While I agree that farm pollution must be addressed in the Chesapeake Bay cleanup program, last week's editorial "Faulty stewardship" (Jan. 14) failed to mention a critical dichotomy that exists in farming. Most farm-based pollution comes from farms that are contracted by big food corporations, and in Maryland this generally means concentrated chicken farms under contract from Perdue. These contracts force farmers to be servants to the corporate profit margin by endangering the health of themselves, the animals and the environment. The contracts dictate that animal production should be concentrated to save money, but by concentrating too many animals in one small area, massive amounts of manure build up and then run off into the bay when it rains, causing the nitrogen and phosphorous pollution discussed in the editorial.

We should not paint all farmers with the same brush. Small, independent (and usually more sustainable) farmers care for the environment. My guess is they would happily agree to regulations they are likely already in compliance with. On the other hand, large agribusinesses have the most to lose from these regulations because it would impose costs to mitigate pollution. The Farm Bureau represents only the interests of these large, polluting agribusinesses such as Perdue and Smithfield — not the small, socially-conscious farmer.

Chris Plano, Lutherville