Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com
Published - Tuesday, June 07, 2005
It's not a matter of choice
Oh, the interstate is a comin' through my outhouse.
They tell me I'm on their
right-a-way.
I'll sell today and I'll get rich, but my path will end at the highway ditch.
I'm makin' my last visit there today.
— Billy Edd Wheeler, 1969
Sometimes, life isn't fair.
We can certainly understand how someone, anyone, faced with the prospect of living downwind of 2,000 hogs and a million gallons of hog manure would believe life was dealing them a low blow and would do all they could to avert it.
Dale Sommers and those who join him in opposing Chris Sauer's plans for a new hog confinement operation are good, honest people who have voiced legitimate concerns.
Chris Sauer and those who support his plan are good and honest people, too, and they have made good-faith efforts to address those concerns.
Later today, it will be up to the Winona County Board to decide between the Sauers' right to operate their farm business and the neighbors' right to live without smelling hogs.
However the board decides, the decision will be seen as unfair to someone.
That's the way life is.
In this case, the commissioners' decision has the potential to set a precedent that will extend beyond one farm in one neighborhood. The Sauers, as those who oppose their plans admit, have met and exceeded all legal requirements to construct their building and begin operations. They have been held up as exemplary operators by their neighbors. They are, by all accounts, competent and skilled contemporary family farmers. It has been said that, if the Sauers aren't allowed to upgrade and modernize their operation, what farmer will be?
If stringent environmental safeguards were not in place or the operators had a history of not abiding by them, we would urge the county board to call a halt to this, or any similar project. But in this situation, that is not the case and ultimately, if we're going to have bacon for breakfast, we have to raise the hogs somewhere.
That, we believe, is the crux of the matter. Do farmers have a right to farm — to raise the crops and livestock of their choosing — or do objections to the sounds, smells and, yes, risks and potential hazards of contemporary commercial production agriculture take precedence? Do we place a higher value on nonfarm rural residential real estate than we do on the ability of a farm family to pursue a secure and productive future? If we zone, regulate and restrict commercial agriculture out of existence, where will we look to for our next meal?
People who build homes in the country choose to build homes in the country. Farmers have no choice — if they're going to raise corn, hay or hogs, they have to be in the country. And all the rest of us depend on their success in raising that corn and those hogs — at least three times every day.
A family about to have 2,000 hogs as next-door neighbors might be forgiven for not thinking of it in that way.
Our county commissioners, who represent all of us, need to.
We urge their support of the Sauer family farm and for agriculture in Winona County.
We need productive farmers. We needed the interstate.
It's unfortunate, but sometimes, life isn't fair.
By Jerome Christenson on behalf of the Winona Daily News editorial board, which also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham, editor Darrell Ehrlick, photo editor James A. Bowey and sales and marketing manager Robin Baertsch. To comment, call (507) 453-3522 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.
All stories copyright 2000 - 2006 Winona Daily News and other attributed sources.