Farmers: “Not counting turds”

Total crap is how senator Jon Tester described the regulation after a Washington, DC circuit court threw out an exemption, which keeps ranchers from reporting air pollution caused by animal waste. Now, Montanans who raise cows may soon have to start monitoring just how much their animals defecate.

Erick Somerfeld, Local farmer and rancher said what the federal government is asking, “it’s not something that would be practical or even realistic.”

He owns and operates a small farm and ranch in Power with about 15 heads of cattle and said counting cow pies is not apart of his job.
Somerfeld said “I don’t think it doesn’t need to be done I the large levels where you are talking thousands and thousands of heads in a single area I can understand happening. But not the small guy who has 50-60 head it needs to be clarified that we are exempt from those kind of regulations.”

Tester co-sponsors a bill that would stop the federal government from regulating cow pies. The bill is called the Fair Agriculture Reporting Method or FARM.

Tester said in a press release, “farmers and ranchers have plenty of real work to do, counting cow turds is not in the job description. This bill will bring some Montana commonsense to a place that’s totally out of touch with life in rural America.”

According to the farm act the term animal waste includes feces, urine and other substances emitted by animals.
Including bedding and compost mixed with animal waste. As of right now farmers and ranchers do not have to start reporting until May 1st, 2018.

http://www.kfbb.com/story/37790350/farmers-not-counting-turds