APB agenda 112205 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r, .` J. A But problems can arise because technology is not foolproof. "Yuck. The odor from your Melds is awful.. And that lagoon really stinks even if you just in- stalled the latest storage and handling equip- ment." Technology also keeps changing. "How do I know the best time to invest in some new machine or process? Every time I turn around, there's a newer and better idea." Moreover, new technology is expensive. Farm- ers in environmentally sensitive areas, such as watersheds that contain fi.sli spawning strew. €ns or reservoirs filled with drinking water, may qualify for government assistance through matching funds or grants when they install new equipment or update their practices. But farmers outside these priority areas may be less likely to receive cost -share funds. Without Borne financial support, farmers i7:iay not have the re- sources to invest. "if I have to buy that new sprayer, you know, the one with `eyes' that see the trees and let me cut down on excess chemical use, I might as well chop down the whole orchard." Farmers, like the rest of us when faced with too much uncertainty and too many choices, may opt out for a while, watching and waiting until the technology is proven by others and becomes more affordable. 10 NEIGHBORS AND FARM LABOR Another sort of environmental conflict some - times arises in rural areas. That is, conflict - over a changing community environment. "IIV*h.at is happening to this town? Who are all these people ?" "Apples don't ripen at my convenience. They need to be picked now Those workers help me harvest the crop." "We just added another 200 head. These folks have a job to do; they milk and feed our cows." .Foreign workers are increasingly common on New York farms. In some communities, conflict arises over th -eir presence. Neighbors may re- sent the flood of new arrivals who come for jobs that last from several weeks to several months and others who settle in for what seems to be the long haul. They may have concerns about whether farmworkers are .laid fair wages and provided adequate housing. Neighbors also worry about how these workers fit (or don't) into the commurd -ty. It used to be that farni families supplied almost all the labor needed on the farm. As farms grew larger, farm operators began hiring labor from. the local community. During peak season, farmers turned. to friends and neighbors for help. By the mid -20th century, some farmers in New York State were recruiting African- Ameri- can workers who migrated from southern states to work the harvest.