October 2012 Articles

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Just Rambling, October 2012

In last month’s issue, my son, Cody Bennett, wrote an article on Mr. James Wagley and his farm, describing the inspection of the farm by the EPA and the excellent report Mr. Wagley received after their visit. Cody also wrote a story about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) using information we gathered from telephone interviews with the EPA Regional Office in Dallas, Texas. I ran these articles with the intention of giving poultry growers a better understanding of EPA guidelines and the many things they’re looking at when they visit a farm. Also, by interviewing EPA officials, I wanted to develop a better relationship with them and allow them to help in preparing poultry growers and other livestock operators for the agency’s visits. I found them to be cooperative, forthright, and open to communication. Needless to say, the individuals I met greatly impressed me. I feel much better about the EPA than I did prior to these interviews. Oh yes, they have the power and authority to issue “Cease and Desist Orders,” which can shut down a farm, as well as the power to “levy fines,” but all in all, I am convinced that if poultry producers adhere to current regulations and cooperate with EPA inspectors, then very few problems will arise between agricultural producers and the agency. Juan Ibarra, EPA Inspector, stated that he has only found small violations of regulations in this area, and that all producers visited have been very obliging in correcting any violations on their farms. It is only when a producer fails to cooperate and correct the violations that the EPA has to resort to stronger measures. Let’s all remember that the EPA has a job to do, and that we as agricultural producers must be good stewards of our land and water. That is our job.
A side-note to these articles: I was recently caught off guard when a poultry grower called and left a voicemail asking me to please cancel her subscription to Ag Trader USA. The reason given for this cancellation was that she did not want anything with Pilgrim’s Pride’s name on it to come into her home ever again. The photo I took of Mr. Wagley had him standing on his farm beside a Pilgrim’s Pride sign. Pilgrim’s Pride is the company he grows for out of Natchitoches, Louisiana. It was not our intention to offend anyone by running these articles—it was our intention to give credit to a worthy farmer in our area. I returned this grower’s call, hoping to apologize for offending her. I hope I didn’t offend anyone else, and I apologize if I did. The ironic thing about this situation is that the offended grower actually got chickens back under contract with Foster Farms. If this grower has such negative feelings against Pilgrim’s Pride, then that is certainly her right. But what about the many growers in the El Dorado and Farmerville Divisions who never got birds back? Shouldn’t they be more offended? I can relate, because I am one of those growers. Many of us haven’t been able to keep our farms, and some cannot even service their debt because they have not been allowed to grow chickens again. My heart goes out to these people most of all.
With the onset of fall comes hunting seasons for various kinds of wildlife. We have included in this month’s edition an article about the whitetail deer and how to establish food plots, as well as an article about the black bear. There have been more and more sightings of the black bear in this area, which is quite unusual. We hope these articles give you more information on how to kill the whitetail deer and how to avoid the black bear. Hunting seems to be growing more popular each year, especially for people from urban areas who come to the country for a piece of Sportsman’s Paradise. Remember to practice safe hunting and only shoot when you know what you’re firing at. Happy hunting this fall, and, as the song says, I hope you nab the Thirty-point Buck this year, and don’t encounter any black bears. Van Bennett