Farming will not be over if farms cannot fertilize their fields
Maybe it’s finally time for local farmers to make a trip to Indiana or contact OEFFA, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, and learn how to farm organically. If others can do it, so can local farmers.
Believe me, your life and your farms are not over. This is the beginning of righting what’s been done to the earth, air, water, food and people.
What took so long?
JOANNE VANSPARRENTAK
Grand Rapids, Ohio
Understand digital
I prefer my news in print. However, as one of your readers who spent 35 years in the newspaper business, I also realize why The Blade has ceased print operations on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Dave Murray’s column this past Sunday detailing the 78 percent drop in circulation since 1979 was disheartening. It would be difficult for any business to survive such revenue losses. The Block family deserves credit for its dedication to journalism and our community.
Democracy thrives when divergent ideas and views are shared, when the wisdom of the masses is allowed to rise above the din. Journalists trained in presenting the different sides to an issue, as well as acting as watchdogs on government, are an asset to our nation, although they are underappreciated today and in danger of becoming irrelevant. As we become more dependent on the Internet, we will become more polarized as we search for and be fed news and views that support our own beliefs, whether or not those have validity based in facts.
I hope The Blade leadership can find a way to develop a profitable print-digital model for these changing times. The Blade has earned our trust over the years, it deserves our support moving forward.
JOHN SZOZDA
Rossford
The writer is former general manager of The Press newspapers.
Try other crops
Responding to Tom Henry’s story, “Lawsuit filed against Lake Erie Bill of Rights,” Feb. 28, I find farmer options have dwindled from Republican majorities. On the national front we saw trade talks killing farm commodity prices and here in Ohio under Governor Kasich we saw doubling and tripling of farmland taxes. Both government policies are causing record farm bankruptcies. Former Governor Kasich built his $2 billion rainy day fund on the backs of Ohio farmers. Now we have a LEBOR assault on farmers living in the Lake Erie watershed caused by government inaction. It’s time Ohio works to create incentives for embattled farmers to “evolve” into a more green existence, where both farmers and Lake Erie can exist.
Maybe farmers need to switch to different crops or grow green energy with wind and solar. I think Ohio state government should create a Lake Erie watershed zone where Ohio incentives aid in the switch. Most farmers do not have the assets to do this.
PAUL WOHLFARTH
Ottawa Lake, Mich.
First Published March 1, 2019, 11:30 a.m.
