wyliepoon
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Urban and rural realities clashing as cities sprawl
Controversy over farmer's shooting of pets may be symptomatic of a deeper divide in rural Ontario
Nov 03, 2007 04:30 AM
Carola Vyhnak
Staff reporter
They come in the night to dump their junk on his property. They light bonfires in his fields, drive four-wheelers through his crops and trample his corn stalks.
Stan Found is not happy with the residents of the new subdivision that has crept up to the edge of his 243-hectare farm in Courtice.
"They have no respect for property," complains the lifelong farmer, who grows several crops and raises cattle, hogs and sheep.
The shooting deaths of two family dogs running at large by an Uxbridge farmer last month have underlined a deeper conflict between urban and rural mentalities as development spreads. Already besieged by regulations, falling prices and rising costs, farmers see their territory being taken over by intruders who don't understand or appreciate the realities of rural life.
"It's just terrible," Found says of the damaged crops and discarded tires, shingles and household trash he deals with regularly. "These people are trespassing and the trouble is, you can't catch them."
A Claremont farmer observes that while the dog killings shocked some GTA residents, the incident is a symptom of the resentment and frustration some long-time rural residents feel toward newcomers.
Ready to retire but still struggling to make a living from his horse and cattle operation north of Pickering, he doesn't conceal his contempt for the influx of people buying pricey houses who "haven't got a friggin' clue what it takes to live out here."
"If those dogs had come on my property, I'd have shot them, too," says the farmer, explaining that a $2,500 horse that cuts a tendon when chased into a fence "is worth $240 to me at the slaughterhouse."
Liz White of the Animal Alliance of Canada blames the friction on a "clash of values" – urban and rural residents view animals and the environment differently. "As the urban environment extends into wildlife habitat ... it will present increasing problems for hunters, trappers and those who make their living from agriculture," she says.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture offers a reality check for prospective rural homebuyers.
"Life in the country is frequently romanticized, not only by real estate agents, but by people considering a move to the country," says its website, ofa.on.ca. "In many parts of Ontario, the country is where farmers work, their equipment makes noises and dust, their animals make noises and smells, and at harvest and planting times the work can go on 24 hours each day."
The OFA, which represents most of the province's 40,000 farmers, wants city transplants to arrive with "eyes wide open," says president Geri Kamenz. 0Most, he says, have little idea what farmers face. For example, an "unknowing neighbour" complained about the manure Kamenz spread on his fields near Ottawa, triggering a visit by the environment ministry – which concluded all was in order.
"People have to understand there are serious challenges that come with producing safe, nutritious food in Canada, and there will be some minor inconveniences."
Some farmers are "weary and frustrated" over all the regulations they must follow. "They feel like `it doesn't matter what I do, it's never enough' and their frustration is boiling over," says Kamenz.
Former Torontonian Craig Pestell, who now lives on an acreage in Sunderland, felt that wrath after his cocker spaniel died in a trap set by his neighbour to catch a pesky otter – and was stunned by local reaction when he lobbied against traps.
"Our mailbox was smashed," Pestell recalls, "and we received a nasty letter from a farmer saying, `Go home, go back to the city.'"
Urban and rural realities clashing as cities sprawl
Controversy over farmer's shooting of pets may be symptomatic of a deeper divide in rural Ontario
Nov 03, 2007 04:30 AM
Carola Vyhnak
Staff reporter
They come in the night to dump their junk on his property. They light bonfires in his fields, drive four-wheelers through his crops and trample his corn stalks.
Stan Found is not happy with the residents of the new subdivision that has crept up to the edge of his 243-hectare farm in Courtice.
"They have no respect for property," complains the lifelong farmer, who grows several crops and raises cattle, hogs and sheep.
The shooting deaths of two family dogs running at large by an Uxbridge farmer last month have underlined a deeper conflict between urban and rural mentalities as development spreads. Already besieged by regulations, falling prices and rising costs, farmers see their territory being taken over by intruders who don't understand or appreciate the realities of rural life.
"It's just terrible," Found says of the damaged crops and discarded tires, shingles and household trash he deals with regularly. "These people are trespassing and the trouble is, you can't catch them."
A Claremont farmer observes that while the dog killings shocked some GTA residents, the incident is a symptom of the resentment and frustration some long-time rural residents feel toward newcomers.
Ready to retire but still struggling to make a living from his horse and cattle operation north of Pickering, he doesn't conceal his contempt for the influx of people buying pricey houses who "haven't got a friggin' clue what it takes to live out here."
"If those dogs had come on my property, I'd have shot them, too," says the farmer, explaining that a $2,500 horse that cuts a tendon when chased into a fence "is worth $240 to me at the slaughterhouse."
Liz White of the Animal Alliance of Canada blames the friction on a "clash of values" – urban and rural residents view animals and the environment differently. "As the urban environment extends into wildlife habitat ... it will present increasing problems for hunters, trappers and those who make their living from agriculture," she says.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture offers a reality check for prospective rural homebuyers.
"Life in the country is frequently romanticized, not only by real estate agents, but by people considering a move to the country," says its website, ofa.on.ca. "In many parts of Ontario, the country is where farmers work, their equipment makes noises and dust, their animals make noises and smells, and at harvest and planting times the work can go on 24 hours each day."
The OFA, which represents most of the province's 40,000 farmers, wants city transplants to arrive with "eyes wide open," says president Geri Kamenz. 0Most, he says, have little idea what farmers face. For example, an "unknowing neighbour" complained about the manure Kamenz spread on his fields near Ottawa, triggering a visit by the environment ministry – which concluded all was in order.
"People have to understand there are serious challenges that come with producing safe, nutritious food in Canada, and there will be some minor inconveniences."
Some farmers are "weary and frustrated" over all the regulations they must follow. "They feel like `it doesn't matter what I do, it's never enough' and their frustration is boiling over," says Kamenz.
Former Torontonian Craig Pestell, who now lives on an acreage in Sunderland, felt that wrath after his cocker spaniel died in a trap set by his neighbour to catch a pesky otter – and was stunned by local reaction when he lobbied against traps.
"Our mailbox was smashed," Pestell recalls, "and we received a nasty letter from a farmer saying, `Go home, go back to the city.'"
