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Chemical fertilizer

S

Stephen Newell

Well-known Member
Being from the city I don't know a thing about fertilizer especially for Ag use. I was just away on vacation and when I came back my neighbor from across the road has used some kind of chemical fertilizer. From the smell of it my guess it's Ammonium Nitrate. Anyway one of his pastures is about 150 yards from my place and the odor is so strong I can't stay outdoors or work in my shop at all. Then today I've counted so far a dozen 18 wheelers with a live bottom hauling in more of the stuff. I really don't think the guy has more than 500 acres for livestock only. Is it really possible he needs that much?
 
If he's hauling that much in, I'd bet it's chicken or turkey litter. That stuff has a very strong ammonia smell to it.
AaronSEIA
 
Yes, it is probably some sort of manure product... organic fertilizer. Without knowing what kind, and what soil tests indicate, it is not easy to define what is "too much" from a distance.

If it were a synthetic fertilizer, there would be little or no smell.
 
I looked at the trucks when they went by my place and there is nothing on the truck or trailer to indicate even where it was coming from. I thought perhaps the supplier may have their logo on the trucks but they must have been independent.
 
I agree. I haul the synthetic fertilizer part time. Little to no smell. But the organic stuff could make a skunk run. We had a load of fifty pound bags come in at the feed store. One bag broke. Smelled so bad we had them come get the stuff. Not something we wanted to sell.
 
The thing I don't understand is a person buys a home by the airport and then complains about the planes taking off and landing.Same as by the interstate, railroad tracks, and farm land. I say if it brothers you move to a place that doesn't upset you. I hope you are not complaining about that farmer with your mouth full.

Bob
 
Sounds like a manure fertilizer to me, not a commercial product.

Contrary to what the hard core tree huggers want to say, the original organic stuff needs a lot more volume, and has some smell, fly, salt, and transportation issues of its own.

We don't live in a perfect world. :)

Now, sure wish it was getting delivered to my farm, poultry litter is good stuff. Just costs so much to haul a ways.

Paul
 
Definitely poultry litter. I used to haul some out of a laying hen barn. When you rolled the tarp off you could see the green cloud of ammonia gas.

Never did get asked to spend time at the weigh station when loaded with that stuff.
 
There is such a thing as consideration for your neighbors. Creating an offensive smell can be regulated by the EPA. Just being a farmer does not give you "carte blanche" to offend your neighbors. I would have suggested that he talk to the farmer about somehow making the smell less offensive. Perhaps by moving the dumping site, making a trench to dump it into, or something along those lines.
I do agree that when you move in next to a farm, airport, highway or similar does not give you any rights to have your neighbors conform to your own desires. BUT, there still are limits. After all, ammonia IS a toxic gas.
 
Is he incorporating it into the soil right away or just spreading it over the top of the ground? If it does not get worked in the stink will last until it is buried under the snow. Many counties now require manure to be incorporated to reduce nutrient runoff into rivers and lakes, (it helps reduce the smell too). I think all the waste and carcasses from barns with bird flu had to be buried, but who knows with some operators. I would contact one of your county supervisors to check on what the stuff is and if/when it needs to be incorporated.
 
From what I've been reading the guy is hauling in too much to fast. There is no way he could be turning that much fertilizer into the soil in one day. There is still trucks going in and out of there since I first posted. I'm a pretty reasonable person but it would be like moving near an airport and having a continuous stream of aircraft coming and going, not one once in a while. Anyway I've been here for 30 years and it's the first time anyone has ever done anything like this.
 
It might be a good idea to speak to your neighbour in a friendly way and ask him what the product is, how much might he be using and over what time scale. If your neighbour is a reasonable man you could explain your concerns and hope to come to an agreement. If you have lived there for 30 years and this is the first serious annoyance it sounds as though he is not an uncaring individual. If your neighbour took over the operation last week and this is how he typically operates then life might be about to get a whole lot more unpleasant.
 
You should live in my area. we have dairies here that empty there pits several times a year. the smell is very strong, but they have to empty there pits so we have to put up with the smell. Also we do not need the EPA coming around and making stupid request for hard working people that are just trying to make a living. I go into the big cities and the smells that come from some of the factories is more offensive then the smell of manure. The farm smell will be gone in a few days but the factory smell is 365 days a year and 24 hrs.day. Also i am not a farmer anymore so I don't make the smell but I have to live with it where I live. That is just part of living where I do, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
 
But it's totally organic,so relax. At least he's not "Poisoning the Earth" with "commercial fertilizer". I thought that's what consumers wanted?! No? NIMBY? Not in my back yard?
 

I agree with others that it's probably chicken or turkey littler. The normal application rate in our area is 2 tons per acre according to NRCS regulations. It's organic and not toxic in any way other than the odor and that will dissipate in a couple of days. Living in the country it's best to get used to normal agricultural practices. The alternative is for the farmer to use chemical fertilizer and that wouldn't comply with some of the all organic rules.
 
Happens all the time. Tho its dairy or hog manure around here in my neighborhood.

Smells a little. Big deal. Its the country. Sure beats having to live in a city and all the crap one has to deal with there!

Paul
 
Around here we have the "right to farm" law. Exactly what it sounds like to stop city people weekenders who move in for the "rural feel" from complaining, calling police, trying to get laws made etc. When farms are spreading manure, baling hay late etc.

The farmer is spreading manure to keep his fields productive to make food so you don't go hungry....
 
What are you a commie? My land, screw you.

Sadly, many farmers have that attitude. Reality, is that they do not have the votes (2 or 3 %) to support their
"screw you" attitudes. Their Daddies are long dead,.... but their sense of land entitlement is not. BTO have even fewer votes,( 1 vote..3000 acres) but are even more out of touch with current attitudes, caught up in their own greatness. Peaceful co-existence is possible, but sadly, too many farmers are too self centered to recognize that they are killing the goose. In the end, dumping trash on your fence row is a very short sighted attitude.
 
Yea, as long as a guy is making a living he should be immune from any law.
Are you serious? Think about it for your family. If the shoe??????
 
Right to farm doesn't give you free reign to do whatever you want. Still have rules and regulations to follow. Manure must be worked in, dead animals taken care of,etc.....
 
Used to have guys spread Granulite around here (aka Ocean-Gro and Milorganite). Google it. NJ legislators outlawed its application on preserved farmland.
 
(quoted from post at 20:09:32 07/02/16) Perhaps someone should put chicken S around your house this holiday weekend.
Click to expand...

As a matter of fact they DID. And the aroma is quite pungent. Since I live in the country I expect things like that.
 
I'd love to have a few loads of chicken litter to spread might run off some of the city slickers of course most around me are from DC so they are used to the smell.
 
(quoted from post at 21:15:39 07/02/16) Right to farm doesn't give you free reign to do whatever you want. Still have rules and regulations to follow. Manure must be worked in, dead animals taken care of,etc.....
Click to expand...

It depends on where you are at. Spreading chicken litter on pasture is common practice around my area and it is regulated by the NRCS. The farm across the road from my house spread litter a couple of days ago. You can't work up pasture ground every time.

As far as odor, there have been many lawsuits brought by people that didn't like certain odors. Some were not related to agriculture. Odor isn't considered pollution by the EPA as long as there are no particulates in the air

The disposal of dead animals is different. They must be composted or incinerated.
 
Who said free right to do whatever they want?

The the right to farm law obviously has restrictions but this post is about a neighbor spreading manure. Here we can and do spread on hay feilds and pastures with out working it in that's what everyone does. And the liquid manure from some dairys has a strong smell you can smell for a half a mile from the feild but that's just how it is, manure stinks and also helps plants grow.
 
You seem to be implying it. Instead of the "deal with it or get out" method; why not work with people? Might very by state, but in Michigan, you have 48hrs to work solid manure in. Spraying or irrigating liquid manure on pastures or forage crops is a different ball game. If this is solid poo, 48hrs here, unless there's adverse weather
 
Being a farmer or an industry does not give you the right to ignore your neighbors or to ignore common decency to others. Profit is all too often used as an excuse for uncontrolled greed, and unconcerned actions, me me me, make money at any cost, and to heii with others. But,...be careful....don't get too greedy...the pendulum always swings. Study history. People that do not study history are bound to repeat it! Go too far and it will bite you! Ask the UAW.
If people can not live in the cities because industry was there first, and they can not live in the country because the farmers were there first.....where the heii are 90% of the people supposed to go? It is time to get your head out of the 1800"s.
It is amazing how many people, who care nothing about the rights of others; then once a week, stand up and proclaim their love for their fellow man.
 
(quoted from post at 22:47:59 07/02/16) Being a farmer or an industry does not give you the right to ignore your neighbors or to ignore common decency to others. Profit is all too often used as an excuse for uncontrolled greed, and unconcerned actions, me me me, make money at any cost, and to heii with others. But,...be careful....don't get too greedy...the pendulum always swings. Study history. People that do not study history are bound to repeat it! Go too far and it will bite you! Ask the UAW.
If people can not live in the cities because industry was there first, and they can not live in the country because the farmers were there first.....where the heii are 90% of the people supposed to go? It is time to get your head out of the 1800"s.
It is amazing how many people, who care nothing about the rights of others; then once a week, stand up and proclaim their love for their fellow man.
Click to expand...

I can't understand your logic. People don't want farmers to uses chemicals because they harm the environment but they don't want them to use organic fertilizer because it has an odor. If no fertilizer is used then we will for sure be going back to the 1800's. Farmers are criticized for moving their equipment down the roads and creating dust at harvest, People get tired of the city and keep crowding the farmers. When will it end? I haven't seen a recent figure but a few years ago there was something like 2 million acres a year lost to urban sprawl. I guess that is a result of rural greed.
 
An odor is one thing but the intensity of what the guy did was too much. I'm probably 500 yards from where they are dumping it and it's so strong you can't breath. It seems after I made the initial post here the guy was just getting started, I estimate there was 60 to 80 truckloads of this stuff brought in during the course of one day. This is what I object to. It was far more than the guy could possibly work.
 
Wow! This should teach you to have an opinion! Nice to know you can ask a question and not have everyone get all defensive. Chicken manure is very potent stuff and doesn't usually take much, cattle manure is another story and you can put quite a lot on generally. I would take the earlier advice and ask him about it in a friendly way, also you probably will notry smell it after a couple days.
 
Funny, when I grew up I was taught to be considerate and respectful of my neighbors. It appears a lot of farmers have different values.
 
Reminds me of the complaint we received one time, a woman rehab-ed a house directly above the railroad tracks, I Mean the tracks were directly THERE, plainly visible, both tracks, right below her, and she came in and wanted us to shut down the railroad.
 
20 years ago when one of the first dutchmen started his dairy, straight from Belgium, he decided to pick an old farm house on Buchanan Road because it had some acreage and he had plenty of money to back whatever he needed. You won't find ANY of his neighbors that thinks he's an OK guy. A lady living by his haul route in front of a field he bought (76 years old, lived there her whole life with her husband) said she couldn't take it anymore, the trucks, smells, noise all night and day. She tried to sell her house (no longer had any value due to the new surroundings) almost had to give it away, and moved 4 miles away and built a brand new house. 5 years later, guess who's expanded and bought the rest of the land around that area, including her new house? DeSeagher Dairy. I try to treat my neighbors how I would like to be treated, which includes not messing up their yards with farm equipment, not spraying when their kids are outside, and not making too much noise when people are trying to sleep.
 
Agreed. When you get hungry and wonder why your food costs half your pay check you'll think maybe farming has more to do with producing a product than your neighbors providing you a scenic outlook.
 
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