Soil Conservation offered to buy 1/2 of my no til drill

[millstreaminn]

I bought a new no till drill this spring instead of renting the one the county owns. I saw the soil conservation officer on the street the other day and he asked me if I wanted to rent their drill again this year. I told him no, I bought my own. He said the county would pay for 1/2 the cost of my drill (tax credits) if I signed my farm up for one of their conservation programs. He said they would come down, map my farm and "help" me decide what I could plant and where. I told him, "Um- no thanks."

I told him as a hobby farmer, I only plan to no till about 4 acres a year. I hardly qualify as a full time farmer. He said it didn't matter, any no till drill owner qualifies. I can't believe the amount of money the govt will spend to have control over your land.

 

[SteppedInIt]

I told him, "Um- no thanks."

:clap:

I can't believe the amount of money the govt will spend to have control over your land.

or how many sell out

 

[Philip-TX]

Did you get your share? :devil2:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=103255&hilit=did+you+get+your+share

 

[cowboy43]

Between my Father and I we have participated in cost sharing conservation programs since 1958 . The conservation practices consisted of bulldozing and deep plowing mesquite, preparing a seed bed to plant permanent grass, constructing tanks for water, cross fencing , running water lines , water troughs, drilling water wells with pumping unit.
There has never been any strings attached with the agreement or any thing in the paper work that says they will have control of my property. I would never sign anything that puts the Gov. In control of my property. Our Ranch has been family owned since 1880 with plans to keep it family owned.
Also I am Board Member of the County SWCD and would not participate in programs that would jeopardize the rights of landowners.

 

[Dave]

I work for a conservation district. We do offer some cost share programs but nothing that would ever control a land owner's property. Lots of conservation districts get confused with the feds because they are often housed in the same office. Conservation districts are local. The NRCS and FSA are federal agencies. I tend to be very selective in advising land owners about programs run by the feds.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Also I am Board Member of the County SWCD and would not participate in programs that would jeopardize the rights of landowners.

I too am a board member of my local SWCD. I feel exactly like you cowboy43. I don't think the landowners rights are jeopardized in the slightest. However, I don't particularly like the direction the programs are being pushed in. I don't feel like "conservation" programs have any thing to do with organic farming. Maybe I'm wrong. It's called "soil and water conservation" for a reason. It should be about erosion and water management and conservation. I'm also sick of the shoving the whole "minority" issue down our throat. Making it mandatory that we allocate "x" number of dollars to minorities. Want to be fair? Let everyone fill out an application and be assigned a number. No names, race, sex, etc. Male/female/black/white/green/purple won't matter. Then select by who's most qualified. That'll be fair. I'm getting off my soapbox now.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Making it mandatory that we allocate "x" number of dollars to minorities. Want to be fair? Let everyone fill out an application and be assigned a number. No names, race, sex, etc. Male/female/black/white/green/purple won't matter. Then select by who's most qualified. That'll be fair. I'm getting off my soapbox now.[/quote]

"X" numbers of tax dollars should go to pay the debt down in this country. Not to folks that can afford to pay for their own pond - lakes. Qualified equals who you know and what your willing to do for a $dollar around here. And sucking on the government teat a little or a lot still makes you a sucker. IMO

 

[JMJ Farms]

I understand your opinion TG. But I think you overlooked my point.

#1. The government is gonna subsidize/cost share different things whether you and I approve or not. I don't agree with it either. But I'm not gonna sit here and not try to get part of my tax dollars back as long as the government insists on freely dispensing them as they see fit.

#2. I was talking about the fairness of an application. Whether it be a cost share program or a job application.

And an extra thought.....
#3. That fellow who you are supporting (judging by the sign on your truck) has gotten his share and more. Just stating this bc if you feel so strongly about the subject you may be inclined to change your mind. But, as you stated, it's about who you know.

 

[millstreaminn]

All's I know is when I spoke to the conservation officer, he told me to to "qualify" for the cost sharing of the drill, they would come down and map my farm and then "help" me decide what crops to plant where. I assumed their "help" would be in the form of "You can't till that ground, drive through there, let those cows walk through the creek etc." I've been cited before by the DEP for pulling out willow bushes that were growing too close to the stream with my excavator. I also paid a $500 fine for dumping a load of gravel too close to the stream.

I'm just not crazy about letting these people on my land to "help me".

 

[True Grit Farms]

I understand your opinion TG. But I think you overlooked my point.

#1. The government is gonna subsidize/cost share different things whether you and I approve or not. I don't agree with it either. But I'm not gonna sit here and not try to get part of my tax dollars back as long as the government insists on freely dispensing them as they see fit.

#2. I was talking about the fairness of an application. Whether it be a cost share program or a job application.

And an extra thought.....
#3. That fellow who you are supporting (judging by the sign on your truck) has gotten his share and more. Just stating this bc if you feel so strongly about the subject you may be inclined to change your mind. But, as you stated, it's about who you know.

I can agree with all of that. It seems like most folks want as much as they can get, and don't care how they get it. I'm not a big bible thumper but greed is an evil thing. Politics is a necessary evil, that is if you want to have any say in the future of your family.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I can agree with all of that. It seems like most folks want as much as they can get, and don't care how they get it. I'm not a big bible thumper but greed is an evil thing. Politics is a necessary evil, that is if you want to have any say in the future of your family.

Youre 100% right. People in general are very greedy. Me, I just want what I work for. Not asking for any handouts. And I guess me saying that "I'm against subsidies but I'm gonna get what I can" possibly makes me a hypocrite. I tend to look at it as leveling the playing field. But anyhow, I still have to pay the govt way more than I get back. If they would spend the taxpayers money in ways such as reducing the debt rather than funding overseas terrorists I would like to think that I wouldn't have as much of a problem with their allocation of my tax dollars.

 

[Dave]

All's I know is when I spoke to the conservation officer, he told me to to "qualify" for the cost sharing of the drill, they would come down and map my farm and then "help" me decide what crops to plant where. I assumed their "help" would be in the form of "You can't till that ground, drive through there, let those cows walk through the creek etc." I've been cited before by the DEP for pulling out willow bushes that were growing too close to the stream with my excavator. I also paid a $500 fine for dumping a load of gravel too close to the stream.

I'm just not crazy about letting these people on my land to "help me".

Things are different all over the country. Heck, for starters I couldn't get you cost share on something that you have already purchased. Here all the paper work has to be done before any money exchanges hands. But here we are very strictly non-regulatory. If you were doing something that you aren't allowed to do, I would advise you not to do it. I would tell you what the regulators would do if they found out. But I absolutely wouldn't report you. In fact I would lose my job if I did. As for "helping" you decide what to plant. That would be along the lines of this crop may not be suited for your conditions. You might be more successful with different crop instead. Along the lines of what the county extension agent use to do here.