Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comFor farmer Brian Thomas, getting to town for errands is no simple matter these days as floodwaters cover fields and sections of country roads in the rural areas near Fargo, N.D.
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Oh...someone write "HELP" on the barn roof so the TV crews can see that the federal government isn't saving the people too dim to take precautions or evacuate.
Where are the FEMA trailers? Montana? Just because nobody listened to the warnings of the impending flood for weeks in advance, is that any reason to let people drown in 8" of toxic water floating with cow dung and the corpses of rotting woodchucks?
Barak Obama hates white people!
farmers are the strongest most hard working people and never complan with out them you wont eat
We will still eat. (Though I am not sure what it is!) The corporations have taken over most American farmland.
You mean these poor farmers who had cattle and other livestock were not helped by NAIS? I guess because of the huge outcry from angry animal owners who oppose this USDA program because it would only benefit corporate ag, factory farms. Haven't heard of NAIS? IT is OBAMACARE FOR ANIMALS.
NAIS (The National Animal Identification System), is a so-called disease tracking food safety program the USDA is forcing on those who own even one chicken or any other farm animal. Many have been signed up without their knowledge or permission. Non-food animals such as horses, llamas, parakeets, etc are included in this program. Over 90% oppose this program yet the USDA continues to force this unwanted program on those who need it least.
Under NAIS you register your premises, microchip all critters at your cost, report all their movements, births, deaths to a database, then risk losing them to depopulation if disease is suspected in a 6 mile radius! Currently, only sex offenders/child molesters are tagged tracked and register their premises. Animal owners will be tracked closer than illegals, drug delaers, sex offenders or that guy that blew away 13 people and wounded others at Ft. Hood.
Protection from disease is why we are told NAIS is needed, but the real reason is for the benefit of big agriculture/factory farms so they can sell meat globally. But they do not have to tag/ track individual critters. They get ONE lot number for each animal group. And the tracking of any animals stops at slaughter, after which many food safety issues occur.
Currently voluntary, except in WI, where the Amish are being arrested for not signing up due to religious objections.
The listening sessions held during the summer by the USDA about NAIS show the people are overwhelmingly against NAIS. But the USDA said these sessions showed "substantial support" for NAIS... Huh?!?!?!? They apparently were listening with fingers in their ears!) See nonais dot org for more info on the program that will affect everyone who eats.
Flooding is what caused these "fertile fields" in the first place. The Red River has been flooding throughout it's history. There are no disasters in nature, just in the human world when they try to live in nature's way and then complain about it.
I have a new house 100 yards from a very dangerous river. I'm in the projected river migration zone. The river has been all over this valley in the last 1,000 years. A recent study predicts that my house will be gone down the river within 50 years. I don't have flood insurance. If it floods, I will deal with it. If it goes down the river, screw it, I'll go somewhere else. I won't go crying to the government to save me because I was stupid enough to buy a house in the danger zone. But I do like it here and chances are, I won't have problems within my remaining lifetime.
Corn??? This isn't Corn country, it's Spring Wheat country. Very little Corn is grown this far North. Also the planting season goes through May so unless it rains continuously for the next two months it isn't going to be a problem. This is a complete NONSTORY and if the author had done any homework and knew the facts it wouldn't have been written.
Marty309390........Shut up!
Unfortunately. marty is right...
Skiddy and Marty Shutup
Why don't you, Mimi?
was in fargo-moorhead last week ---- there is water everywhere ----- no place for more rain or snow melt to go ---- it could be another tough spring for those folks ----- they have a lot of problems with their streets up there as well - you could get lost in some of those potholes !!!
on a positive note, my daughter was there for the Bon Jovi concert, and had a great time at the concert.
Wow. Some horrible comments here. So I live in the Fargo Moorhead area. First of all, people of many different races actually to live here, including black people. Lazy people come in all shades. It's the culture of the community that doesn't tolerate laziness not the color of your skin. I also like to believe that lazy people cannot tolorate our miserable winter's either.
Secondly, the Red River Valley is mainly Sugar Beets and Soy Beans. Some wheat and corn but the big bucks comes from beets and beans.
Sounds like a diversion is finally getting approved here. Hopefully we never end up in the news for this ever again. We don't like the media attention and just wish people would leave us alone!
I grew up on a Farm in the Red River Valley. The crops grown mainly include Wheat, Barley, Soy Beans, Sun Flowers, and Sugar Beets. The Valley is called America's Bread Basket because of it's history of Wheat and grain farms. While some farmers have a contract with American Crystal Sugar to contract farm Sugar Beets, most dont. There is this thing called crop rotation which means you have to grow different crops year to year on your land to provide time for nutrients to replenish. Until recently the growing season is to short (May - August) to effectively grow corn though this is changing with advances in corn varieties and genetic engineering.
The US government is paying for 60% of the cost of the sandbags. Over the last 5-10 years, there were people in Fargo who accepted "government funds to move" their homes out of the flood plains. The National Guard is assisting in delivering sandbags. The argument above that we, the taxpayers, only pay for assistance to people in New Orleans is made out of ignorance.
while it may be true that some people have moved out of the flood plain, the homes they moved out of are still there, and are inhabited by others. ---- #2, that entire area is basically a "flood plain" - it is the lowest elevation in the region as the red river flows north into canada, so rain and snow melt naturally drain into that area. ---- #3, last spring, the number of volunteers from the area, such as students, far outnumbered the members of the national guard who were there.
If someone accepted government money to move out of the floodplain then the house must be demolished and the land maintained as open space in perpetuity (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program thru FEMA). And the reason why the response right now isn't what you saw in LA, MS and AL after Katrina is that first the disaster has to occur and next the governor has to ask for federal help (states' rights) and then the president has to declare the area a disaster area (presidential disaster declaration). Once the river crests and the amount of damage estimated I know that the feds will be sent in.
As to the area being entirely floodplain, that is an exaggeration, but has some truth to it. Homeowners along the Red River need to look at what the options are for reducing their flood risk such as elevating on mounds, moving out of the floodplain or as a last resort consider structural responses such as levees.
if the house has to be destroyed, then not as many people accepted that offer as the previous commenter implied ----- i was just there, and there were no empty spots along the streets that flank the river -- leastways, not in fargo or moorhead. --- there are no higher elevations in that area to move to ---- you would have to move several miles either east of moorhead or west of fargo to not be in the "flood plain".
the other thing that complicates the issue --- the red river is bad enough by itself for flooding, but on the west side of fargo, you have the smaller Sheyenne river, which also tends to flood in the spring. so, in order to be totally away from the potential flooding area, it wouldn't be sufficient to just be several blocks away from the Red River, you'd have to also be west of the Sheyenne river. ---- you really need to visit there to understand just how flat that area is.
This guy has it 100% correct. As the population grows, more desctruction will come. Flooding in this area is as natural as the sun coming up every morning. We all live in an area where something can happen; be it earth quakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, wild fire, etc - ALL natural. We deal with it and move on...
Everyone expects something for nothing --- a lot of us are tired of it...
These Farmers work hard for everyone in the Country 365 days a week, and all most of you can do is bash them? Regardless of where you think hte food comes from, Farmers are our last resort in the event of a global disaster. I applaud these hard workers and THANK them for their hard work and hope and pray that they will sustain their crops through this ordeal. God Bless the Farmers of this country.
I have been reading all the responses to the issue of flooding and the root cause and effect. I know that some of the comments come from people on the front lines in this ongoing battle with mother nature. I think the approach that we are taking in general is a short term damage control,but out here in Idaho I have been seeing a increase in people with North and south Dakota plates that just can't take it any more, and are tired of fighting this losing battle with mother nature every year. In the past North and South Dakota was known as the pothole prairie states where most of our domestic wild duck populations occurred. There were little ponds and catch basins all over the region and they provided a way to control the water naturally to prevent it from running of the land unchecked. It also provided better moisture content in the soil in times of drought. The farmers who had to start farming more land to make up for sagging commodity prices started filling all these little catch basins in to increase there farm able ground. They altered mother natures landscape and now are paying for it in higher cost from loses and other damages associated with this continues problem. They need to restore the land back to as mother nature intended or this cycle will repeat itself continually. I liked what Jen77 had to say that laziness knows no skin color and I know that goes for stupidity too.
And Yes Farmers are a hardy breed of folks that are hard working dedicated folks that are self reliant and not looking for welfare check
What amazes me here is that nobody in this forum has blamed Bush, the republic party, Christians, or Israel yet...
South and North Dakota are the only 2 states whose populations continue to fall. I don't know if is the job market our the weather or if they want to broaden there horizon's. They are a tough breed of individuals to live out there in the upper Midwest with the weather they endure. My nephew is stationed at Minot and I have some friends there from Boise and they said that until they acclimated it was tough to hang on till spring.
i grew up in that area, and i could barely wait until i was old enough to leave home and get away from those frozen winters. ---- i went to college at moorhead state, and while i was happy with the education i received, working in that area was unlikely because they were graduating many more people in that industry than the local business climate could handle.
Dear Friends:
What would it take in weather to
stop and close all banks service centers
stock market communication government in
the USA?
Would we be prepared? Look at the
waste time of health insurance and
all we give to foreign illegals
while USA citizens are homeless and
loss of jobs? More coming! Over
The Borders read!
Fargo I sent warning and direction or
suggestion for help! Did government react?
Or too busy with buys and banks
of other nations?
Katrina and larger.
Your new insurance does not cover it
or wars. Life or health.
I D Please! Not enough you must show
A green card. Sorry! But I am a
USA natural born citizen. Immagrations
only non citizens need not show ID.
There nation or the USA?