Many farmers are putting more of their own money into anti-pollution and conservation measures -- upgrading storage tanks, building dikes and planting grass barriers to absorb and filter soil and chemicals that runoff water can carry from the farm.
VERSAILLES, Ohio — Jeff Wuebker points proudly to three towering, baby blue storage tanks he bought to replace his aging steel ones.
He believes the plastic tanks reduce the chances that the liquid nitrogen fertilizer they contain will spill and pollute streams near his western Ohio farm. The 10,000-gallon tanks cost $18,000, and Wuebker received only $2,000 from the government to help with the cost.
Many farmers are putting more of their own money into anti-pollution and conservation measures -- upgrading storage tanks, building dikes and planting grass barriers to absorb and filter soil and chemicals that runoff water can carry from the farm.
Their actions are driven by pressure from city dwellers who have moved nearby, concern about protecting their own drinking water, a desire to preserve the land that grows their crops and feeds their livestock, and tougher environmental regulations.
Beginning Jan. 1, for example, any Ohio farmer with fertilizer tanks that hold more than 5,000 gallons will be required to have dikes or some sort of barrier to contain spills.
Wuebker estimates he's spent $25,000 in the past five years for anti-pollution measures on the 900-acre farm where he grows corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. He also raises cows and pigs.
He recently added 42-inch-high steel dikes that circle the fertilizer storage tanks. He also built a three-quarter-mile long waterway lined with grass that captures soil and chemicals that run off the fields during heavy rains.
Runoff can carry manure, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides into waterways, raising health concerns and killing fish. Manure can also contaminate water wells with bacteria.
Except for the dikes, there was no legal requirement for Wuebker to take such steps. He said he spent the money mainly to protect the soil and economic vitality of his farm -- but he's glad he did so for other reasons, too.
"You have your neighbors' eyes looking at you every day," the 35-year-old said.
In Vicksburg, Mich., Rob Richardson sunk $80,000 into underground concrete tanks to store manure on his hog farm, replacing the open pits.
Richardson, who also grows corn and soybeans, injects the manure into the soil instead of spreading it on top so it doesn't get washed into streams.
"You don't have the odor leaving like you would with an open lagoon," he said.
Sandy Ludeman, who raises hogs and grows corn and soybeans on his 2,800-acre farm near Tracy, Minn., says he's spent up to $50,000 on anti-pollution measures over the years.
Ludeman has built windbreaks and snow fences to reduce wind erosion and spent $3,500 last year on a waterway similar to Wuebker's.
He said that 15 years ago, his closest neighbors were all full-time farmers. That has all changed.
"I have an accountant. I have a truck driver. I have a postal worker. I have a college professor," Ludeman said. "They're not probably used to the agronomic practices most farmers would take as the norm. We don't want to upset their lifestyle."
The farmers' efforts are applauded by Rick Sahli, a lawyer who has represented citizens' groups challenging the establishment of large dairy farms in Ohio. But he said many farmers are likely completing the projects because they expect the government to put even tighter controls on farm pollutants because of rising public concern.
"They see the writing on the wall," Sahli said. "They know that at some point the government is going to have to tighten the screws."
Source: Associated Press
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