?Not In My backyard? is a slogan, turned into an acronym, ?NIBY.? The phrase means people want economic development, but don?t want to see it or endure changes from it.
One of the classic developments is a meat packing facility, employing hundreds of people.
A pork processing plant, to be built in Mason City, Iowa, was recently rejected because the community did not want to be labeled a ?Meat Packing? town.
A similar situation is currently playing out in northeast Kansas. Tyson Foods wants to build a major poultry processing plant in Tonganoxie, about 25 miles west of Kansas City.
The state, county and city put together $500 million in incentives for Tyson, but citizens protested so loudly that commissioners changed their votes and rejected it. Tyson is now considering other locations in Kansas.
From an agricultural perspective, a new facility like this is a good thing. Farm input businesses, poultry growers and grain farmers win if the plant is in their geographic area.
Little is more polarizing than a new meat processing facility going into a town near you. Ken McCauley farms in northeast Kansas and once served as president of the National Corn Growers Association. McCauley said it is disappointing to hear Tonganoxie rejected the Tyson facility, as it would be beneficial to farmers.
?Anybody raising corn, soybeans or in need of fertilizer could use this natural fertilizer everybody seems to want. It goes way past the 30 to 45-mile circle they?re talking about (when it comes) to being able to take full advantage of this project. I?m looking forward to, if this were to be in Tonganoxie, this helping the basis on the corn we raise, by creating more competition,? McCauley said.
The Kansas Corn Growers Association said the facility would have increased demand for Kansas corn by roughly 175,000 bushels per week, or 9.1 million bushels per year. McCauley said opposition of the project goes against what consumers currently are asking for.
?As far as customers, everyone talks about wanting to have their food local. Well, here?s a perfect example of local. I read a lot about people not wanting their food to travel long distances, and (then) turn around in the next sentence and say, ?Oh no, I don?t want that. That?s too local,?? McCauley said.
The more than $300 million project was expected to bring 1,600 jobs to Tonganoxie. McCauley added rejection of the project boils down to a simple case of ?Not In My Backyard.?
?It?s just another example of ?Not In My Backyard.? ?I?m all for it if somebody else deals with it,?? McCauley said. ?You must look at the positives, not just if you sell them corn or get a job out of the deal. We?re all struggling with property taxes and this will have property taxes. This will help our schools.?
Tyson said the project would have increased the company?s annual economic impact to Kansas by $150 million.
