Burning Orchards - No Good For Asthma!

 

I love spring and the hope that comes with it! Today was a gorgeous day, so I decided to take a break from work and take a stroll around the block. 

The temperature outside is just perfect, and the neighbors have lots of gorgeous flowers. So off I went.

I wasn't far from the house when a neighbor stopped to chat. She pointed out the smoke coming from a nearby orchard. Oh great!

I wasn't sure what was going on until I realized that the farmer was probably burning the branches from his orchard. I noticed most of the trees in the orchards around here have been pruned back so it's easier to reach the fruit. 

I'm assuming the farmer is burning the extra branches.

But - smoke is NOT a good thing for asthma! 

In fact, I hadn't planned on experiencing an asthma trigger, so I didn't take my inhaler. Yikes! I mean, I'm just going around the block, right? I normally don't grab my purse....

I turned around and headed back home as fast as I could, and then made sure all of the windows were closed in the house.

I wondered - is there another way the farmer can get rid of all of the extra branches?

Composting 

I haven't tried my hand at composting, but my neighbor does it. Composting is a simple way to turn all of your branches and grass clippings into compost. That can be put back in your garden to make the soil better. This extension office has instructions about how to compost. 

Along with branches, you should also add egg shells, banana peels, and other things to the pile. But please read the link above - there are things you CAN'T put into the pile! 

Chipping 

Another option would be for the farmer to buy a wood chipper. You put branches in one end, and presto - you have wood chips! He could then sell the wood chips and make a little cash. Not a bad idea, right?

Landfill

A final option could be a landfill. Our local landfill has a couple of areas - one for regular trash and one for "green waste." Our landfill allows people to drop off their green waste for free. We can drop off tree branches, grass clippings, etc. Then the landfill turns it into compost and sells it to the public. 

I wish our farmer would try any of those options - rather than starting his branches on fire. He has had several fires this spring already. And burning branches and tress make me REALLY nervous -  because smoke from a forest fire caused a severe asthma attack and landed my son in the ICU. 

Do any of you have orchards? Or have orchards near your house?

How do you deal with the burning orchards?