It never ceases to amaze me when these folks from down country (read: “out-of-state”) make the decision to move themselves and their household up to Vermont or to perhaps buy a second “summer” home because they love all the picturesque scenery, rolling green hills with cows grazing on the slopes, forests everywhere, lakes, rivers and streams, fields of corn, and more cows of course, and then complain about the smell.
Up they come to the land of green mountains and everything is fine and dandy until the time of year rolls around when the farmers start spreading manure, fresh out of the cow or (gasp) the liquid type, upon their fields in preparation for the growing season, during the growing season and after the growing season (and any other time they deem necessary). Then it’s time for another round of complaints about that horrid smell coming from fields. It seems that these folks didn’t realize when they were happily planning their new home in Vermont that cows happen to have rear ends. Rear ends that work very well and very often as a matter of fact. Did they think that these beasts just ate all that grass and hay and held it all in?
Some even complain about the smell coming from a neighboring farm itself when the breezes blow gently across the cow barn, across the liquid manure pit and carry that classic barnyard smell of happy, contented cows into the kitchen window of a summer home 2 miles away. “Good God! It smells like sh**!!” they say. Did they expect it to smell like petunias?
Do these down-country folks really believe the farmers hauling those manure spreaders behind tractors or driving liquid manure sprayers around a 50+ acre field on a hot day are having tons of fun, reveling in the smells of their profession?
So a warning to all these good folks who might be contemplating a move to the Green Mountain State. Be advised that with all the picturesque views, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, forests, cold and snow to ride your snowmobile upon, there’s also the smell of good old cow shit that is bound to waft your way at one time or another. We’re not doing it just to annoy you, it’s simply a necessary way of life. A smelly one to be sure but necessary nonetheless.
Love us, love our manure.
What the hell is wrong with the smell of good old cowshit? [or cowsh, as we call it locally]
It’s a fine smell, up there with pig slurry and the rest. It’s a country smell. I wouldn’t maybe dab it behind my ears, but I have smelt a hell of a lot worse – like traffic fumes in a city?
We have the very same problem here with people who relocate from Chicago. They also complain about snakes, deer, raccoons, possums, and every other varmit one finds in the country, and they absolutely have no patience traveling behind a slow moving farm machinery on a country road.
Who knew this could be such an interesting subject? The Internet is so amazing. We can get a real feel for a place merely by the pictures online… And yet we are still missing that important factor that we only get when visiting a place. Just proves that we need all our senses when it comes to making a decision. Nice one Kirk. Only you could make a post about cow manure interesting!:-)
Grandad – I’m glad you appreciate the finer things in life, it says a lot about you.
Catch her – Sounds like you live next door or at least in the next town over. It’s a wonder why these city folks keep coming back each year. Maybe they just like to complain?
Denise – “Nice one Kirk. Only you could make a post about cow manure interesting”
Umm, thanks! (I think)