We have #nlpony's, chicken's, a cat, and a dog on our little farm here in the middle of Eastport. We've been establishing fencing to keep our animals contained but also to keep people from walking around our personal home & animals or driving atv's / ski-doo's through our fields.
It has been a struggle, to say the least. We've had fencing pulled down, animals harassed, been trespassed on by people from neighbouring businesses. There has been almost no co-operation from either town council or local residents in dealing with the ongoing situation.
As someone who did not grow up here, its challenging. I moved back from the mainland 15yrs ago to pursue a life, and build a business in rural NL. Its understandable some people will be unable to cope with change, but that's their issue not mine.
I spent the first 20yrs of my life growing up in central & western NL. Eastport was always the place we came for summer holidays & on weekends to be around family. I chose to return here b/c its always been home, but boy its been a challenge to enjoy it. Sad really, but reality.
And these are just the outward facing issues, there are lots more that go way deeper. Let's face it, building a fence on your own property to contain animals on your families farm that has been established for almost 100yrs should be a pretty basic thing.
If we are going to grow the tourism economy in rural NL, create jobs and increase the population its not always going to be something that everybody wants to participate in, or agrees with. But there are lines that cannot be crossed and destroying private property is one of them.
I mean, its a main tenant of democracy...and why people do not have to toil in the fields for land lords and be excluded from owning property. If our system cannot function to protect private farmland then imo we are going down a road which many will regret having chosen.
Organic food is something NLers ate as a matter of necessity up until 65+ years ago and our general health probably showed it. The overwhelming local male-led response to organic food is 'that's rabbit food!'. Sometimes we're our own worst enemies #nlfood #coastalorganic
On the bright side there's been a change over the past couple seasons as kids take their parents and walk them over to our fields and explain what all the plants are...but on the other hand we can't establish a fence to protect our private property from trespassing #dichotomy
3 kids, one on a piped 600+cc sled just ripped around the fields for 5-mins where there's overwintered crops. One horse fretting & jumping each time throttle opened on the larger machine. The other horse is not bothered so much but gets worried when his buddy is stressed #notcool
If you speak up, have the wrong political stripe du jour, or even drive the wrong rig...thats a good enough reason to hate for some. Apparently, if you're not 'from here' they can even pull your fences down and steal your land. Been interesting, hope they enjoy it while it lasts.
the post on the right represents the corner of the land...and its here the story ends. 
and we STILL cannot use the land we own that has been farmed by our family for three generations. a kid walked over today from the neighbouring business and kicked the freshly hilled row ready for planting. #nofoodsecurity #privatepropertyrights #nofence #trespass
In 2017 we began the building of a fence to limit the continuous trespassing on our property. It was pulled down the same day before we had a chance to pour the concrete. Been waiting to hear back from the new owners on the other side since.
Just walked out to the field and found a client from the neighbouring business standing in between a couple rows of growing green onion tossing carrots at my stallion who is tied on next to the house. JFC. Enough. Where are the adults? Time to wrap this up.
!st sled situation this winter...no snow, kid on a 6-700cc polaris ripping arnd in a field, horses tied on in the back, about 1km from house...heard the machine, rushed over...kid "was just testing out my new pipe"...me "trespassing, property destruction, animal cruelty" capiche?
small farms in rural NL? ongoing situation with new neighbour who thinks they own land that's ours and has been in our family for over 100 years, fencing constantly being pulled down, animals harassed by machines and trespassers #nlfood #smalltowns #farming
Everybody likes my fences :)
To only be intelligent enough to see that someone is building a progressive business, and then to use that limited understanding to copy it, undermine it and then ultimately attempt to steal it, is so...ummm sad. #watchyerbobber #tiktok
Every moment small scale organic farms are kept from operating means less time the earth has before total climate meltdown...that's how important it is to encourage small organic food production. Big problems require many small solutions. #nlfood #coastalorganic #smallfarmsmatter
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