Letter to the Editor:

Waterway issues and tiling issues can leave a co-beneficiary of trust farmland feeling soaked.

Who is to pay for damage done over 30 years to tiles; as waterway issues and soil erosion problems become more apparent?

What about the numerous soil conservation and land erosion problems that become apparent after a long time farmer/tenant has farmed the land? I guess I was expecting a phone call that starts out, “Opps- sorry I forgot to be a good steward of the farmland.”

Well, maybe it is time for these farmer/tenants to actually become good stewards of the land and start a farmer/tenant voluntary program. How about the farmer/tenant taking the responsibility to lightly till the eroded portions of the eroded land and plant some grass seed. Seems like a simple solution to me.

I really think it is a shame to just assume the third generation, co-beneficiary, will pay for such projects; as they are a direct result of the farmers/tenant mismanagement of soil conservation practices.

Is it right to just bill the co-beneficiary and assume the third generation will just open up their checkbooks to pay in excess of $20,000.00. That’s right, I was asked to pay from personal funds for such voluntary/soil conservation projects and waterway projects. Surprising- I sure thought so.

What happens when a trustee and a long term farmer/tenant of 30 years notifies you to get ready for 20 plus acres of additional water from the 160 acre farm next door to be drained or do I dare say “dumped” onto the farmland trust of 80 acres?

What about when you are actually asked to help pay for a pipe to go under the road- get ready here comes 20 acres of water, whether you like it or not! After all it is just farmland held in a trust.

What ever happened to that trustee who promises protection of this farmland and keeps telling the beneficiaries of what an outstanding fiduciary duty is being done? Maybe this needs to be addressed by the institution that keeps such a person on their payroll.

I think that you would agree that it would be prudent to figure out just where these extra 20 acres of water were going- before the proposed pipe be put under the road and 20 acres of additional water be drained onto this 80 acres of trust farmland.

I would hope the people in the community of Tama County realize that being neighborly is one thing. But, expecting 20 plus acres of water to all of a sudden be drained on trust farmland is just plain negligence and may cause undue harm.

Who knows, maybe your neighbor is proposing to drain an additional 20 acres of water onto your farmland; maybe we all should take cover and prepare for torrential floods like Noah did- let’s all start loading up the hogs 2 by 2.

Let’s find creative waterway solutions instead of soggy ones.

Kimberly Mahfouz

Knoxville, Tenn.