# So we met the owner of the mega (cow) dairy........



## grandmajo (Oct 14, 2008)

Just thought I'd share this with you guys. We met the owner of the mega dairy that is near us.....2.5 miles as the crow flies, 5 miles by road.

Our great fun started on June 27th, when they began spraying liquid cow poo on the field surrounding our house. Oh what joy! Keep in mind that my house sits 50 feet from my south property line and they sprayed it right up to the property line. Anyways, they finished the field on June 28th, and then left it set like that until JULY 7th! Then they disced that in, and spread solid manure on top of that for 2 more days. So, from June 27th thru July 9th, we were surrounded by cow poo, and the lovely horde of flies that came with it.

To make a long story short, I finally was able to find the correct government agency, and the correct contact person, as we couldn't find a phone number for the dairy, didn't know who the owner was, and the dairy property is gated with no trespassing signs. They made a call to the dairy, who came right over and worked the stuff in, then the ODA inspector called me. I was able to get the owner's name and phone number and requested a chat with him. He stopped by on July 13th.

Here's the highlights of what he told us - my thoughts are in parenthesis:

1) Normally I stop by all the houses near the fields before we apply manure, but you guys must have fallen off my radar, since I've spread the fields around this one for several years and you've never complained. (Our house is the only one near this field? And unless a person complains, then it must be okay to do as you want?)

2) I can't really tell the difference just by looking between 100 feet and 150 feet when I plan an application. (Then perhaps you should measure? The law states 100 feet minimum set back from a residence if you incorporate within 24 hours/300 feet minimum set back if you take longer than 24 hours to incorporate. And he admitted to the Ohio Department of Ag Inspector that he had violated the set back on the south side of our house.)

3) Skillfully evaded my questions about the holding pen that they keep several cows in that suddenly disappear. Also evaded questions about how they handle mastitis or CL.

4) Told us that when they had the hoof and mouth scare, that he was looking for a quarantine facility 30 miles away, so that if one of his cows was diagnosed with hoof and mouth, he could quickly move a good portion of the herd out, because the law says that all cows on the premises must be destroyed. (That didn't sound very legal or ethical to us?)

We kept the visit friendly, but some of what he told us, didn't exactly leave us with a warm and fuzzy feeling that they're trying to be good neighbors.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Well, even though it doesn't sound like he wanted to be a "good neighbor".....at least you know that with a commercial dairy, there are rules they are required to follow. :wink:


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

oh boy- what fun


----------



## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Gross...we have a dairy farm about 2 miles from us and when we get a south wind--man does it smell! I couldn't even imagine what it would be like having the stuff spread right next to my house! :worried: 

The one near us keeps the cows in total comfinement in these tiny little stalls where they hardly have room to lay down. They never get to go outside. All they can do is stand there and eat and wait for milking time.


----------



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh I would have been furious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry: But I don't deal nicely with disrespect like that as I am sooooo cautious with offending anyone when it comes to these type of things.

I sure hope that you get more answers and that he follows the rules!


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Oh...that is just so gross. There is a fairly large dairy about 3 miles from us and they do the same thing...they have circle irrigation and they put cow urine and manure liquid mix through it onto their corn and boy does it stink! Luckily the wind here always blows from the west, but on "special" occasions :ROFL:  the wind comes from the east and gosh does it stink. I sure hope you can figure something out...that is so nasty. I think it would be better to try and get along with him than to blow up at him, because he really won't try and help you out any if you guys don't get along. :shrug:


----------



## grandmajo (Oct 14, 2008)

KW Farms said:


> I think it would be better to try and get along with him than to blow up at him, because he really won't try and help you out any if you guys don't get along. :shrug:


Yep, that was our thoughts too. That's why I requested that he visit, and we kept it friendly. We gave him indication that we were willing to work with him, but at the same time let him know that we are now aware of the rules for spreading and incorporating manure. He also understands that we both grew up as farm kids, that we're not a couple of transplanted city slickers. We do understand that cows create poo, and it has to go somewhere.

Hopefully, we both now have a clear understanding of each other.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

That's great! :thumb:


----------



## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

Yuck! That would stink. Literally. I wouldn't be happy either! :angry:


----------



## pahvantpiper (Aug 19, 2014)

What do you expect them to do with the manure? If you don't like the smell of a dairy farm I suggest you don't live by one.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

This is an old thread from 2009.


----------



## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

This is a really old thread that makes me laugh every time i see it!

Pennsylvania has a pamphlet for city folk who move into the country, explaining that in rural areas people spread manure burn trash shoot guns have loud livestock start tractors at 5:00am and all sorts of other warnings. It then goes on to say if this isn't your thing consider not moving to the country or move back to the city!!! I love it! 

City people want country people to act like city people who happen to be in the woods! Because why they are " normal" and we are acting away from the norm?

Cracks me up!


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Hahaha We have a dairy just a couple miles from us to the east and I NEVER smell it! Now the feedlot 5 miles away to the south....phew. I've had them spread manure right across the road from me and not work it in for a month. No AC in the house at the time....everything in my house smelled like cow manure including my clothes. It was awful. You live in the country....you deal with everything that goes with it. Sometimes it's the best place in the world to be and other times....welll......


----------



## goatlady1314 (Oct 24, 2013)

Thats why we have our dairy farm way back a mile from the road, so people like you guys dont complain


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

actually the original poster (back in 2009) said that they grew up as a farm kid -- they know poo needs to go somewhere. 

OK im closing this topic now.


----------

