THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 15, 1994 TAG: 9411150014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
As a farmer, I am compelled to challenge the Nov. 8 letter by Jack Norris.
Very few, if any, herbicides are used in raising livestock. Most are used in crop production. For pastures used for grazing cattle, we generally use only one kind of herbicide - usually once a year - to kill some weeds. Little, if any, runoff results because grass helps hold down erosion and chemicals.
Along with all the information and statistics available to Mr. Norris, I would like to see information concerning pollution from runoff from all the concrete and asphalt that has taken the place of farms.
Most farmers I know are using fewer chemicals now than 10 years ago - better chemicals that require ounces instead of pints and quarts to the acre. With some chemicals costing well over $200 per gallon, a farmer uses the least amount he can.
Mr. Norris wrote that 90 percent of the land is used to grow livestock feed. This may be true, but more chemicals per acre (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc.) are used to produce specialty crops like vegetables, peanuts and cotton, products that people, not animals, use.
Would Mr. Norris tell vegetarians that they need to cut back on vegetables also? I don't want that to happen, just as I hate to see somebody try to tell people they need to cut back on animal products in the name of controlling water pollution.
Controlling pollution is very important for all of us. I think everyone could probably do a better job. I also think that the people of this country forget sometimes how fortunate we are to have such an abundance of good, affordable food - something for which we can all thank the American farmer.
TOMMY JONES
Chesapeake, Nov. 9, 1994 by CNB