rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

Believe me, those up there in the NE states are different.... they will never appreciate what the dog is doing or what she is protecting... the old time farmers out in the real country farmland, would not mind... but in these little "farmette" areas... it is a whole different mindset.... and they are another breed unto themselves in Mass on top of it.

 

[rachels.haven]

Yeah...different breed. Pretty sure animal control got called again when I was milking. Neighbor on the phone talking in a hushed voice about the goats behind a bush while everyone was screaming about being off schedule and confused on where to go and what to do because THOSE NEIGHBORS complained and the ACO is a-
DH brought up moving. We're getting a lawyer. Yep. A lawyer to keep goats on a 7+ acre agriculturally zone property with a 100' chicken barn, a machine shed, and even an old hay rake back there. This has been so fun.

 

[farmerjan]

My heart goes out to you.... I know that you thought you would be doing so much better with moving to a more "ag friendly" area.... what a bunch of SORRY SOB A$$holes....

DS has spent over 16,000 on lawyer fees for the cell tower and now back to fighting the sorry B#@%H next door on the whole "restrictive covenants" on the AG ZONED land....because she lost on the tower situation, so just doing all she can to harass....

I honestly wish she would drop dead of a heart attack. I seldom get to that point in a totally serious way.... but she is way beyond......
About like the a hole neighbors you have.

 

[Baymule]

You can’t fix stupid. Not only that, but there is no mandatory sterilization so they breed and make more of themselves.

 

[farmerjan]

Except that with so many of the "alternative" sexes, they are not breeding as fast as they used to.....Thank God for that.

 

[rachels.haven]

Sigh. I can't go a day without thinking about this.
I'm pretty sure we're getting harassed by our neighbor and the city now. Friday the neighbor called ACO during milking, today (sunday) someone was in our driveway during milking and quickly left when I walked by the window inside after finishing. This lawyer thing is getting real. We've contacted an organization that is helping us get legal contacts (as in, on Thursday and Friday we began corresponding). ACO or someone else will probably be back to harass us on Monday-and probably over the goats and milking noise rather than the dog, which they should legally have no grounds to do. We have 7.15 acres of agriculturally zoned farmland, putting us well within the right to farm category in Mass. I have to milk. And this is my property. Even if we did the unthinkable and let them push us around into getting rid of the goats and dog next they'd be complaining about the kids...

On the positive side, suddenly our other house is magically worth over $900k...not that it means a hill of beans until someone offers that much and the keys/money changes hands (this place was pricey too, but not THAT pricey, so we'll have a decent amount left either to attack the mortgage/build a barn, or apparently move and buy another house ( ! !)). I'm starting to wonder if we're just going to finish paying off the other mortgage and hang onto the rest of that cash then use it to get out of here before they give me 30 days to de-goat, de-LGD (who is locked in the barn at night and NOT barking ever anymore), or de-child because the neighbor is annoyed that we're living our lives and they get to decide how and what we do. Or even worse, the ACO help themselves to my animals to "rescue" them from being made to wait during the milk lineup or something since I can't keep them quiet on my normal, if not already quiet farm.

Ah, and rut is starting and the bucks, which ACO caused me to have to lock in the barn by my house by forcing me to lock up Bailey (also in barn), are starting to sing whenever the desire strikes (silly dwarves and their drunken male dwarf songs). And they are locker room fresh as usual. This is going to be so fun.

Clearly I need a whole bunch of RIR and Leghorn roosters crowing, pigs squealing for breakfast, cows lowing at whatnot, or even just to pack that old hen house with leghorn hens. Then the neighbor would never sleep or breathe a clear breath again. AND I could sell lots and lots of eggs instead of just keeping a silkie rooster and a few hens that just lay enough for our family. Or USDA inspected pork or beef (you know, if the fence was actually sound).

Okay, stress rant over. I'll keep you updated. Someone please wake me up and tell me I'm dreaming.
Fun, fun journal entry.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Hopefully the other house sells quickly for good money and you will have more options. The legal people will/have probably told you this but document everything. Can you get a video camera set up on your driveway? Especially if you have no trespassing signs? That will prove that there are people on your property trespassing, they shouldn't be in your driveway without a legal reason or unless invited by you. Maybe take a video of the goats screaming while in line to be milked? To prove they are screaming because they are goats and impatient rather than being injured or abused or whatever these jerks will try to claim?

Also is there any option about going after the seller/selling realtor for presenting the property as a working farm/ag when the neighbors/neighborhood is so hostile? Seems like it was misrepresented to me and it's costing/will potentially cost you a lot of time, money, and heartache.

 

[rachels.haven]

We've picked out some outside cameras. I'm documenting. Time to put on galoshes and keep slogging through whatever comes.

 

[Baymule]

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. How awful. Why are people so hateful? Maybe you need some of those long crowing roosters. Tell the ACO they are rare chickens, almost extinct and you are dedicated to saving the breed. LOL

You are gonna have to convince your dear husband to LEAVE that part of the country and go someplace where people actually like farm animals or at least understand and tolerate them.

 

[rachels.haven]

Laughing roosters appeal to me. Non commercial farms here can have only up to 20 poultry, we discovered yesterday. Even 4-5 would be okay. Maybe a few geese... We'd better hurry up and become commercial if we're staying here. That will never do.

Yes, I've "discussed" this NE issue with DH already. For marital harmony I will not go into restating my grievances, feelings, and frustrations here, but I feel they are fairly obvious.