First light. A man with a beanie hat comes to the front gate. He's a new farmer taking over the fields that the 'bad farmer' used to keep cows in.
'The Font' exchanged heated words with the 'bad farmer' over his failure to provide drinking water for his cows during last years drought. The poor beasts used to cry through the night in agony.
Despite advising us to 'mind our own business ' we ran a hose from The Rickety Old Farmhouse to the cows water trough. When the bad farmer cut the hose for the third time the mayor became involved and called the gendarmes. Their warnings to him were ignored.This year the 'bad farmer' left his herd unattended for a week and lost seven calves to the frost. The local farmers decide this was enough. It was suggested he change his ways. He has moved on. The power of peer pressure.
Bob and Sophie chase uncomplaining egrets. The Rickety Old Farmhouse glows in the sun. Everyone is happy.
One of those little victories too inconsequential for a diary but too important to be completely forgotten.
15 comments:
Hope the new farmer realises what an active community you live in, and won't repeat the wrongs of the bad farmer.
Here too, we're hoping the new farmer is more attentive to his herd.
Lovely photo of the sun on the mellow ROF stonework.
Why have animals and then ill treat them?
So glad that the community pulled together and put pressure on the bad farmer to move on. It's to be hoped his reputation has followed him and there will always be someone else to keep an eye on his poor animals.
We, too, hope that the new farmer is a model of animal husbandry.
Until last years change in the law animals had fewer rights than a piece of furniture. How someone so negligent could be a farmer was a source of amazement.
The new farmer knows The Old Farmer so we're betting all will be well.
Nowhere like a French village for keeping an eye on what your neighbours are doing !
On UK tv The Donkey Sanctuary has an appeal/advert. that shows neglect in the UK and I have to look away at it's poor feet. There is no excuse for this in UK or France. Animals are not cheap to buy I cannot understand how people can be so awful owners. Lesley
Thank goodness. I hope that he feels some sense of shame and I hope that he no longer owns any animals.
May I say "God Bless the Font" for being courageous enough to confront the bad farmer in the first place? Also, for all the characters that you deal with that can sometimes confound the best of us, your village seems to be filled with good people that care. Lucky you.
I truly hope the Bad Farmer has been charged with animal cruelty and ordered to never have any more animals - farm or otherwise. I don't often use foul language, but what a ba***rd. That just makes my blood boil...if I had the ways and means to have a farm - I would have so many rescues we would need more land. Well done to you both for at least providing water, if only to have it cut off. If I lived there, my husband would be so surprised to find that we just adopted some cows... :)
Outside Agitators!! A wonderful outcome...
We'll done Angus and Font! The hose cutting showed the cared more about retribution than his livestock. There is a sickness where people actually like to abuse animals. If he was not of ill intent, the first calf death would have tipped him that he was remiss. I do hope when he is ill or infirm he is shown the exact same consideration as he showed his cows. Good riddance to human rubbish.
Good results. But I do hope the Bad Farmer has moved on to something other than animal husbandry, not just moving his poor cows to another field. As others have said, he sounds like someone who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near living creatures.
The 'Bad Farmer' is a " black hearted vermin" !!! May Karma follow him where ever he goes, for as long as he lives. Just saying ...
I am so happy that the bad farmer has moved on.....but.........now we have no way of knowing if he will continue to ill-treat his livestock. I sure hope some other caring folks will look out for them like you and the Font did.
How could he lie in bed and hear the cows crying all night and do nothing....cruel evil man.
I love the Font...she is the most sensible caring no nonsense person that I have never met but I adore.
By the way The ROF is looking really nice...maybe a new name is in order.
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