Lucasville horse farm following 'normal' practices, board says after neighbours complain of smell

A Halifax-area horse farm is following "normal" practices and can continue to operatedespiteneighbours' complaints about the smell and run-off from the farm's manure pile, a provincial agency has ruled.

The Memento Farm also known as Goldring Stables is a 4.2-hectare property located in Lucasville, N.S., and home to about 35 horses.

Earlier this year, neighbours had complainedabout foul odours, run-off, dust and rodentsto the Farm Practices Review Board, which held a hearing on the matter in July.

But in a recently released decision, the board says Memento Farmhas notcontravened "normal farm practices."

The ruling says open manure storage is an acceptable method, although piling it on a concrete pad would be a better option. The review board also said the manure should be removed from thesite three times a year: in early spring, mid-summer and fall.

"We're disappointed," said Iris Drummond, one of the complainants. "They don't consider 35 horses on 10 acres in a residentialarea as intensive agriculture."

According to Drummond, the last time the manure on the farm was trucked off the property was just before review board members inspected Memento Farmfor thehearing.

"The last couple of weeks of that heavy, muggy weather, the stinkwas unreal," said Drummond."It just caught my breath."

Defining 'intensive agriculture'

TheFarm Practices Review Board was set up to prevent nuisance complaints about farm operations being taken to court.It has the power to modify or stop a farm practice.

Although the board's rulings can be appealed to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court,Drummondsays the residents havedecided that would be a waste of time and money.

Instead they'll concentrate on trying to get the province to better define"intensive agriculture" and have the municipality change its zoningrules so the number ofanimals can be capped based on the size of a property.

Memento Farmis zoned MU-1 or Mixed Use Zone 1 which allows for agriculture.

Local businessman Brian Murray represented the Lucasville residents at the review board hearing.

"The concern now is that a whole bunch of these farms will bepopping up," said Murray."And right now it's horses, but it could be any type of livestock."

Murray also points out there are MU-1 zones in Hammond Plainsand Beaver Bank, so theissue is not limited to the community of Lucasville.