Should CRP, CREP and other program $$ require public access?

[wesslpointer]

26%

To day on the news "consumer food prices rose 26% last year" what effect well this have on the volintary enrolment in crp. How do we get a head of this reduction of habit.

 

[oldandnew]

What interests me is the apparent fact in these areas, that the farm folks feel there is a stigma to allowing an undrained low spot or a weedy fencerow. It's like peer group pressure to mow the ditches miles from the house. I have always subscribed that viewing wildlife was a " quality of life issue", I sure think poisoning the drinking water with runoff atrazine is! Doesn't seem to matter if it's the city folks with bulging landfills, or the farmer who mows down every shred of cover, and lives on a billard table, in a bean or corn monoculture, or our U.S. corporations who shortcut investment in everything from workforce to product development, there's no long term vision of where we will be in 20 years. All effort is expended in immediate reward, screw the future. It's a national mindset we have to change, no one segment of the population can be expected to shoulder the burden unless we first recognize the problem for what it is, potentionally, the destruction of our society, and we all embrace some real difficult changes that fly directly oppossed to the way we have been taught and lived for our entire lives. We can't have more and better than our parents, neither can our kids, we mortgaged that possibility with a lavish and unsustainable lifestyle the last 50 years. Problem is who wants to volunteer to make the first sacrifice? I suspect it will be forced upon us equally in time.

 

[M. R. Byrd]

Problem is who wants to volunteer to make the first sacrifice? I suspect it will be forced upon us equally in time.

Oh, how true. I have talked water issues of the Ogallala aquifer until I am blue in the face and I really haven't found anyone in power that wants to address the issue. Brilliant scientists know exactly what is happening, but "It's the economy, stupid" that is the rule of the day. I am looking at a map on my wall showing water decline in one of the counties of 129 feet, that plus the fact that wells are going dry should send the alarm, but it isn't. There is a wreck about to happen and it won't be pretty. My rant for the day.

 

[captaincoot]

I think farmers want gov't payments we should have to put a small protion of land in crp say 1acre for every 100 you farm or something like that. The bigger farm operations get the worse all the problems get. I always liked the trees they planted in ND for wind breaks always wildlife by them if you look close enough, but every year more are getting bulldozed out Think of the fuel savings if you could get farmers to stop mowing ditches

 

[henhenROOSTER!!!]

Short-sightedness/instant-gratification with little or no thought for the future or toward others outside of one's particular self-serving tunnel-vision is pretty much an incurable human disease...

 

[haymaker]

I think farmers want gov't payments we should have to put a small protion of land in crp say 1acre for every 100 you farm or something like that. The bigger farm operations get the worse all the problems get. I always liked the trees they planted in ND for wind breaks always wildlife by them if you look close enough, but every year more are getting bulldozed out Think of the fuel savings if you could get farmers to stop mowing ditches

As one of those farmers I agree with some of the points being made, but not all of them. I hate to see trees removed by the ditch to ditch farmers. I went to a land auction of a neighbor prepared to bid what I thought was a fair price. One of our local ditch to ditch farmers bid $500 per acre more than that. There goes the trees. Maybe if I had developed the profitability from pay hunting I could have bid higher. We have to mow ditches to keep our roads open in the winter. It does not always work but the mail routes would plug early in a winter like this if we did not. What we do has a reason behind it. This is a great topic. I am glad to see this conversation between farmers and hunters. It should shed light on this for all to see.

 

[FCSpringer]

I live in the country and see both types of ditch, mowed and not.The ditch is the first thing to catch snow either way. Some mow just the 3' edge. one thing they all have in common is the same amount of snow.
As said in the past, I believe a farm should be able to make what they can off there land. But they should also pay taxes.

My Cousins are ditch to ditch big ag guys. I love em, but there is no struggle there. All new trucks. Semis, new combines, snow mobiles, and so on. They have a place in FL for winter. They chuckle when we talk about the subsides received these days and the exempt sales tax forms, (I have filled out some my self). We don't stand much of a chance with CRP for these types. The smaller farms with old equipment, are more likely to enroll. This is the guy thats looking at his tires and rust, wondering if old green girl will start one more time. His land is paid for and he wants a break. He is ready to retire. He has a couple options, rent the ground to my cousins or put it into some incentive program. It needs to match close to rent or loose em. It has to be promoted better as well. Really making them understand it saves his ground for his great grand kids. After all you hear it all the time." He is set in his ways" , so why drive by now and see switch grass? So less hand outs for my cousins, and pay more for the guy they want to rent from.

 

[wesslpointer]

As one of those farmers I agree with some of the points being made, but not all of them. I hate to see trees removed by the ditch to ditch farmers. I went to a land auction of a neighbor prepared to bid what I thought was a fair price. One of our local ditch to ditch farmers bid $500 per acre more than that. There goes the trees. Maybe if I had developed the profitability from pay hunting I could have bid higher. We have to mow ditches to keep our roads open in the winter. It does not always work but the mail routes would plug early in a winter like this if we did not. What we do has a reason behind it. This is a great topic. I am glad to see this conversation between farmers and hunters. It should shed light on this for all to see.

Its my understanding that Pheasant nesting needs "nee high by April 15" is there a way that "ON" the Public right of ways could be used for both nesting and keeping snow off? It's A sham if the trees were put in with Public funds there was not a conservation easement in place to protect them!

 

[CRP]

No matter what anyone thinks about "farm program" issues, the US of A is $ 14 TRILLION in debt. Farm subsidies are entitlements just like welfare is for city dwellers, and will need to be cut. Whether farmers like it or not, participating in government handouts has created that entitlement atmosphere as well as allowing the govt to dictate what crops to plant and when. That money came with strings attached.

Those farmers that have paid hunting operations will have to decide if it is more advantagous to keep the CRP going along with having paying hunters, or switch to getting out of CRP and making money off crops.

 

[fsentkilr]

The government doesn't tell farmers what crops to plant and when and haven't since since the 96 farm bill or Freedom to Farm was enacted. Payment no longer are tied to what crop you grow, but based on what crops were grown in the past. There is no set aside acres anymore either. As farm as CRP goes, IMO it will be the last farm program to be cut. I hope I'm right. They have announced another general signup for this year which will enroll or reenroll the same amount of acres that are expiring this year. So the cuts to CRP haven't started yet. Actually I'm kind of surprised with grain prices as high as they are they announced another enrollment.

 

[haymaker]

Its my understanding that Pheasant nesting needs "nee high by April 15" is there a way that "ON" the Public right of ways could be used for both nesting and keeping snow off? It's A sham if the trees were put in with Public funds there was not a conservation easement in place to protect them!

Where I live the only grass knee high on April 15th is what grew last year. Our township law says that ditches need to be mowed by the 1st of October. I think pheasants use our ditches to nest. I have a lot of nesting habitat so they do not have to.

 

[wesslpointer]

Where I live the only grass knee high on April 15th is what grew last year. Our township law says that ditches need to be mowed by the 1st of October. I think pheasants use our ditches to nest. I have a lot of nesting habitat so they do not have to.

I wonder if the township would look at mowing just along the edges as the county may benifit more from income that hunting brings in?

 

[haymaker]

I wonder if the township would look at mowing just along the edges as the county may benifit more from income that hunting brings in?

Not a chance we require that the full ditch be mowed if possible. Our roads would impassible in the winter. If somebody needs an ambulance or fire dept. the roads need to be as open as possible. In a winter like this one we spend a lot of time and money trying to keep roads open even when we mow every thing. This year with the snow and wind that we have had it has not been uncommon for me not to be able to get out for three or four days in a row.

 

[FCSpringer]

I don't believe the we have to mow more then the edge at all. I know a little about the subject, living in MN my whole life and dealing with the town ship for the same reason. Many people just want it mowed for weed control. It has nothing to do with clearing snow from roads. The ditch is the first to fill full of snow, the first time you get wind and snow. No matter if mowed or not. You can't tell which is which when you drive by in the winter... most grass is below grade. Mowing the edge is fine. All the grass in the lower ditch does no harm to drifting at all. Your ditch will be level with snow and drift any way, fact. It would save tax dollars as well. Many farmers want them mowed to keep people from hunting the roadside as well. Sorry but snow has nothing to do with it. Just my two cents. I don't mow mine and neither does the township, except the edge. I don't see any big drift ever, it is worse in certain areas weather mowed or not. A fence will cause more drifting then grass in a ditch. Many farmers also in cattle country do it for the bales.

 

[haymaker]

I don't believe the we have to mow more then the edge at all. I know a little about the subject, living in MN my whole life and dealing with the town ship for the same reason. Many people just want it mowed for weed control. It has nothing to do with clearing snow from roads. The ditch is the first to fill full of snow, the first time you get wind and snow. No matter if mowed or not. You can't tell which is which when you drive by in the winter... most grass is below grade. Mowing the edge is fine. All the grass in the lower ditch does no harm to drifting at all. Your ditch will be level with snow and drift any way, fact. It would save tax dollars as well. Many farmers want them mowed to keep people from hunting the roadside as well. Sorry but snow has nothing to do with it. Just my two cents. I don't mow mine and neither does the township, except the edge. I don't see any big drift ever, it is worse in certain areas weather mowed or not. A fence will cause more drifting then grass in a ditch. Many farmers also in cattle country do it for the bales.

You can believe what you want. Maybe your roads are higher. I am happy for you if that is the case where you live. Where I live it is definately the case. If you would like I can look up the law that requires it. You are right about the snow filling the ditches, but it does take longer if you keep them clean. Mowing roads in September has nothing to do with weed control. They have gone to seed long before that.

 

[FCSpringer]

OK HM you just said sept. That is long enough for nesting birds... Perfect. We are thinking of the ones like here where they mow it in june. Now thats stupid in my book. It has everything to do with weeds. And no concern for nests...

 

[haymaker]

We have to mow the top of the road by the July 1st. The rest before Oct. 1st. Weeds need to be controlled but it can probably be done with a sprayer.

 

[FCSpringer]

That I agree with. They basicly drive around in a truck with a tank and spray out the window. Now an ideot will hit your schrubs too, so were better off keeping it clean ourself so they just drive by. Thistle is what they are mainly after.

 

[haymaker]

Springer
If predators have as good a nose as my dog does I am not sure that nesting in a ditch would be all that good. I think a predator could run up and down a ditch and find a nest pretty easy. That is why CRP is a better deal.

 

[Shadow]

never heard any articles of birds nesting in ditches alongside a road-