Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Hi Paul!

As creator of this message board, linked to the website http://www.farmtalking.org, I would like to assure you that we welcome all members and only request they be constructive, courteous and polite in their postings.

Francis farms near Kelso in the Borders of Scotland and has been a member of this forum since the start. Early in 2001 she was among some of the first farmers in the Borders to have her healthy and uninfected animals unecessarily and illegally slaughted.

The veterinary surgeon in charge of the area at the time, signed a 'false certificate' authorising their slaughter, never having examined any of her animals or the flock as a whole. Francis herself was prevented from visiting her stock by the police who blocked her way.

Among the over 10,000 farms whose stock, like hers, were slaughtered, the vast majority were uninfected and healthy animals. This remains a fact that many people do not realise. Nor do they understand that such slaughters were illegal or that veterinary 'false certificates' were issued wholesale.

If you would like more information concerning these matters, including the manner in which our laws have been changed to make legal now what was illegal during 2001, please do look at the web-site mentioned above. It was established on 10th March 2001 to offer information, help and advice to farming families in the UK.

Does the land belong exclusively to stock? Well... you tell me! –

If you had bought and paid for the land, fenced it, drained it, cared for it and then bought and paid for the planting of crops or livestock which you also cared for and intended to sell when mature at a profit, how would you feel about sharing the land? I'm sure you'd be only too delighted to do so if those who shared the pleasures it brings respected both the land and your possessions that were growing in or on it!

Although I've never visited Francis's farm, I have met her and corresponded with her both via this board and off-list, so I am sure that like most farmers, she welcomes visitors to the countryside as well as those who might choose to make their home there. However, as has been reported to me by farmers at various times, when these visitors, drop rubbish, fail to close gates, break fences, destroy hay or straw bales, light fires and/or drive over crops and/or allow their dogs to run free among stock or crops, they are not happy.

Sometimes when the reasons for not doing such things are politely explained to visitors or new country dwellers, they do understand the sense behind them, offer recompense for any damage and certainly cease from such activities. Others rudely ignore the explanation and at times are even abusive.

Of course they have a different use for the land from the farmer and no one wants t exclude them but does that mean that the farmer should suffer loss in order to accomodate it?

As for a man with golf balls the damage he causes may seem negligible but it rather depends on where he hits his balls and if he picks them up! If he doesn't and an animal does, they tend not to do much good for their digestion or the farmer's pocket!

If visitors to the countryside, both permanent and temporary want to enjoy it, surely it makes sense to try to understand how it evolved to be the way it is, how it's changing now and how we can all preserve and enjoy it for the benefit of all those who love it.

Best wishes – Jane – Farmtalking