01/15/2018
Posting this feels a little like dredging up old drama however its a new year and spring is not that far off and last years drama is going to make this years planning complicated. I kind of want people to understand where I am coming from any why I am doing things the way I am.
A little background on why we are trying so desperately to move, and why my farm is divided between 2 places with half my animals unprotected (by my LGDs) at a friends place :)
The property we are on now is long and narrow and has 3 close neighbors and though I get along great with one of the neighbors the other 2 hate having someone like me so closer to their beautiful up scale homes.
I don't blame them all 3 neighbors have very nice places. However when I moved in this place was a dump, there was no lawn to speak of since no one maintained the property. The blackberry vines covered 90% of it and what grass had survived was literally taller than me, The previous tenants had
also used the place for dumping garbage. The 2 neighbors have told me they expect me to fall in line and maintain the property as they maintain theirs, this means my pallet fencing is not acceptable and that I need to replace it with either chain link or slate fencing. My dogs (which are great pyrenees livestock dogs) should never be left outside as this is animal abuse and cats should not be let outside at all, inside only. My birds needed to be confined in an aesthetically appealing coop (also only allowed out for 1 to 3 hours a day) Funny thing they thought the sheep were neat LoL but my american guinea hog sow meant I was trashy :(
These people have 0 experience with farming and didn't care to hear any of my explanations how I could not afford to spend that kind of money on a rental or how each one of these animals have needs and how by filling those needs they could help me clean up and improve this property. It has only gotten worse over the time I have lived here and and my nerves are utterly frayed.
The need for a new place is somewhat pressing since last summer was so very very stressful. Early spring we had a dog attack by one of the neighbors dogs when we had Blue ( our LGD) inside one night, the dogs killed all my best show rabbits shredding the cages as well. then went after my sheep malling 2 of the 4 so badly they had to be put down. Then someone on facebook who had my home address gave out my adders on her page while spread unfounded roomers to get animal right groups to come after me, scaring the hell out of me with all the random drive bys (sometimes the same car 4 times a day) this went on all summer.
The neighbors from across the street were verbally abusive, there were people posting on the local group about how animals others in the neighborhood found bothersome could easily be poisoned.
It was so bad that eventually I wouldn't go outside alone and never without my phone so I could record what was screamed at me from across the street, or casual menacing comments said in jest or passing.
We were also getting many many complaints filed against us, animal control said they were being flooded but they could tell it was all being organized by just 1 or 2 people because of way the complainte were being presented, since the day I moved in I had told animal control they were welcome to inspect and mad it easy for them to do so about every 6 months. When animal control didn't work, those who wanted use gone then started filing complaint with every other branch of the county they could think of. We complied with EVERY request by the county for both inspection as well as Changes (the county water company wanted us to put in a backflow valve) then after months of visits and a few inspections the county code officer showed up to say we were not allowed to have animals hear, even though no one had mention this for the last 2 years. Yes we are county not city, She said that I am only allowed 8 hens (does not specify species) and NO livestock.
I checked into farming with both animal control and the zoning office before we put down our deposit, both told me it was county so yes, the zoning office went so far as to say yes its country and if the if the code says you can have animals you can have animals then they hung up on me. Found out the hard way the zoning office only actually has to look up the property if you are the owner :( So turns out this property is county but not unincorporated county as I was lead to believe, by animal control and the zoning office. I can not be to upset at animal control but it would be nice if the zoning office would have just told me they don't care look it up for yourself, I had no idea the info was bad.
We tried fighting it but in the end our land lord said comply or leave (even though this is clearly a vendetta by one or 2 of our neighbors who have connections!) We were forced to move my 4 sheep off sight and butcher off my american guinea hogs (mom and her babies) :(
We have been looking for a new place since early spring due to the fighting with neighbors but as many of yall are aware it is very difficult to find affordable housing or property at this time.
