" My mistake -- the woman hired hand is indeed a Guatemalan -- a very rare female immigrant laborer. Shows what I know.... "

" Right, bringing in so many extremely low-paid workers lowers the average income for an area. When coupled with the way big corporate farms drive smaller and mid-sized family farms out of business, it means that the middle class diminishes and the gap between well-to-do and poor increases. Also, the legal foreign labor put a drain on the local social services, which costs the tax payers, AND their housing and medical are covered as well, which is yet another drain on the tax payers' wallets.

So, the big corporate farms get labor so cheap that together with the milk subsidies, they can underpay their help, thereby driving small farms out of business since they can't compete, and the cycle goes on.

For those who are sensitive on the subject, no, we are not pointing any fingers at the family who lost so much in this fire. This is about big corporate farms in general, the majority, the ones who hire all that foreign labor at low wages. "

" Oooh FG, you brought up another issue that I'd like to remind the corporate farms of...

When you're hiring foreigners to come be your help, you're taking jobs away from the TAX-PAYING CITIZENS of this country.

While its cheap labor and yes, to your benefit, this TOO hurts your community AND your country! "

" A better way to define a corporate farm than the way they are currently defined (by size, i.e. number of animals) would be a combination of factors including not only number of animals, number of acres, dollar amount of annual profits, status as a corporation, AND a hierarchical organizational structure -- i.e. the business is owned by one group of people (may be family or not), it is managed on a daily basis by another person or group, and it is actually worked by a third group -- hired hands. Around here, you usually see an owning family with a foreman of some sort and foreign laborers, usually Guatemalens, not all legal, doing the labor of milking the cows.

The fact that the "hired man" milking the cows at Whitten's at 2 AM was a woman makes it likely that they aren't organized in the typical fashion -- all to the good. "

" Let me be clear... I don't think ANYONE writing in is intending to insult the Whittens or ANY farm or farmer who runs their business humanely. Yes, this does provides the milk and food I am grateful to buy.

The issue is with LARGE farms, or the farms that are continously expanding, which produce hazards to the environment AND the human/animal population.

The Whittens are experiencing a terrible tragedy, for which I am extremely symathetic. However, if it gives me an opportunity to voice my opinion on a subject I feel can help the health of our people/animals, then so be it! "

" Now, hold on WG.. read the posts carefully before you jump on people... both FG and myself have expressed our sympathy and her family ASSISTED them. Further, it is not just a "problem of the world", but a problem that effects YOU, YOUR family, YOUR friends and YOUR neighbors.

So yes, the fear IS the Whittens' or ANY other farmer building "bigger".. and yes, in a sense I am hopeful other farmers will read this and think about the damage that "industry farming" has on individuals AND the environment, considering the lawmakers don't seem to care. "

" No where did I even imply that Whittens were greedy or unkind -- I have heard only good things in the community about them. There are, however, other CAFOs in the community where greed and lack of concern for animals and environment are indeed the by-word. Hearing talk of any local CAFO getting bigger, however, sends up my red flags.

Don't take me wrong -- I do indeed hope the family is able to rebuild in the best possible way -- especially if they can demonstrate in a concrete fashion that a farm with more than 200 animals can be run humanely and truly safely still be profitable. I truly wish them the best in this endeavor.

My understanding of the lawsuit to which thinksensibly is most likely referring is that the plaintiffs lost at this level on the grounds that the body to whom they were appealing did not have the jurisdiction to make such a decision, leaving things open for them to pursue the case in another venue. Of course, that costs lots of money, which the CAFO has and the poor people who have all left their homes (except one older fella who can't move) do not.

The theory of the cows and their gaseous emissions has yet to be proven -- I'm not sure I am buying that one.

But if you are truly interested in some solid research on the negative effects of industrialized farming on communities, I would urge you to get hold of the following article:

"The community effects of industrialized farming: social science research and challenges to corporate farming laws." Linda Labao and Curtis W. Stofferahn. *Agriculture and Human Values* v.25, no. 2 (June 2008) p.219-240

This article surveys 51 studies of 4 different types since the 1930s until the present and comes to the evidence-supported conclusion that industrialized farming has almost entirely negative impacts on communities, and that those problems fall in 3 categories: Socio-economic well-being, Community Social Fabric and Environmental Outcomes. In those few surveys which found any positive effects at all, the benefits were limited to socio-economic benefits to the owners of the agribusiness, not the community in general.

This is a very important survey with all the solid facts laid out as plainly as you could wish, and it proves that bigger is NOT better.

On the subject of organic -- sometimes that's just as absurd as the opposite. The rules for organic dairy are so stringent that (the way I was given to understand it), the farmer can't give a cow antibiotics when she's sick. I personally prefer what I call "sensible farming" -- you keep your animals in a clean and healthy environment so they don't need antibiotics as a matter of course, but if one of them gets does get, say, mastitis, which can happen easily, even to nursing human mothers sometimes, then you give your animal an antibiotic and just keep its milk out of the tank until the meds work their way out of her system. Humane and sensible -- and probably the way the Whittens handle their animals -- I've known other local dairy farmers who use the same approach, though I am thinking of folks with fewer than 100 animals.

You are quite right - I AM using this platform to present important information related to the size and negative effects of corporate farms. Absolutely. At the same time, I truly wish the Whittens the best of luck getting a good deal from their insurance company and in rebuilding, and if they are dairying the way you say they are, then I am really glad I wrote in and you told me -- and more power to them. "

" Everyone of you that are using this to promote an agenda can stick it in your ear! These people lost their lively hood, and the only thing you can think about is the size of their farm??? Their farm is small in comparison to the many in and around central new york, and YOU have the choice to remain in and around a farming community!!! Farmers are the people who supply you with the material you eat, the milk you drink, the dairy you eat, and all you can is complain!

I have known the Whitten's all of my life...I grew up with their children and remember being in their milking parlor as a child myself. Their animals get the best of treatment, plenty of pasture time, and plenty of food and water. They have never mistreated their neighbors, and are doing the best they can to survive in today's economy. Don't you DARE sit there typing like some pious human until you're LIVED it! Until you realize the financial implication of upgrading to a "eco" friendly farm, you will then see it's not feasible for a smaller farm to do so. "

" Whittens are not stupid, nor are they greedy. You're using this tragedy as an opportunity to rant about all the problems of the world -- while forgetting that the Whittens are kind, thoughtful people. They have always treated their animals with love and care, and will continue to do so. Their animals spend most of their time in the pasture, and are never abused or otherwise mistreated. I'm confident that they will rebuild in the most animal- and environment- friendly way possible while maintaining the health board and government guidelines and staying within their budget. "

" It is amazing to me that in today's day and age of "health consciousness" and all they hype surrounding organic foods (for which I am all for) that this contamination by the large farms to the point of making people ill and forcing them to move (I've heard this story from others in our community as well), that action isn't taken.

I know one case went to court, and somehow.. the large farm won. The people were forced to leave their home and still have recurring, long-term health issues because of the water and soil contamination. I could barely stand to drive past the place.. I can't imagine having to live next to it.

And this was a family who lived there for generations without issue. This farmer got bigger and bigger, with all the liquid manure and antibiotics... and suddenly the family had health problems?

Yesterday, I heard someone speaking about yet another drawback to large farming, which is the effect this has on global warming. These large barns (cows) not only require a great deal of energy to maintain, but also produce great amounts of gases. Yet another effect on our environment that I had not even considered. "

" Don't forget the water in the lakes as well.

My son and I suffer serious health problems from frequent exposure to the toxins in the fumes from liquid manure and we are forced to move. It's not the smell per se, but rather, the smell is a marker for something bad for you, the same as rotten food smells bad to let you know not to eat it!

Smaller farms where each animal is known to the farmer and cared for properly, where they don't have to be given antibiotics as a matter of course because of the unsanitary conditions under which they are kept, where the animals can get out and stretch their legs and eat some grass as cows were intended to do, and where the farm has enough land that fresh manure can be spread in moderation as a natural fertilizer and doesn't run off into the water supply and fill the air with toxic fumes -- that's a healthy way for animals and people to live.

The problem is greed -- the ever expanding CAFO which leaves animals living in miserable conditions, which is a nuisance and a health risk for their neighbors, which is destroying our environment and bringing down our economy by employing extremely low-paid foreign laborers who eat up our social services and send their earnings out of the country -- that's what big greedy CAFOs do.

Whittens have a small-to-medium sized CAFO. They now have a chance to rebuild in an exemplary way, looking for opportunities to farm in more animal-friendly and environment-friendly ways. They could be a phoenix of good things rising from the ashes of disaster. I hope that's the path they take. "

" Well said, Farmer's Gal!

I feel terrible for the Whitten's, but cringed when I saw the comment about building "bigger". Nothing pains me more than going by these huge farms with multiple huge barns full of cows... cows that stand in a stall all day, never seeing the light of day or a pasture. To me, that's just cruelty to animals.

I hope that if the Whittens are serious about the cows being "like their children", they will consider our comments when they rebuild.

As it is, the fields, roads and AIR suffer from too many "big" farmers. "

" Don't get bigger -- bigger is NOT better for the community. We all feel for you, and I know my boyfriend was one of those who came by to help out, and gladly too. But do the community a favor in return -- don't get bigger. Rebuild in a way that treats the animals the way you talk about above -- humanely. Take the opportunity to start fresh to set up things in the most eco-friendly fashion possible. Be a model and an example -- don't just get greedy and keep adding on like so many other of your big neighbors.

I hope your insurance gives you a fair deal and that you take your time to carefully consider HOW you rebuild -- be BETTER, not bigger. "