Re: The Right to Burn vs the Right to Breathe

["JS M" <jbiggs50@hotmail.com>]

The silt/loam of the Palouse was deposited many moons ago by wind, thus the 
sand-dune-like structure of the rolling hills.  Because of its composition, 
it tends to fly away airborne when it is disced (plowed).  The way I 
understand it, in order to remove stubble from the fields, the farmers have 
devised a method which doesn't disturb the top soil.  Soil erosion is a huge 
problem in the American west.  However, maybe a better question is why is 
mono-culture agriculture the prevelant activity in the Palouse?  Granted, 
it's dry land farming (at least until someone builds a pump station at the 
Snake River), but surely there must be other crops that could be grown that 
don't involve stripping the top soil every year.  The guys around here are 
living and dying by the price of wheat and lentils.  Maybe a little 
diversity would be possible?  I know there are some agricultural economists 
out there in vision2020 land - how 'bout it?
jm

>From: "Keith and Margaret Howe" <kmhowe@moscow.com>
>
>Perhaps someone can elighten me as to what field burning can accomplish 
>that decent agricultural management cannot? (What about crop rotation or 
>planned usage? What, actually, are farmers burning that cannot be used 
>otherwise?) Just curious, since I really don't know what makes burning an 
>important aspect of annual farming...
>
>  - Keith Howe
>

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