Interesting thread, and pretty much expresses both sides of the equation. I was raised as a country boy, and wouldn't trade it for anything close...but I spent over 20 years in the field of environmental regulation, and can testify that things can get out of hand. Family farms for the most part, do not and have not caused problems except for the city slickers who don't want to see animals having sex, pooping, and the attendant smells and sounds. These folks should Get TFO.
On the other hand, if you have ever seen or been near a corporate CAFO....Confined Animal Feeding Operation, you can see, smell and hear the problem. The amount of animal waste is often staggering...and you can often smell it for miles when the wind is right...and if it isn't properly handled, it can destroy the surrounding ground water. I had one man tell me that when he flushed his stool, the incoming water was as bad as that going out...that it smelled so bad it was useless...and they couldn't even sit on their porch any more because they were covered with files...and you have no idea what tons of chicken manure can do to the environment; including runoff into the rivers and creeks.
I have no patience with those who move to the country and want to "enlighten" the hicks, but I also have no sympathy with the corporate "farmers" who think that the right to farm is unlimited.
