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The land around Harrisburg where Mr Bowers farms is flat.  The majority of his neighbors don't burn because they, apparently, have found viable options.  Apparently being progressive isn't in the mindset for some of these farmers.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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Very few farmers burn their fields in Mr Bowers' area.  I guess they lucked out and didn't get those heavy clay fields.....

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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I found Mr Bowers' comments quite disengenious.  He uses a cheap* method of control that puts other farmers, who are more attentive to those around them, at a competitive disadvantage.

Public record shows that he burns more than 2 or 3 "problem" fields per year as he claims.  If one were to drive along Bowers Drive outside Harrisburg, and adjacent roads, one would see that very few of Mr Bowers' farming neighbors burn their fields.

Of those few remaining farmers who burn their fields, I'd submit there is an attitude of "this is my land and I'll do as I please" with little regard for others' well being.

I would also submit that very few farmers, Mr Bowers included, will go out of business once field burning is eliminated.  The overwhelmingly vast majority of Oregon grass seed farmers have adopted other control methods and are still in business.

* Next time someone needs to clean up their property they could save money by dumping the waste on Mr Bowers' fields---it'd be a lot cheaper than going to the landfill like everyone else does.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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