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y � <br />THE RURAL -URBAN INTERFACE <br />The face of rural New York is changing. Here, <br />as elsewhere in the U.S., the siren song of coun- <br />try living cells loudly to city dwellers and sub- <br />urbanites. They come seeking open spaces, <br />quiet, and. a. slower-paced lifestyle. This demo- <br />graphic shift is most noticeable in the Hudson <br />galley, the lower Catskills, and the greater <br />Rochester area. <br />But when these newcomers arrive, they find <br />"Their cow broke azy fence and <br />wandered into my yard." <br />"Do you believe it? The farmer <br />next door was running some gi- <br />ant piece of equipment at full <br />throttle —and the flood lights were <br />shining right in my win.doty —at <br />one in the morning!" <br />themselves smack in the midst of rural real- <br />"I can't drive down the road without <br />ity that is not always trouble free: <br />running into some tractor or run - <br />ning over some cow dung." <br />Manv are shocked. Many get angry. �1.anV <br />are unfamiliar with the customs of the <br />"'The guy across the way is actually <br />community. They have no long - standing <br />dropping weed killer from an air <br />relationship with long -term residents. <br />plane. It's not safe to breathe around <br />They lack knowledge of commonly ac- <br />here." <br />cepted farming practices and relevant <br />laws and regulations. What they do <br />"That manure is polluting my well. I'm <br />know is that their expectations about <br />going to file a lawsI.tit." <br />life in the country are being violated. <br />So the neighbors voice their concerns. <br />"I can't even go outside. We're being as- <br />Loudly. They t:illl the town board. <br />sainted by flies. That farmer is looking <br />'They call state and county regulators, <br />for trouble." <br />The }r cell the Soil and Water Con- <br />servation District. They call Cornell <br />"I moved .here for my kids. But a.11 that's <br />Cooperative Extension. They write <br />happened is, we traded city traffic for <br />letters to the local newspaper. They <br />noisy equipntent. Now we worry about pes- <br />circulate petiti.ons..An.d sometimes <br />ticide drift instead of exhaust furrl.es and <br />they call a lawyer. <br />wandering livestock instead of lost pets. <br />And don't get me started on the illegal im <br />But are protests, court proceed- <br />migrants. has got to stop!" <br />in.gs, and harassment th.e best way <br />to resolve the problerrl`7 Probably <br />not. All too often, the farmers <br />get. defensive. The neighbors <br />feel frustrated. Communication <br />stops. Community relations fray. <br />12 <br />