Re: Re: Speaking of free range eggs

[Guest guest]

Interesting as this is just a few towns from here. Ground water I don't see as

an issue. There's a huge filtration plant at Quabbin. Can't believe they're

worried about chicken manure when they flooded five towns to make the

reservoir. Who knows what they didn't get out.

Property devaluation. I'd rather have farms than the what was a school for

troubled boys beside us that is now only male juvenile sex offenders. MA. law

allows all their expansion and theres nothing we can do at town level. Our

property cannot be sold to families in truth, families cannot leave children

alone and our incomes are restricted because of it. At least they've got an

income to work from home.

Economic hardship because of land cost. My thoughts in a nutshell on it all.

Downsize, free range and sell a quality product to a smaller market. Its not

easy to constantly adjust to where you are especially when its outside

influence. Its worth it if you know you're doing the right thing for yourself,

others and the land you've chosen.

They could also get a conservation restriction protecting the farm for

agricultural use perpetually. Would give them some money to make protective

cages.

Wanita

At 05:50 AM 3/29/02 +0000, you wrote:

>

>> Hello all,

>>

>> So the eggs that I buy at the supermarket, Country Hen, sent a

>little

>> letter in their package of 6 eggs ($2.69) on how prohibitive true

>free

>> ranging is. 

>>

>> DANGER OR NUISANCE TO PEOPLE

>> 1. POLLUTION OF WATER- Ground water contamination is a real

>threat. We are

>> on the watershed that feeds into the Quabbin Reservoir, which gives

>water

>> to Boston and over 30 surrounding communities, The MDS

>Superintendent of

>> the Quabbin Reservior has written is a letter stating that " The MDC

>would

>> discourage the activity " (of free ranging our birds).

>> 2. DAVALUATION- A major threat to neighbors would be the

>devaluation of

>> their land because of the proximity to messy chicken pastures.

>>

>> ECONOMIC HARDSHIP

>> OR COULD PRESIDENT BUSH

>> AFFORD HIS RANDH IN HABBARDSTON?

>> 1. COST OF LAND- Land for free ranging done in the proper way

>would put us

>> out of business. Two authentic poultry textbooks * written when free

>> ranging was THE way both recommend 100 birds to the acre. To satisfy

>our

>> 67,000 hens, we would require 670 acres. It is doubtful if 670 acres

>of

>> organic pastureland are available in Massachusetts. If it were, a

>modest

>> price would be $5,000 per acre. This 670 acres would then cost

>$3,350,000,

>> a sum that would cause us to face bankruptcy.

>> 2. EXTRA LABOR- We would need an armed border patrol to keep

>out

>> predators. Every day would resemble a Giant Easter Egg Hunt as

>workers

>> fanned out to find eggs laid in the grass of 670 acres.