[Jacob-list] question - effects of crop applications

[Neal and Louise Grose]

Evelyn,

There are set backs and other restrictions that your neighbor has to follow, especially if you are in the Chesapeake Watershed. The Soil and Water Conservation office can give you a written copy of them. Odds are, your neighbor is already following them. If you are in an agricultural district, I don't know of any particular reason he has to notify you as long as he is following accepted farming practices.Since your neighbor is a dairy farmer, he is not likely to use any chemicals that would keep him from feeding the crops to his cows after the proper withdrawal times. The restrictions on milk supplies are more stringent than on "beef", or sheep. It is unlikely that he is using anything that could harm the sheep if used correctly. That doesn't mean *stuff* don't stink. 

Fertilizers are not usually sprayed in liquid form. More than likely, if you smell "chemicals", they are using pesticides of some sort. These definitely should not be sprayed on days when there is likely to be spray drift to your property. Row crops need to be sprayed to the edge of the field, but there should be at least a 15 or 20 foot field border.
*Alfalfa requires spraying with insecticides in late March in our area to prevent alfalfa weevils from wiping out the crop. Generally these are short half-life insecticides that are gone in 14 to 21 days. 
*Most soybeans are now sprayed with Round-up since almost all are "Round-up Ready". Though I consider Monsanto to be a necessary evil, Round-up is one of the most benevolent herbicides we use. You could probably drink it, but I don't recommend it. 
*If the are growing corn, they might use one of the 2,4-D derived herbicides (which definitely stink) to control broad-leaved weeds. These can not be used on hay crops. (The hold-out period is 45+ days.)

With manure application, he definitely has to follow restrictive regulations for application of waste (ours are more restrictive than those followed by city municipal systems). He can not spread when the ground is saturated or rain is expected. Farms are expected to be zero run-off. As for the smell and increase in fly problems, It is all relative. I see dramatically less fly problems when we are using liquid manure. The smell should only last until the next rain. Our regulations require a 50 foot set back on manure application from property lines. In my opinion, tilling it in should NOT be an option, since tillage creates soil erosion and increased water pollution.

I urge you to have patience. You don't say whether you have talked to the farmer in question. Most of the time, we farmers like to keep good neighbors, and we often simply get too busy to notice that there is a problem. I have never met a dairy farmer who was not an animal lover, and have more than our share of experience with metabolic and birthing problems. This guy might well be a valuable resource to you. Think about approaching him now, before cropping season while he is a little calmer. The economy tanking has taken it's toll on dairy farms. Our farm price for milk is about half of what it was 18 months ago, this guy might not be in business next year, and your milk might be shipped in from Texas.

Neal Grose
Harmony, NC, Holstein cow and Jacob Sheep farmer
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: evelyn489 at aol.com 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 7:17 PM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] question - effects of crop applications


  This is a really odd question but I thought I'd shoot it out there and see if I got any thoughts.

  Our pasture goes to our property line and our neighbor farm is a large parcel of land that is used for a variety of things, soybeans, alfalfa, timothy etc.  Is that farmer under any obligation to me to report what he is applying to his land?  I ask this because whatever fertilizers etc are sprayed on are pretty noxious to my untrained nose and I'm wondering what effect they have on my sheep who are out there close to what they are spraying.  Is there any setback he has to follow?   Also my biggest problem with this farmer is that he reduces a manure pool from his other farm of dairy cows by spraying HUGE amounts of liquid manure throughout the summer/fall.  This creates a huge fly problem for my sheep not to mention my house and family.  We have spoken to the soil conservation district and it is worth noting that we are in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  However, this is the single biggest remaining Dairy farmer in the county, head of the county fairboard, etc. so he is a "good ole boy".

  Your wisdom is appreciated!  If I could move my sheep I certainly would but we have just a small farmette.

  Evelyn


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