What are the pros and cons of having a dairy farm in your town?

Question

What are the pros and cons of having a dairy farm in your town?

Answer 1

CON:

THE SMELL!  OH GAG, THE SMELL OF A THOUSAND COWS!!!!!

Answer 2

Pros:

-Jobs for residents

-Spinoffs for local economy

-Allows the town to produce food for itself (sustainability)

Cons:

-Possibility of polution from manure or fertilizer

-Sometimes odors

Answer 3

I have a dairy about 1/2 mile from the house.  smell is not to bad.  Cheap milk, the 2% from this dairy tastes like whole milk from other dairies.  

The people who work the dairy are really neat and nice people.

Answer 4

If you have a grain operation, there are opportunities for cheap fertilizer from the manure and the potential to raise corn silage or alfalfa hay for them.  If you need part or full time work and you are a good worker/manager you will have opportunities.  

Many people will take an emotional approach to a dairy near a town.  The dairy must take pro-active approaches to wind directions and applications of manure to the fields to reduce odor issues.  Personally I feel it is a good thing to have the dairy in your area.  The dairy should have open houses to invite the neighbors and town folk to the farm and show them how the operation is run and to meet the people working on the farm and in turn they will have a better understanding of the farm.