Comments on: Cypress Grove Chevre’s Goat Plans Draw Neighborhood Protest – June 7, 2011

By: Matt Horns

Matt Horns — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:08:00 +0000

Your zoning is “Agricultural.” Grow, shut up, or get out of the way!

By: Matt Horns

Matt Horns — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:58:04 +0000

The last time I lived in Arcata Bottoms I lived in a 150-year-old farmhouse on Janes Road. I was delighted at the goats, chickens, sheep, rabbits, and organic vegetable garden on our property, plus the dairy cows in the field to the west.

To you NIMBY whiners:SHUT UP! THIS IS HOW WE PRODUCE FOOD THAT KEEPS US ALIVE!!

By: Matt Horns

Matt Horns — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:48:05 +0000

“…plus questions about disposition of the effluent the animals will generate.”

Are you kidding me?? Goat manure is a precious resource that when mixed into the soil improves organic farm productivity. Hopefully, coming to a Farmer’s Markets near you soon is goat manure at a reasonable price.

By: kevpod

kevpod — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:23:32 +0000

That’s a perfect example of a comment that adds nothing. If you’d like to discuss something substantively, please do so. But as for stupid noise that, take it to the blogs that thrive on it.

By: Waldo

Waldo — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:17:32 +0000

I think that this most recent example of Arcata area resident’s delusions of mental adequacy is a good argument for signing the petition now being discussed to expell Arcata from Humboldt County.

By: Al

Al — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:43:42 +0000

lisa, i think your comment is a bit rude. all opinions should be welcomed, this is “the place” for all of the sides of discussion.

By: goatcheese

goatcheese — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:32:48 +0000

There were pastures on ‘the bottoms’ way before there were subdivisions.

City folk should lose this one, power to the dairy woman!! Demise to the NIMBY’s!!

By: lisa

lisa — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:08:06 +0000

Sean: therefore you are opposed to any feeding? Every dairy in the county feeds their animals more than what their pasture provides, especially in winter. Don’t give advice on a topic you know very little about. If you are opposed to a dairy providing feed beyond what the land can support, then you are opposed to every dairy in the county, not just this one. Your argument is weak and misplaced. This PRIVATE land is zoned ag; you aren’t then allowed to decide what kind of ag and how the business is to be run. It’s private property and a private business. If you have a problem with the ag zoning then take your argument elsewhere, this is not the place.

By: Sean Armstrong

Sean Armstrong — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:52:00 +0000

A feed lot is a feed lot. A diary is a place to milk animals. A feed lot is an allotment of space where animals are confined and fed at densities that the land cannot naturally support. Whether they’re killed after they’re fed, or milked after they’re fed, is a distinction without a difference. Not to the neighbors who smell, hear and suffer from immune system challenges from industrial pollution. Please don’t torture the dictionary and common sense. This feed lot will go through the use permit process, the Emmi Corporation should stop trying to avoid it.

By: The Nielsens

The Nielsens — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:29:43 +0000

No subdivision will ever be approved for the 23-acre parcel since it is zoned for agricultural use. So rest easy.

The Mason family has run 20-25 cows on that pasture for over 30 years with no problems (for cows or neighbors) because they are good farmers — they run 1 cow per acre and have not abused the land and its ability to regenerate and nourish the animals.

Over a thousand goats (where 5 goats are equivalent to 1 cow in terms of how they use the land) cannot even be compared to the appropriate animal husbandry that the farmers out here use. This is intensive farming which is full of contaminants and inappropriate near a creek, residences, children’s playgrounds, and so on.

I think the residents near by are mostly appalled at the idea of a factory farm in THAT LOCATION where it is inappropriate; but they are not opposed to Cypress Grove or to the idea of goat farms. If Emmi would simply focus on a location not so close to residential areas and our town center, this might be a different discussion.