Once again, Reading Eagle article about turkey farm is a turkey

by Steve Reinbrecht

The Reading Eagle has been trying to cover this interesting issue, where neighbors are opposing a proposed turkey-breeding operation in Amity.

The conflict has gotten a lot of attention, as it should, pitting property rights against quality of life in the surrounding community.

But the Reading Eagle coverage is more confusing than enlightening.

For example, the article states that 32,000 birds will produce 10 million tons of manure a year.

Imagine a pile of 10 million tons of turkey shit. That means each bird would be producing more than 1,700 pounds of manure a day.

Those would be some pooping turkeys.

Reporters and editors must use common sense and check their math when publishing the news on important issues. Otherwise your newspaper, even award-winning, will lose credibility.

According to the Reading Eagle:

Kathy Martin, a licensed professional engineer with Oklahoma-based Martin Environmental Services, and an expert witness in poultry waste management, said she estimated "the amount of waste produced by Shirey's birds to be a little over 10 million tons.”

I still don’t know basic facts about this story.

• Why is the hearing necessary?
• What conditions is the property owner seeking?
• Did the opponents know it is zoned for agricultural use when they moved there?
• How large of a poultry building could be built with no conditions?
• What's the expected project cost?
• How much property tax would the improvements generate?
• Doesn't Berks County want economic development?
• Isn't this economic development?

Poultry farms in Berks are getting big loans from the state to expand.