Bacon, anyone?

Maybe it’s just me, but life seems to throw all the changes, opportunities, and upheavals the last year of High School… when the work load seems to triple. Among several changes taking place in my normally calm, uneventful family life is the issue of our peace and freedom at our home. One month ago we were very vaguely informed (at the last minute) of a young man’s plan to install 2,500 hogs not half a mile from our home (which makes hardly any difference when the slightest wind should blow). Our first reaction was concern as to the smell; but it didn’t take too long for the list of downsides to living near a hog confinement to lengthen before our innocent eyes. To name but a few: dramatic decrease in property value (besides, who would deliberately move into a house next to 2,500 hogs?), increased traffic (trucks and semis) on the roads and more work to maintain it, and the manure and chemicals which carry in the air are responsible for numerous health disturbances such as chronic bronchitis; nonallergic occupational asthma; episodes of organic dust toxic syndrome; and mucus membrane irritation… headache, nausea, loss of appetite, emotional disturbance and more.

Several weeks ago our family, along with several other concerned families attended a heated meeting to express our concerns and opposition to the confinement. And we had the pleasure of meeting the young farmer who seemed to have little respect or understanding for our position and was clearly aghast that anyone would oppose his young ambition, or have any problem with the very sudden move of neighbors who we had no warning or inkling would be invading our wellbeing. When put simply, this unexpected plan to invade our quiet country homes (for my family, it’s a home we’ve basically rebuilt and been raised in, investing 15 years of money and hard work in) is now unapologetically encroaching upon our health and peace.

After several meetings and having the issue being brought before our board of supervisors, the request for the confinement was voted down. Our relief was short lived when we learned that the young man reapplied, and we are going through the whole ordeal again. Last night was our meeting with the zoning commission, where I was shocked at the accusations and mockery by the farmers towards us, the families who will ultimately pay for another man’s gain. Claims were made that we were acting purely on emotion and not on scientific fact (extensive research on the health risks were repeatedly presented), and it was clear we had no understanding or respect from the farmers who showed up to support the confinement. Finally, after being witnesses to heated debates sprinkled with colorful language, we went home depressed and discouraged at the realistic prospects of putting our acreages on the market and moving away from the only homes most of us have every known. We may be the United States (sometimes I wonder…) but the other evening was definitely not a display of united counties.

Many lifetime farmers cannot understand how we can be opposed to something they claim is the “life” of our Nebraska counties, despite our attempts to assure them we are not against farming, and sure we enjoy eating bacon. We’re just against huge animal confinements that suddenly appear in our faces after years of living without one and no warning whatsoever that our land would one day lose it’s worth and value. As a free American, I feel for the first time that my home and our community have been devalued and tossed aside in light of the need for bacon. At least in my State, hogs are more important than the loyal, peaceful tax paying citizens. This outrage, I feel, will one day backfire on the counties and communities that allow such huge farming motions to take place in the larger populated areas.

I do love America for the ability we have to raise our own provisions here in our own land, but I feel that when animals take precedence over families, something is going painfully awry.