Re: RE; The lost land between town and country

Originally from: Paul Buxton
                        
? says

j> Dear Paul, My name is Frances,

Sorry Frances, as well as being inquisitive I am an idle bastard and just let my software sort out the reply name.

j> I have signed this at the bottom
j> of my E-mail. Low marks for observation powers,
Oh I had observed .

Would you now like to answer my questions or is this forum so
incredibly cosy that no one dare question comments?

Cheerio, Paul

7:57:31 AM
Created with The Bat 2.02.3 CE
                        

Originally from: frances fish
                        
Dear Paul, My name is Frances, I have signed this at the bottom of my E-mail. Low marks for observation powers, sir, on that and other comments ! FRANCES

Originally from: coleen
                        
Hello Paul

In answer to some of the questions you asked Francis here goes.

People from non farming rural areas are buying ex farms and it is correct when Francis writes – they do not want the land. Many farms in the lake district especially hills farms have gone this way and are continuing to do so. Many of these people are also only weekend visitors thus these are second homes to them. So (without wishing to sound sour grapes here) they buy the property but put very little back into the area. Large parts of Cumbria and I suspect other rural areas are ghost villages in Winter. This also has a knock on effect as local people cannot compete in money terms – so local housing is out of their reach. Whilst no one (I am an outsider in the area I live) wishes to stop new blood coming into rural areas it would be nice if they chose to live there and contributed more to that areas way of life. Country life is not for six months of the year – in order to survive it needs people who live and earn their living in it, all year round.

I am a person who happens to think (that yes the land does belong to the stock) just as much as a town or city person would say that their 'garden' belongs to them. Would they like a farmer turning his/her cattle out to graze on their lawn. I somehow think not. If people respected the land more then perhaps farmers would object less.

Some people come to the Countryside and think they have the right to roam where they see fit. Many people abide by the Countrycode. You should note that during fmd when KEEP OUT notices were posted everywhere people on holiday were ignoring it. Just because they wanted to have their holiday they were not bothered that A, they might be harming the animals in that area and B, that they ran the risk of taking fmd back to their area. I saw this time and time again. The Countryside is beautiful and yes come on holiday, but it is not like Blackpool. At the end of each day the sand is cleaned over ready for a new day and the litter is picked and thrown away. It takes weeks and months to repair any damage done in rural areas.

Should dogs be allowed to run free. Well as a owner of dogs – of course they should be able to have freedom and enjoy it. But, not at the risk to livestock or trespass which is what happens in many instances. We have our own land, but we also walk our dogs through fields (never ever when it has stock in them). I would be the first to say we were treated with suspicion when we first move in here. It is down to each person as to whether they choose to want to fit into their villages way of life and respect the other people who live and earn their living there. Like it or not the Countryside is steeped in tradition. I love the Countryside, I am not a lover of all of it's way – but is any City person 100% completely in tune with what happens there.

We do not ask for much, just that what we do have, is not continually eroded away. A Post Office, Local Schools, Village Pub Local Shop, Bus Service, GP, and an understanding of how the Countryside operates. In the grand scheme of things I think this amounts to very little.

Are we selfish. Then if what I writes amounts to yes, then I have no problem with that. All I can say is, when I go into a Town or a City I try and respect that – just as much as I do my own back doorstep. I never drop litter, I do not go trampling across people's gardens etc etc and never hurl abuse at anyone and I always say 'thank you' when purchasing anything. I can and do appreciate the History of any Town and City without wishing to spoil it – or feeling I have a given right to explore were it says 'not open to the public'.

 Do I want to protect where I live, yes I do. Is that so wrong Paul. I am not sure where you live, but do you not have those same feelings about your home and area.

Coleen

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