Fighting 'Solar Farm' Installation

[Blue Mule]

Well, I have a friend that’s very “high up” in the government and he says all your comments are wrong.
how about some data to back up all your points?

How about you go first?

What do you propose that I do? Ask him to go on record in an interview with his view and risk losing his job in this environmentally insane culture we live in today, and all so that I can appease someone on an internet chat board? Not happenin’. Anybody with common sense knows the truth about these solar farms.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Are you saying you don't use any modern technology?

Yes I have a phone, cars/tractors/truck and TV. I could give that up much easier than I could live surrounded by technology. When I die hopefully go to the Summerland...he'll to me would be an apartment in a big city .

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I fixed it for ya...!

Fixed it for YOU:
Purdue University: "Hay is a dried and (usually) baled forage crop. Bales may be the small rectangular bales (sometimes referred to as small “square” bales), large rectangular bales, or round bales."
And down the road a bit...good old Virginia Tech: "Alfalfa is often call the "Queen of Forages" and is the most important forage legume in the United States. It possesses the highest nutritive value of all commonly grown forage plants. In Virginia, alfalfa is grown on more than 1.15 million acres. Although alfalfa is commonly thought of as hay, it can also be an important component of pasture swards."
Hay is a crop, no different than peanuts, corn, any food crop.

 

[MossRoad]

I don't see how a hay farmer is not a real farmer??? They tend to the soil, plant the crop, maintain the crop, harvest the crop (several times a year around here), sell and/or use the crop, etc... what's different than, say, a corn or bean farmer?

 

[/pine]

Fixed it for YOU:
Purdue University: "Hay is a dried and (usually) baled forage crop. Bales may be the small rectangular bales (sometimes referred to as small “square” bales), large rectangular bales, or round bales."
And down the road a bit...good old Virginia Tech: "Alfalfa is often call the "Queen of Forages" and is the most important forage legume in the United States. It possesses the highest nutritive value of all commonly grown forage plants. In Virginia, alfalfa is grown on more than 1.15 million acres. Although alfalfa is commonly thought of as hay, it can also be an important component of pasture swards."
Hay is a crop, no different than peanuts, corn, any food crop.

You didn't fix anything...inutritional facts don't mean didly...!

The grasslands (basically hay) kept the millions of bison alive for eons without any "farming"...
Just curious...not going to bother searching IRDC....!

but how many "crops" can you name that don't require planting each season? (fruit and orchard crops don't count)

Most of the real farms around here separate their pastures on a rotation and raise enough hay for their livestock...many own rakes etc but a lot of the machinery is loaned from farm to farm...

 

[Oaktree]

Yes I have a phone, cars/tractors/truck and TV. I could give that up much easier than I could live surrounded by technology. When I die hopefully go to the Summerland...he'll to me would be an apartment in a big city .

Technology and living in the country are not mutually exclusive. Couldn't get me to live in a city (or suburbia) but I don't want to live like some of the guys on Mountain Men either.

Thing is with technology is where do you draw the line at "too much"? Every new invention has its upsides and downsides. I personally have no use for a smartphone, but it seems many here wouldn't want to do without one. I've had a desktop computer since the early 90s, have streamed tv programming for 7-8 years now. If technology makes my life easier/better in some way I'm in, if all it adds is clutter, no thanks. But where the line between better and clutter lies isn't the same for everyone.

 

[Oaktree]

The grasslands (basically hay) kept the millions of bison alive for eons without any "farming"...
Just curious...not going to bother searching IRDC....!

but how many "crops" can you name that don't require planting each season? (fruit and orchard crops don't count)

Most of the real farms around here separate their pastures on a rotation and raise enough hay for their livestock...many own rakes etc but a lot of the machinery is loaned from farm to farm...

Cows have been giving milk for thousands of years, are those who run dairy farms not farmers either?

Haying is just as much agriculture as is growing corn, soybeans, potatoes or wheat. Those fields need to be maintained, fertilized, etc. Not sure what your beef (so to speak) is, but I don't see how someone who sells hay for a living is anything other than a farmer.

 

[/pine]

Cows have been giving milk for thousands of years, are those who run dairy farms not farmers either?

Haying is just as much agriculture as is growing corn, soybeans, potatoes or wheat. Those fields need to be maintained, fertilized, etc. Not sure what your beef (so to speak) is, but I don't see how someone who sells hay for a living is anything other than a farmer.

People can huff and puff until they are as blue in the faces as Smurfette...it's not going to change the fact that it is entirely an opinion whether a hay grower is really a farmer or not...

Just curious...what do you call a guy that owns no land...just a tractor, some implements and a truck and trailer...who only cuts and bales hay on other peoples land...?

 

[lman]

People can huff and puff until they are as blue in the faces as Smurfette...it's not going to change the fact that it is entirely an opinion whether a hay grower is really a farmer or not...

Just curious...what do you call a guy that owns no land...just a tractor, some implements and a truck and trailer...who only cuts and bales hay on other peoples land...?

I believe the USDA and IRS calls him a farmer.

 

[walhondingMF]

Just curious...what do you call a guy that owns no land...just a tractor, some implements and a truck and trailer...who only cuts and bales hay on other peoples land...?

A farmer...

What do you call a guy that owns a pipe wrench and a snake and fixes your plumbing, even though he doesn't own your house?

What do you call a guy that doesn't have any trees in their yard. But owns his own chainsaw and cuts other people's trees down?

 

[MossRoad]

People can huff and puff until they are as blue in the faces as Smurfette...it's not going to change the fact that it is entirely an opinion whether a hay grower is really a farmer or not...

Just curious...what do you call a guy that owns no land...just a tractor, some implements and a truck and trailer...who only cuts and bales hay on other peoples land...?

The same thing I'd call a guy that leases land to plant corn. A farmer.

 

[MossRoad]

I believe the USDA and IRS calls him a farmer.

That right there settles it.

 

[MossRoad]

...

What do you call a guy that owns a pipe wrench and a snake and fixes your plumbing, even though he doesn't own your house?

...

John!

 

[/pine]

I believe the USDA and IRS calls him a farmer.

No they would call him a contractor...!
BTW...I think the IRS calls clam diggers "fishermen"...!

 

[kenmbz]

No they would call him a contractor...!
BTW...I think the IRS calls clam diggers "fishermen"...!

digging clams is hard work and they do live in seawater most of their lives.
Mussels are much easier.

 

[MossRoad]

digging clams is hard work and they do live in seawater most of their lives.
Mussels are much easier.

Clam digging builds muscles!

 

[lman]

No they would call him a contractor...!
BTW...I think the IRS calls clam diggers "fishermen"...!

Wouldn't a clam digger be a contractor then unless he owns the land where the clams are found?

 

[MossRoad]

I see two things here...

1. A person that does custom hay work for others, harvesting a customer's hay for that customer, for some agreed upon monetary amount and/or part of the hay, which they'll use or sell.

2. A person that leases land to grow hay on, for their own hay sales.

I know several people that do both. They are farmers.

 

[/pine]

Everybody has the right to their own opinions...!

 

[MossRoad]

Now I did work with a woman that had a custom haying business. She had two tractors, two bailers, wagons, etc...

She would harvest for other people, and keep half of the hay and sell it on the open market. I'm not sure I'd call her a farmer. But she was involved in agriculture.

However, Webster's Dictionary definition is:

a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals (such as livestock or fish)

That's a pretty broad brush, so I'm gonna call her a farmer.