Am I trusted and respected in my community?

Am I trusted and respected in my community?

As producers, achieving a good reputation in your local community is important because you will be interacting with community members frequently. Livestock operations sometimes face opposition from local communities if odors, insects, traffic, or other aspects of a feeding operation are the target of community complaints. In the What Plans are Important for “Protecting Your Neighbors”, we suggest actions to address and prevent those problems.

To demonstrate the commitment of your operation, and you personally, to the health and development of your local community, remember that showing respect is often key in receiving it. Taking the time to listen to and address the concerns of the community before beginning operations will make all of your interactions in the community smoother down the road. From trips to local businesses, hiring workers, contractors, and services providers, you will be spending a lot of time together so remember that having the community as an ally is going to be key to your success.

Demonstrating your commitment to environmental stewardship is important to building trust.  Your commitment can be demonstrated by:

• The conservation practices already in place on your current agricultural enterprises (e.g. conservation practices protecting soil erosion);
• Engaging with Nebraska Department of Energy and Environment including a site visit from NDEE’s regional agricultural inspector and the additional activities completed or progressing if a permit is needed;
• Involving local expertise from the regional Natural Resources District or your local Extension or NRCS office in a review of your plans and their ideas for stewardship;
• Preliminary review of your environmental stewardship using a tool such as Nebraska’s Livestock Siting Assessment Matrix.