I want to call to your attention a weblog article released by Dr. William C. Dennison, a professor of marine science and the Vice President for Science Application at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, on the University’s web site. Dr. Dennison wrote a blog entitled, “ How Big Chicken Stole Chesapeake Bay”. The blog was penned in the fashion of the Dr. Seuss classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. The blog was published on December 25, 2014 and, as of the date of this email, it is still up on the website.
Dr. Dennison’s blog is another attack on agriculture and the poultry industry on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. What is more egregious, is that he used the university’s web site to publish his commentary. Didn’t the University of Maryland employees learn anything from the Hudson case, when the U. of MD., School of Law participated in the suit of a farm family for an alleged clean water violation and the legislature responded negatively to the law school’s participation? Why is a university professor still using a taxpayer funded resource at Maryland’s land grant college to attack agriculture?
I am bringing this matter to your attention and requesting that you consider an appropriate response to Dr. Dennison’s public commentary. At the very least, this weblog should be removed from the University’s website.
Thank you for your consideration of my request.
The link to Dr. Dennison’s weblog is pasted below:
http://ian.umces.edu/blog/2014/12/25/how-big-chicken-stole-chesapeake-bay/
Dr. Dennison’s blog came to my attention from an editorial published in the January 13, 2015 edition of The Delmarva Farmer newspaper. The link to that editorial is posted below:
http://americanfarm.com/publications/the-delmarva-farmer/2066-um-website-not-appropriate-forum-editorial
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
University of Maryland's actions are deplorable! They were established under the Morrill Land Grant Act to support and enhance agriculture. They have lost their mission a long time ago. As far as their new "agricultural law clinic" goes, its a joke. They are the problem. They can help the ag community against themselves because they are conflicted! The whole effort is a waste of taxpayers money and time!
ReplyDeleteThis guy needs to buy his own website with his own money to push his own agenda, not use our space for it.
ReplyDeleteA Whack job needs to attract his own kind on his own.
This guy is an idiot. Where is his research on the subject? The Bay was killed long ago and not from farming.
ReplyDeleteHe should be blaming the chrome plant that was in the inner harbor. I believe it was where the aquarium is now. They emptied everything right into the inner harbor. Their waste killed the inner harbor, which can never be cleaned up. That waste has destroyed the soil several feet down. This will destroy the bay for thousands of years by it self. There were never lawsuits or clean up compensation claiming the company went bankrupt in Maryland and still operated in PA for years afterward.
What about the waste from iron mills in PA coming down the Susquehanna river into the bay?
I am fed up with idiots always blaming the Farmer.
They forgot who has been feeding them and supplying the food chain since the US was populated.
I believe we are focusing on the wrong thing.
ReplyDeleteThe question is: Why does the taxpayer have to pay for the poultry industries waste?
Think about this, the state and federal governments spend millions every year to try to mitigate pollution from the manure.
Why are the companies not held responsible for their own waste? Why?
The companies hold title to the chickens as long as they are alive, as soon as a chicken dies on the farm the farmer and taxpayers become responsible. Why?
630, The chicken farmers do responsibly take care of their chicken wastes, and have been for years. You are listening to the wrong drummer, unfortunately.
ReplyDelete7:08, I am 6:30. I am a poultry farmer so not sure what drum your talking about.
ReplyDeleteYou totally ignored my questions.
Why does the taxpayers have to pay for the industries waste. Who pays for cover crops, composters, concrete pads, etc etc.
The Perdue's, Mountaires etc should be responsible for the waste and dead birds not the taxpayer.