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Farmer in our field


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We own a reasonable amount of land around our home, including woodland, and a field of about an acre. The field is surrounded on 3 sides by our woodland, and bordered by a field owned by a farmer from a neighbouring commune. The previous owners of our property had given the farmer permission to grow crops in the field, but we were advised on purchase early last year not to continue that permission, which we did.

The farmer called to see us just after we moved in in April last year to ask if he could use the field - we said no, explaining that we intend using the field ourselves, initially as an extension of our garden, and for animals in the future. He asked if he could cut the field to avoid contamination of his crops from 'our' weeds, and we agreed  - but he only did this once.

As there is no public access to our field we have to assume that the farmer has been in our field last week as there are tractor treads all over it, and white markers have been placed - of the type the farmers use to mark their crop fields. We have removed the markers, and left them by the boundary.

Before we visit the farmer - does anyone have any experience of this? It would appear to the farmer that we did not use the field last year - but we do - it is part of our garden. Is it possible that as it appears abandoned it can be planted by a farmer?

Thoughts or experiences would be appreciated as we wouldn't like to start an international incident! lol  

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He is probably trying it on with the stupid foreigners.

In my experience many French ,especially in rural communities, seem to think that if a piece of land is just lying there it is acceptable to take it over ,especially if it has absentee owners who are foreign .

I would hot foot it to the offending farmer and explain in precise terms that it is not acceptable.
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I take your point baf - but we are not absentee owners - though oh does have to go to work so we can't stand guard all day! lol

Just wanted to check before hotfooting it round that there's no EU or french rule lurking that says it's ok for farmers to make use of seemingly unwanted land :-)

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There are some strange rules here inFrance regarding land that is not used. We were told many years ago that if you own  agricultural land it must be used and not left to stagnate or grow wild. I honestly think you should check this out with your notaire because it just maybe that the farmer has exercised a right to use land that is standing idle regardless of whether you use it for a garden or not. You say the only access is via your property so he has in fact trespassed to get into the field. This could get out of hand if you don't nip it in the bud legally now.
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Visit your local agricultural supplies and buy a dozen plastic electric fence posts and a roll of cheap electric fence tape.

Mark the field out with the posts and tape creating individual, assorted 'plots'. It might look a bit confusing to trespassing farmer, but it indicates you're doing something, albeit nothing in reality![:)]

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"There are some strange rules here inFrance regarding land that is not

used. We were told many years ago that if you own  agricultural land it

must be used and not left to stagnate or grow wild. I honestly think you

should check this out with your notaire because it just maybe that the

farmer has exercised a right to use land that is standing idle

regardless of whether you use it for a garden or not."

Does anybody have further information or links to this? There doesn't appear to be anything on the SAFER website about it.

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Thanks for your replies, think we'll refrain from asking our friends to park their campervan in the farmers adjoining field when they stay though!

I had a feeling that there may be something about unused agricultural land - I guess the issue is what is regarded as 'unused'. The farmer owns hundreds of acres, so we can't see why he should want our little acre field as well, especially as it's so closely bordered on 3 sides by our woodland .... bit of a land pirate methinks!

This raises another issue. We often see wild boar and deer on our land, and, of course, the chasse hunt in the area. We accept this is part of rural life here, but we don't want the chasse on our land. A hide was built in our woodland when we were away for a couple of weeks, and we also found spent cartridges within sight of our house recently. However, in the spirit of blending in with the community we chose not to put up private property, or chasse banning signs - but maybe we should put them up round our boundary now :-(

Meantime OH will be popping round to have a chat with the farmer at the weekend ...... which should please him as he insisted on speaking to us in english last year so he could improve his language skills!         

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Lots of local farmers and woodland owners have anti-chasse signs on their boundaries around here so I wouldn't worry about not blending in.  If you don't want the hunters, then ifaik, you are well within your rights to keep them off your land.

If your plot of farming land is an acre or so then I'm not sure SAFER have any jursidicion, do they?  I have a feeling there's a minumum number of hectares involved before they have any claims on "unused" land.  But this is only a vague memory from the years when we were househunting so don't take my word for it.

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What about planting some trees along the border of the field with the farmer's land, thereby effectively walling the land off naturally on all 4 sides with woodland and fully incoroprating it into the garden.  Would cost a few quid but makes a clear statement without spoiling the environment?  Just a thought if there's no friendly cooperation on the matter.
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Nothing new to report yet Hoddy - we haven't been able to get hold of the farmer, but it's clear now that he sprayed weedkiller on his visit - which is very annoying as we have been enjoying reliving our childhood seeing all the lovely wildflowers and insects there, and I had just bought a tub of wildflower seed to add to the mix. :-(

However, you've read our minds DD - we had already decided that we'd like to plant a mixture of trees and shrubs along the border - so looks like we'll have to hop to it....whilst we still have a border to plant! So would be grateful if anyone can recommend somewhere we can bulk buy mixed hedging and trees very cheaply on the Vienne/Charente/Deux Sevres border, as at approx 100 metres long it's going to take a just a few! lol

 

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The farmer is going to say that the unsprayed weeds in your field were spreading into his fields and damaging his crops. And he will choose not to understand the concept of a wild garden, just see it as a wilderness to be sprayed, planted and raped.

If he is choosing not to be found and to be amenable, you go to the commune and have a word with the mayor and explain what you are doing and why the field is like it is. Remind the mayor that the communes are supposed to be encouraging farmers to leave wide hedge strips to encourage wildlife. Show him your wildflower seeds, explain what a meadow is. Then ask him to see this farmer and to warn him off. His protestations that the field is not maintained are 'ollox. Your field is simply as he would like it to be.

If he refuses to listen, then it is the gendarmes. He does not ever have the right to go into your field and spray and would never ever dare do that with a French person, even more so that you are resident and not second homers, as I understand things.

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