what do you guys think congress will do?

Question

Farming & The Environment
"If society wants a means of producing food, then a few, large farms is one way to do it. But if society wants a clean, thriving rural place to live and work and raise children, then you have to rethink this formula."

-Cheryl Tevis, Successful Farming Magazine

One of the most important issues confronting agricultural communities in the U.S. is the future structure of the livestock industry. The issue is whether livestock will be raised on sustainable family farms or produced in large, capital-intensive confinement facilities (factory farms) that concentrate the animals and their wastes in vast quantities and concentrate economic control in the hands of absentee investors.

What's at stake?

The prosperity of family farmers & rural communities
The future of our country's rural environment
The health of families and children
The safety and affordability of our food

Answer 1

My guess, since the dems have a small majority in congress they'll opt for protecting the environment and family run businesses. I can't see them siding with the giant conglomerates.

Answer 2

Well, you have a lot of information there about what is going to happen to farms. What I think that Congress should do is to pass no laws that would bar someone from farming if they want to. I think that the States and communities should pass laws that will drive the city slickers back to the cities where they belong and not in the country where people have the right to do whatever they want that is legal on their own property.

For most of the other information, the agriculture engineers are working on the waste problems associated with factory farms.

Answer 3

I live in a rural area in a small town...I certainly don't want super big farms buying up everything and determining the future of my area...large livestock farms are not very good neighbors and when a chemical spill or manure pipeline leaks into a creek or the water supply it will be a big one....no things are fine here, thanks for taking interest, don't let the door hit you on the way out

Answer 4

I have seen both situations. Feed lots and free range. Both beef stock and dairy. In many areas free range will not work without harming the land in others it works fine. If there is an increase in demand for either beef or dairy a commercial ranch such as a feedlot will be more efficient. However there is the pollution issue as well as the increase of land use for feed. If a commercial ranch is created correctly there would be a need for employees to run the collection and storage of both feed and excrement in a safe and orderly way.

Answer 5

Living in a rural area my opinion is they don't give a damn. If everyone was stufffed into one giant city that would be fine with so many people its scary. I'm without hope for the human race

Answer 6

I thought you were a liberitarian, that means that regulating the megafarms is out of the picture, and we just sit back and watch them strangle smaller farms by forcing them to sell their produce for cheaper prices, right?

Answer 7

They will do very little so they don't rock the boat for 2008

Answer 8

I fully agree that big agribusiness & saving the environment are mutually exclusive - that is, you can't have both.