John I. Connors: Development dismay

Regarding the Sept. 2 news story “NC plans $94 million ag lab in Raleigh”: Recently I drove through Browns Summit, a quiet rural community near Greensboro that is the home of Agriculture Secretary Steve Troxler’s farm. Those of us who live in urban areas rarely get to enjoy the tranquil nature of farmland or hear the sounds and smell the smells of pasturelands inhabited by cows and meadowlarks.

I’ve lived in Raleigh 45 years and have always enjoyed the quiet retreat found along Reedy Creek Road. Those pastures are where I first took my kids to see a cow, and more recently as horses were added, to distinguish cows from horses with my grandkids. They squealed when the horses proved inquisitive and friendly.

Hearing that an ag lab will consume the cow pasture saddens me. Wish Secretary Troxler had added a lament in his announcement.

I’ve also watched with dismay as Wake County’s most robust stand of milkweed has been bulldozed this summer across the road from the cow pastures. Scores of monarch butterflies have used that patch for years. Who knows what is going in there? Many of us who use the recreation trail from the Art Museum to Umstead Park enjoy the pasturelands. Let’s hope they save what’s left.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "John I. Connors: Development dismay."