RICHMOND, Vt. —  Some Richmond residents are upset by a blueberry farm that uses a cannon to scare away birds that eat its crop.

About 20 residents have petitioned the select board to keep the Owl's Head Blueberry Farm from using the propane-fired device during the morning and evening.

Toby Buxton and other neighbors said the cannon begins firing shortly after 6 a.m. from late July through August.

One of the farm's owners, Lawrence Cobb, said the cannon had been a part of the farm's integrated pest management program for years.

Cobb said he's sorry the cannon bothers some people, but it's legal. He said the cannon is fired at times when the birds do the most damage.

The select board didn't act on the petition.