A farmer was told off by a neighbour for spraying his fields with fertiliser, stapling an angry letter to his land.
Hundreds have rallied around the farmer, based in Cornwall, after images of the angry message landed on Facebook.
Posting to its Facebook page, Cornish nationalist campaign group Kernow Matters to Us said it “naturally felt sorry for the farmer” who was told in the open letter addressed only ‘to the farmer’, that he should “not spray this field in the heat wave”.
READ MORE:The Somerset villages that are a hotbed for celebrities
Ever since, the images of the letter have been posted all over social media, reports Cornwall Live.
Kernow Matters to Us wrote: “When we saw this, we naturally felt sorry for the farmer.
“He’s lived in Cornwall all his life, as did his forefathers, and they’ve worked the land and kept the food chain going despite wind or weather, dry or rain, hot or cold.
“Then the new residents move in. They are from ‘up country’ of course and with their big money, purchased a number of properties.”
The printed letter, which was stapled to a fence on the farmland boundary which is understood to be in the Marazion area, expressed the writer’s disdain at the surrounding fields being fertilised, specifically the impact it would have on an impending garden birthday party.
Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here
It read, in capital letters: “To the farmer.
“I can smell the spraying of fertiliser on neighbouring fields. Is it entirely unreasonable, in this heat, to expect residents to not be able to open their windows due to the smell?
“Aside from this I have a 60th birthday party this weekend and wish my guests to be able to celebrate in my garden.
“Please do not spray this field in this heatwave or I will have to ask the Environment Agency to deal with the matter.”
Kernow Matters to Us’ post sharing the details, continued: “Since discussing this in our group, we have received other similar reports, a person who had kept chickens for 40 years subject of noise complaints from the incomers, a man who kept beehives who ended up dealing with a bow wave of complaints from the new ‘up country’ neighbours and so on.”
It continued to ask when ‘outsiders’ will realise that Cornwall would be in a “sorry state” without farmers, fisherman and food producers.
More than 600 people have since rallied around the farming family – believed to be based in west Cornwall – on the page, with remarks like “this has to be a joke surely?” and, “maybe speaking to the farmer in question might have got better results”.
Jan Holmes said: “If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable. Did they really think that living near a working farm there wouldn’t be smells? The ignorance of some of these people is beyond stupid. Oh and to the farmer, thank you for all your hard work keeping us fed.”
Karen Tanner added: “Let me know when you next plan on spreading. I’ll get a big group together and clap for you as you do it. Our farmers are our unsung heroes. These idiots would soon complain if there wasn’t any food in the shops, or perhaps they think Harry Potter waves his wand and it appears?
“The arrogance of some people.”
Clare Bliss said: “Why purchase a house next to fields and farms surely they are intelligent enough to know there are going to be smells and late night working.”
Miriam Webber said: “Come down because they say they love it and then do everything they can to change it and make it as bad as where they come from. Gets on my tripe.”
Diane Williams added: “Ridiculous behaviour of the letter writer! There is a farming calendar when jobs have to be done, you can’t wait for someone’s party to finish, shouldn’t have moved next to arable fields if you don’t like the smell.”
