What can I do to improve negative impact on the environment?
Q. “My boy and I were out fishing the other night, in our pond, and I saw these critters flitting all around us. I mentioned it to my son and he said, “Yeah, Dad…they’re bats. There’s more over there”. I realized I hadn’t seen bats on my place in years. Then I began to think about the other wildlife I was seeing more and more of……owls, turkeys, bees…even more fish. What do you think changed?”
I asked him what HE thought had made a difference. “I’m not using anything synthetic on the farm, only natural” he said. For the last 20 years Wayne has used “best practices” procedures from the organic standard, he just doesn’t carry their certifications.
His land, like so many others past and present, was awash with man-made everything, and it grew the trending moneymakers; beans, corn, hay, tobacco. At these crops was thrown the traditional petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers, then came pesticides and herbicides. Whatever critters were grown on this farm, were treated with the same terrifying processes that have been used for years. In this, productivity dropped, frustration rose, and profitability stymied.
Wayne began to think “outside the box”. I believe he began to think about the impact the environment had on his children and on future generations. He thought about a healthier product, fewer traumas to the animals, less death to the ground. I think he may have even thought about the impact of his farming on the community around him. By this time there were many reports on studies done, and they were gripping. Wayne began to turn his practices toward a better way of doing things.
Currently he is growing “healthy” (and that takes a LOT for me to say) beef, free of growth hormones, or any other type of modifiers. He vaccinates and treats for parasites…the rest is feeding and taking care of the animals in a healthy manner. His handling procedures have also modified drastically. The animals are treated kindly until the kill (and I have HUGE issues with killing, although I can gut/skin/dress with the best of them…. oh, well).
I’m sure Wayne isn’t the only farmer in Greene Co. to use these better methods to tend his beef, and I’m encouraged by this thoughtful way of farming.
Lesson: KNOW that EVERYTHING you do impacts someone/something. If you’re a food producer, look seriously on your procedures/practices. Is it the best for all life forms? Is it good for the ground/water? What can you do to improve negative impact on the environment?
Sherrie Ottinger, The Tennessee Dirtgirl
