How do I say this without being perceived as a polluting farmer?

I have to say here, folks, while I am not in favor of blatant dumping of toxins into the ecosystem, we have driven ourselves into this situation. I don't want to pay $10 a pound for hamburger and chicken or $50 for a pair of Joe Boxers... and I'd much rather buy American products when I go to the store...

First off, Fox, from the cotton farmer and chicken farmer's perspective, it IS all about them and it IS all about regulating how they farm. Farming is a business just like guiding. They have been "forced" over the years to make business decisions in the name of survival and profit that have had an effect on our watershed and overall ecosystem - just like the manufacturing community. The alternative, to him, is to shut down the family farm and buy the cotton for our undewear overseas. To him, it is the same as telling a guide he has to limit the amout of gas he can use in his boat for a guide trip, install a system to keep any oils or fumes from escaping into the stream or air, limit the amount of tippet used on the end of his leader, and has to account for every gram of lead and centimeter of mono/tippet/leader material. Have your waders and boat hull tested for contaminants before each trip. And all without being able to increase your fees.

I realize the scale is not the same, but that's HIS perspective. The wise old native American saying "walk a mile in my moccasins" applies to both sides here.

Besides... I know several cotton and rice farmers and many cattle and chicken farmers. Do they know they are polluting the ecosystem? Most of them do. One rice farmer I know recently told me about frog gigging as a kid on his dad's place where he now farms rice. He said he use to catch a frog every 5 feet. Then his family and neighbors started rice farming... and the pesticides reduced the frog population to where you might find 2 or 3 frogs where he use to find 2-300 as a kid. And he would not think of eating the legs now. (Think of that over your next Budweiser - made with Arkansas rice...)

Sure, I am in favor of the regulation of fetilizer, herbacides, and pesticides. Sure, I want my great-grandkids to enjoy the White River system as I have and am. And, yes, we need to get these regulations in place yesterday!

Maybe we all could do our part and give up our cars, powerboats, electricity in our homes, and raise our own purely organic fruits, meat, and veggies. That also means making our own clothes from animals and plants we raise ourselves. As I said in another thread, maybe the Amish have the right idea afterall...

I guess what I'm saying is that I can't bash the farmers (after all, I grew up on a farm) for trying to protect their interests... Isn't that what you are doing from the guiding perspective? I'm not saying that cotton farmer or any of the farmers are right. I do entitle them to their opinion, however. Talk to farmers. See how many of them hunt and fish. See how many of them are concerned about the effects of the same environmental problems we are concerned with. I'm willing to bet very close to 100 percent of them do hunt and/or fish and are just as concerned as we are. THEY want their grandkids to be able to hunt and fish too...

Yep, they are part of the problem, too... But so is any fisherman who uses lead, a 2 cycle engine, or doesn't bleach his waders every time he changes streams.

Do I have THE answer? I wish I did... I wish someone did. But so far, nobody has come up with a solution to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Yes, let's stop the bleeding. Then we can work on the wound. But whatever the answer is, we HAVE to be able to work WITH the farmers and developers... not just against them. (Not that the developer in question on this thread seems to WANT to work with us...)

Just my opinion... for what it's worth...
Tight lines, ya'll!!

Terry

http://www.arkieflyguy.com
http://www.neaff.com