By Sandy Buxton, Laura McDermott and Aaron Gabriel, CCE educators with Capital Area Ag & Hort and Eastern NY Hort
Consider this scenario: You have planned and planned and spent thousands of dollars on a large event to be held at an outdoor venue on a weekend in July. As you cross the venue parking lot the morning of the event, the smell of manure is so strong that other drivers are running to their cars. Communication with the local farmer could have prevented the heart attack symptoms that you are now experiencing.
With more and more people becoming further removed from the realities of production agriculture, farmers of all kinds understand the importance and value of communicating with their neighbors and the general public. But those same farmers need to be pro-active and help their non-farming neighbors understand that communication is a two-way street.
Some dairy farms have begun a campaign of sending out annual or quarterly newsletters to their neighbor landowners – either by sending to a local zip code, mail route, or actual known addresses. The newsletter provides a chance to inform people about what the farm is doing to be a good neighbor. In addition to changes or investments the farm has made, it can also be a chance to provide education about why certain things are happening on farms.
Many people in the general public view farming through a romantic filter. They actually believe that farming still looks like Whistler’s picture of a farm couple holding a pitchfork outside a hip roof barn.
Even though rural landowners may sign the paperwork acknowledging their location within an Agricultural District, most have absolutely no idea what that means. Modern agriculture has many issues besides the challenges of animal waste that could bring farmers into conflict with rural neighbors.
Lights and equipment allow for machinery operation far beyond the hours of daylight.
Mud, feed or manure spills or run-off on public roads can cause neighbors with expensive vehicles to become overly sensitive to everything related to farm life.
Chemical drift and/or the noise from pesticide applications can be very troubling for non-farm residents.
Normal farm noise including milking parlors, bird deterrents, equipment operation many of which are during evening or early morning hours can be a source of tension.
Farm pests – which most farmers are doing their best to deter – can also be a problem for neighbors. Flies and flocking birds come to mind, and although these are just an inconvenience for the non-farmer, they are a real economic concern for the farmer. Communicating the strategy for control can many times ease ill will.
If a farmstead is a rundown mess – that really upsets people and doesn’t bode well for being able to convince your neighbors that you are a highly skilled professional. Still, even a highly successful and profitable farm can look less than appealing to non-farmers, so putting some extra effort into keeping the “viewshed” as tidy as possible may help improve your neighbor relationship.
Concerns over animal comfort has become a real problem for many farmers in recent years. This is a particularly difficult issue, and communication about humane treatment might be assisted by professional organizations that could help farmers craft statements that are accurate while recognizing the delicacy of the issue.
And the example of odors – whether from manure, pesticides, fuel, burning rubbish – you name it – often comes up as an issue that could have been avoided with a bit more communication.
Also consider that neighbor interactions are not always happening at the home farm. When farm employees are driving tractors or trucks on the road they need to be well marked with appropriate lighting if operating in the dark. And employees need to be trained in how to handle confrontational and even just inquisitive neighbors.
A lot can be gained by simply thinking through the farm practice from a different perspective – difficult to do when in the middle of a busy season, but it could save a lot of grief in the end!
