corporations.

I fully realize that this does nothing for the quality of life of the =
chickens, but action on several fronts is needed.

After reading all the banter about chickens, and visiting the Arkansas =
Conservation District Chicken Composting Website (sorry, I don't have =
the address, but it's disgusting), I am considering raising a few =
'chooks' of my own. Can someone suggest a primer on sustainable small =
scale (very small) production, for a suburbanite raised beginner? I =
have an existing chicken coup, pasture, stream, and foxes. Thanks.

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The sad lament of odorous chicken farms is popping = up in south=20 central PA as well. Our Township is semi-rural, and becoming more=20 suburbanite for Baltimore. Dedicated members of the local Township = Planning Commission (I am a volunteer) have struggled with the issue of=20 maintaining a good quality of life for our residents, while not = encumbering the=20 local farmers with restrictions. We have striven to protect the = remaining=20 farm and natural lands. While I may not agree with many of = the=20 farming practices of the neighbors, at least the farm land has not been = planted=20 with roads, cell towers, and one acre lots of fescue.

Large poultry farms in neighboring Townships have = proven to be=20 a problem for the small residential developments intermingled with=20 agriculture. Zoning cannot exclude corporate farming, but it can = place=20 'reasonable' restrictions on new developments of intensive animal=20 husbandry. Our solution to quality of human life issues is two = fold. =20 The first has been to enact ordinances that require new farms producing = over a=20 certain number of animals, to provide large setbacks and buffers. = The=20 ordinances also look at stormwater management, road weight limits, truck = traffic, access, etc. The second is to ensure that the farmers are = abiding=20 by the Conservation District Nutrient Management Plans that they have=20 filed. While these plans are not as strict as I would like, they = are a=20 start to controlling the runoff.

I would encourage others to seek ordinances in their = municipalities placing 'reasonable' restrictions on intensive = agriculture=20 farms. Keep in mind that ordinances in most states may take up to = a year=20 to get passed, even without protest by conventional farmers and=20 corporations.

After reading all the banter about chickens, and = visiting the=20 Arkansas Conservation District Chicken Composting Website (sorry, I = don't have=20 the address, but it's disgusting), I am considering raising a few = 'chooks' of my=20 own. Can someone suggest a primer on sustainable small scale (very = small)=20 production, for a suburbanite raised beginner? I have an = existing=20 chicken coup, pasture, stream, and foxes. Thanks.