A herd of Holsteins, roused from their carefree ruminations, stand one by one and saunter up to the wire fence on the edge of a dirt road in the Arcata bottoms. The black-and-white cows whiff the air, bat their luxurious eyelashes and flick their ears, bouncing numbered yellow earrings. Their swiveling jaws creak quietly.   The tall grass along the fence rustles in the breeze, and the sound of the ocean carries over the flat pastureland. One charmer rests her diamond-spotted head on her neighbor’s back. So languid. So peaceful. She lifts her tail in a graceful arch, and poops. Splat. Splat. Splat. Cows can’t control themselves. They just go. Here in Humboldt, most of the pooping happens out in the pasture. That’s fine, because the grass likes the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that the poop contains. But when ol’ Bessie poops in the barn, in the milking parlor, or on any other paved area, the farmer needs to keep an eye on the pile, lest it find its way into a puddle, stream or irrigation ditch. In years past, it was farmers’ responsibility, and ultimately their choice, to keep the waterways dung-free. Clean water meant a clean conscience. Starting this year, however, the authorities are stepping in with a new program that aims to stamp out any wayward crap. (more) July 23, 2012 North Coast Journal