Letter about questions left on the table…
To the Editor,
I attended the public hearing on February 16 about the proposed doubling of feedlot limits. I’m not a farmer, I’m a music therapist living in Carimona Township, so I came to learn and left with a few questions. 1. What prompted the proposal in the first place? I was hoping that question would start off the meeting since many of us only learned about the proposal from this paper less than a week prior to the hearing. 2. I don’t know who in Fillmore County monitors our water quality, addresses concerns about water quality in our area, and educates us on what is being done to preserve its quality. Who can respond to all the citizens who expressed concern about our water? Best not to leave the questions hanging.
I was saddened that farmers needed to be defended as good people who care for the land. I never had a doubt. The farms that enfold my little place are people I look up to and feel grateful for. Please know this.
Thank you to the board for your work, and to all my Fillmore County neighbors who attended and shared your thoughtful comments with us all. As a community we are so much more than “two sides.” Let’s commit to being smart together. Let’s address our fears and concerns with solid learning and continue to put forward our best intentions to continue to improve our little piece of heaven for all concerned.
Julie Szamocki
Preston, Minn.