Written below are my…

Written below are my responses to each pertinent section I have concerns with.

Section 1 Response:

Allowing for more lots on farms creates many issues for the agricultural community, as it greatly reduces livestock areas and those not familiar with farm practices create havoc with farmers. Some examples of this include; complaints about farm vehicles on roadways, applying nutrients to land is “smelly”, and they will attempt to stop you from doing so.

What “criteria” will be used when creating residential lots? How will we know that the criteria is equitable? Can we be sure that it will be standardized?

In rural areas, more residential lots not only take away from crop production land but also potential livestock area. Since the minimum distances required between houses and livestock facilities is quite large, there will be less available areas where these facilities can be built. Dust and noise created by ag practices are very common, which are essential to success in crop production. Just because we place nutrients on our lands doesn’t mean that our neighbors will not be affected by it.

Those unfamiliar with rural mannerisms do not understand that farm vehicles require large amounts of space to maneuver on roads, which leads to congestion when there is little cooperation and makes transportation of farm resources more timely and potentially more costly. More of those who do not understand rural etiquette will move into these areas with the introduction of more housing.

Section 3 Response:

It is unfair that those already living in a community will have to pay for the opportunity cost of infrastructure growth. This growth will be funded out of taxpayer’s pockets, for people who have not lived in this community. Those moving to these communities will not contribute to the additional cost of new infrastructure; only join in with existing members. There needs to be a mechanism to compensate those already living in the community to support the infrastructure growth this policy proposes.

Section 4 Response:

Usage of the term “agriculture systems approach” is vague and quite open to interpretation. What system will be supported? What perspective of agriculture will be followed to support the farmers and those in the agricultural industry?

Section 5 Response:

What does “efficient land use patterns” entail? Will there be a measurable system that allows stakeholder input to be implemented when creating these patterns?