Another story of an old farm family with an ugly farm

In the town I grew up in in NJ,,it used to be many small family farms.In the 6os,,developments sprung up all through the town like wildfire. Many,Many, kids and familys who never lived in this area were a majority now in town.Lots of pressure on some of the old time small farmers to clean up was enforced by the local ordinance officer whenever he could make it apply.Heres one true story you may like to hear. Down the road from us were a brother and a sister who lived on a farm that was quite large ,it was on both sides of the road.Their big pasture and some old rickety sheds were on one side,,and their house ,orchard(and collections) were on the other side.The man and woman had a cow and usually raised a calf or so across the street.First thing that happened,someone called the A.S.P.C.A,,the cow and calf didnt have water,,and the barns were haserdous.My dad heard of this and went to help the man.He took his backhoe there,cleaned up around the barns and shaped it up a bit.Then he went to get the old time vet we all knew in town.The vet went to a hearing,,he explained that the farmer leads the cow down to an ever running clear spring twice a day(which he did do) and he wanted to know who knows more about farming than this old man ,who has been doing this all his life,,and so did his grandfather?..So ,the old framer got to keep going for a while,and lived out some more years as he wanted to.Later on,he and his sister sold the pasture side ,and McMansions sprouted.Now came pressure to clean up the other side.the two didnt live much longer after that.Oddly enough,they left the farmhouse and orchard to the town.the town has made nature trails for yuppies,,and made a museum of the house and outbuildings.A Tractor sits out front,,their old dodge pickup (rusty) in the backyard.Why is it ok to look at it now,,,and not then?/

Most people don't appreciate what is there until they are at risk of losing it. And others want change, not necessarily improvement, but just change.

It's the politically correct "in thing" these days...telling other people what to do and getting mad if you don't do as they say!

To borrow a term from the news media ... it's 'class warfare'. That farm as a museum is a symbol of what the 'yuppies' want -- they want to suck the life out of rural America and just leave the real estate behind. They'll buy an old house on some small-town street and make a gift shop out of it, or palm reader or something silly, etc. They can't handle seeing a working farm with real people who represent hard work and traditional values. It's an insult to them. They're too dumb to realize what made America great. Like sawing off the limb that you're standing on.

Because most of those trendy folk could neither define or spell patina, but now it's in their lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I like old stuff as much as the next guy, but when you find barnwood on Craigslist for $3-$5 a foot and it still has the DNA on it it is a little too far.

There was a great one in Stowe Vermont. Due to the Ski area Stowe became a very upscale town. They even made McDonald's build a colonial style restaurant. Old farmer in town was grandfathered in as agricultural. He wanted to do something (don't remember what) town wouldn't let him so he decided to raise lots of pigs right there in town.

Its not only in the country its in the city one factory i know of got shut down and made into apartments.
Sometimes it's not all in appearance i know one guy keeps his taxes down that way and one of the wealthy guys in down got ticketed for not having his house painted bet his taxes went up after he did it.
But it's also sometimes people get in a rut and don't realize what there place looks like and then there the are the ones the neighbors that are better than you and yet if you go past there pretty part it gets real ugly fast i live in a neighborhood like that everyone seems to worry about my place yet its cleaner and tidy compared to others.

It's gonna hit critical mass here if a member of the township board ever comes here and starts in seriously the way that I HOPE he was joking two weeks ago.
My brother had dropped off a Ford Explorer behind the garage on Tuesday and he showed up Thursday morning. As soon as the guy got out of his car he said "Picked up another vehicle huh?". I said "Ya,is that what you're here for is to b!ch about that?". He smiled and said no.
He came in the house and sat here for a while talking,then he asked me when I was gonna clean up that manure across the road. He said the barn was clean a while ago,now it's full again. I told him that's how it works.
I wouldn't have even given it any more thought other than he was just making conversation,but then he started right I about two places that the township is working on getting cleaned up.
I sat on Board of Review with him for several years. He's not from around here and he's a little obsessed with other people's places and how they look. I'd like to think we're friends,but that'll be short lived if he ever shows up here in an official capacity.

If The s... ever hits the fan,these 'yuppies' will be the ones who suffer the most;to put it lightly!People forget without farmers and ranchers there would be NO food in the stores!

Hey,if your "friend" doesn't like it tell him to look the other way when he goes by your place.

One of the benefits of farming close to a town is high resale value. You can see ground to a developer and buy five times as much ground for the same money a few miles further away from town. The trade-off is having more neighbors and the responsibility to be a "good neighbor" yourself. Most people like the extra money but refuse to be considerate of their new neighbors - and conflicts result.

Some counties and towns are working together to plan "expansion zones" around growing towns.

As a township trustee here in southwest ohio, I can tell you that Ohio law is that ohio is an "agricultural state" and there are certain protections therefore that protect ag. in the state of ohio.

The long and short of it is that local and county zoning have basically ZERO effect on farms/agriculture!

Id be willing to bet many other states have the same type laws in place....

Better yet, your local zoning resolution likely has a clause that it cannot/will not impede (or other such terms) agriculture

that said, I have dealt with a zoning enforcement 'guy' here (was in place when I was elected, has since left office) who didn't quite seem to grasp that concept......point is those up top don't always know the law or how to apply it. That man was a peck shy on most of his interpretations....

If it ever does get serious....do a little investigation, start with your state revised code (Ohio Revised Code) see what it says.....you likely can blow the damned fools out of the water from the get go!!!!

I've strongly hinted that he mind his own business whenever he starts complaining about somebody else. You'd think he'd get the hint.

farming is a way of life in south Georgia local cities just leave them alone . you mess with one the whole county get involved.

Larry,
I hope you can see the department of environmental management point. An old gas tank on a tractor or truck will collect condensation and a rust hole will develope, out goes the gas/fuel on the ground. Eventually the antifreeze will leak out, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid. Contaming the ground isn't good for anyone.

Leaving old tires out for water to collect in is an insect problem waiting to happen. Same can be said about leaving any junk outside to collect water isn't good.

I've seen a few people living in the country was told to clean up their mess or the dept of environmental management will and send them a bill.

I see no reason why a person would want to trash their place, but they do it. I guess the more vehicles you have on concrete blocks is a status symbol. Does having junk washers and dryers in the yard make neat yard ornaments.

Now you went and did it Geo,,,you insulted SweetFeets hobby of admiring old rusty cars tractors and trucks,,,ya hadnt otttina done that,,,,(lol)

Larry, nothing wrong with rust that runs. It's the stuff that sits anl leaks is an environmental problem.

I've seen modern auto salvage places, the first thing they do is drain all fluids.

IDEM shut down an old salvage yard years ago and someone had to clean up the mess.

Farmers are being forced to clean up theirmessy places too.
George

Lots of messy farmers on here geo,,tread lightly,,,lol

They only leak out once.

Geo-TH I can tell by your post that I would a lot rather walk around that farmers place than I would yours. If you don't like old iron setting around, what are you doing on a sight like YT ? Ask Sweet Feet which place she would rather see Some high society high flying place where every thing is painted up perfect or some place like Jr. Fry's where the whole farm is covered with golden rust nice looking things to look at.

What gets me is that they move out into the country because they like the place and the life style but as soon as they get there they want to change things. A nice thing about where I live is that it is so cold and barren that those city people don't even dream about moving here.

AMEN

Where are you at in South Georgia? My grandfather farmed 180 acres of ground just north of Douglas for many years.

The term "rural development" is really political doublespeak for de-ruralfication.

geo- theo [I've seen a few people living in the country was told to clean up their mess or the dept of environmental management will and send them the bill] never seen or heard of anything like this in OHIO, once again I think you are blowing smoke.the vehicles on concrete blocks are you city people, and so is the . washer and drier. the farm people have a hay rake or a plow in the front yard beside the flag pole, with black mulch and rocks around it

Geo-toe, where are the farmers forced to clean there farms at??. where do you get your info?..CNN news