Farm Tire Drop-off Month: “The tires are just pouring in.”

“The tires are just pouring in” at Saturday’s Farm Tire Drop-off Day in Frederick County, reported Susie Knapp from her Walkersville farm in Frederick County. Susie and James Ramsburg volunteered their farm as a collection site for agricultural tires during Free Farm Tire Drop-Off month. Her report: “There are just thousands of tires coming in. The first dumpster is filled. Took about ten minutes. Orchards, beef farmers, dairy farmers, grain farmers, people who bought farms and did not know what to do with the tires, just all over.”
Susie said the farmers appreciate the chance to rid their property of old tires, thanks to funding by MDE’s Scrap Tire Program. Through the program, Maryland Environmental Service is working with ten counties and the Maryland Farm Bureau to collect and properly dispose of agricultural scrap tires. “Farmers are very grateful. Some said they were digging out tires that had been buried. They decided it was a good opportunity they were not going to miss.”

“No more ugly tires or mosquitoes,” said Susie. “Frederick County farmers also appreciated the timing: before crops, snakes, bees, and weeds. After hauling tires for two days, one farm was downright jubilant with the removal of all their tires. They had three generations along to see the last of the tires off. Some farms had tires that were fifty years old. Lots of people search their farms and dug out old piles to bring. My own husband looked at some of his tires and said “I remember this one from when I was a kid”. He had moved it around on the trenches so many times. It turned out to be a very good day. I have never seen so many people so happy to say goodbye to something.”
Maryland Environmental Service is now coordinating the safe disposal of farm tires collected at sites across the State. Thanks to Susie Knapp, James Ramsburg, MDE, the Maryland Farm Bureau and Maryland farmers for a successful agricultural tire collection drive!

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