The Water Truck Project

The lawsuit concerning a violation of the Clean Water Act by Berlin family farmers Alan and Kristin Hudson was recently decided in favor of the farmers, with the judge ruling that the plaintiff has not shown, "by a preponderance of the evidence" that the poultry operation on the Hudson Farm has discharged pollutants.

I, personally, have always found this case to be quite intriguing. I myself am from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and have spent my entire life growing up around these small family farms and know all too well the company of Perdue. However, taking what I have learned this past semester in Design Build about the quality of water throughout the world and the urgency demanded for its rehabilitation seems like a contrasted matter in this case. The business of small family farms is represented as such a wholesome operation, but when you think about all of the pollutants that farming in general creates, it's hard to see such an operation with overwhelming esteem.

Though I can not defend the operation of the Hudson family farm, I did find an article that sheds some light on the portion of the story that we often do not see. I believe that most articles are written with bias, so finding multiple points of view helps to create a more well rounded understanding of the situation. For that reason, I have provided a link to the Save Farm Families article on the case. It was interesting to read, though I found it seemed somewhat irrational at times. That seems to be the approach in most high profile cases though...


Save Farm Families Article

Posted by Angela

December 31st, 2012