On 18 Apr 2013 at 9:46pm Walking man wrote:
Very sad to see two fields ploughed up above the Neville. They haven't been ploughed in decades and were the best source of wild strawberries I have ever found. Skylarks wont be happy, and neither will walkers heading to Mount Harry, who have now have to guess where footpath was. I stopped farmer and he said the field was 'waste of space' - I think he meant for his animals. He's now planting Barley for animal fodder. It appears that chalk grassland like this isn't protected in a National Park.
On 18 Apr 2013 at 10:18pm Downs walker wrote:
Quite right Walking man, well said. I think the idiot farmer concerned is J Harmer at Offham. Looking at how many EU subsidies he's claimed in the past, this is sure to be another money making scheme. To hell with all the people that have enjoyed those fields and the animals that relied on them. We are led to believe that chalk downland and the flora & fauna it supports are important. Maybe this is all a smokescreen to the fact that more fences and sheep are being put up there, for the benefit of a wealthy few. Is there any official line on this outrage?
On 18 Apr 2013 at 10:52pm Southover Queen wrote:
I wonder whether this is something which could be raised with the National Park? There wouldn't be much left of the South Downs if all the farmers decided to plough it up; perhaps this needs tackling on a wider scale than the eponymous Farmer Harmer's activities?
On 18 Apr 2013 at 11:47pm Naval wrote:
It's Nevill ffs
On 19 Apr 2013 at 1:31am Local wrote:
Shock horror! Sheep on the South Downs? Fields of crops on the South Downs? What is the world coming to? I blame the DFLs.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 8:03am Myself wrote:
The fields have no protection in law, but the byeway that ran right through the middle of the second field WAS protected and he was breaking the law by ploughing it. Footpath signs have been removed and disposed of as well.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 8:24am Ducatipete wrote:
This is the same farmer who ploughed up an SSSI and had to reinstate.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 8:44am Dr Bellamy wrote:
Dear Sussex Express,
Please write a story about this.
Thank you
On 19 Apr 2013 at 12:39pm Downs walker wrote:
Justin Harmer - shame on you. You are a disgusting greedy maggot. You have been confronted before and stopped. You now have another fight on your hands. We will make you pay for the destruction you have caused. If anyone reading this knows the sick individual named here, please inform him........
On 19 Apr 2013 at 12:58pm Fair Maiden wrote:
Downs Walker, you sound like a real action man. Pls save us from these big bad farmers. DW, you're so exciting, tell me how you're going to make the pay, please please tell me my big hero. Ps, have you actually got any or are you all mouth and trousers?
On 19 Apr 2013 at 1:04pm Nixon Scraypes wrote:
Does anyone know if this is the same farmer who left his animals to drown in the floods because they were worth more dead than alive.Just asking,don't want to perpetuate any falsehoods.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 1:33pm Nixon Scraypes wrote:
Does anyone know how I can stir up more bad feeling and cause sh1t, I'm doing quite a good job but fell I must try harder. Also, does anyone know if this is the same farmer that had something to do with the great famine?
On 19 Apr 2013 at 1:38pm Downs walker wrote:
Nixon Scraypes - You are correct, the very same individual, seems like a pleasant human being - NOT - unless you're a tw@t like Fair Maiden above. I suspect it must be a member of their family and/or a complete waste of sperm. What he has done to decimate the declining species up there, will not go unpunished. The animals cannot fight him but we can.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 1:56pm Im not a towny wrote:
I cant see how some of you "town folk" can argue a point without having any knowledge or understanding or the countryside or agriculture.
'Downs walker'... Every farmer in the united kingdom is entitled to payments to help farm and maintain their land, some farmers as in the case of j harmer have opted for HLS (Higher level stewardship.) I've explained it as your probably a towny with no understanding of levels of stewardship. this means that they set aside area of productive land that could be used to generate income to let birds nest and animals and insects live and breed. You might not be aware of this but there is a food chain and we depend on things as small as bees to pollinate plants so you can pop down to waitrose and buy your loaf of bread.
The field has not been ploughed its been cultivated. you are still entitled to walk across it. as for the signs they have probably been stolen for some ones log burner.
do you know what a SSSI stands for, clearly not as neville has never come under this.
Dr Bellamy why dont you write a story on it you sound like a well educated man!
Downs walker i know mr Harmer so i shall inform him that you want to paddlock your self to a gate and have a little protest. im sure your not a agressive man as you wouldnt spend your time writting on this forum. however if you would like to meet me up there i might go and have a look at the field myself to see what the fuss is all about and mybe i could teach you a bit about the countryside and why we work our nuts of to put food on your table you pathetic excuse of a human being. Make sure you stick to the footpath though!
On 19 Apr 2013 at 2:02pm Downs walker wrote:
I'm not a towny - You complete scumbag. You have no idea what you're talking about. I assume you are Harmer the farmer, so if you want to meet and discuss this man to man, I will meet you. I live 20 mins walk from there, so give me a time. I suspect you are a coward though and won't do what you threaten. However if you do want your ass kicked then please please make an appointment. Your other businesses could suffer too.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 2:20pm Concerned wrote:
Im not a towny; When you say you work hard to put food on our tables, does that include all the cattle that suffered the most dreadful death at your hands. What about the crops you plant that are guaranteed to fail but you get paid a fortune by the EU. I know many local farmers who DO work hard but you really are a criminal.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 2:28pm Downs walker wrote:
I thought not you spineless tw@t. When i'm walking next, I hope to see you though.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 3:04pm Mr Billy Bigbolx wrote:
DW, show us how brave you are, what's your name you spineless TW@T. You my freind are a cowardly whimp. Tell us how are you going to make the farmer pay?
On 19 Apr 2013 at 3:17pm Im not a towny wrote:
i am not mr harmer although i do know him and i work in the local area. i have the pleasure of working for a number of local farmers who all pride themselves on looking after their farms and livestock. i will gladly meet you up there although unlike you i have a job so cant be there today unlike you who is probably claiming benefits as your to lazy to work or are retired busy body with too much time on there hands. i am not concerned about getting my ass kicked as i would only like to talk to you to try and educate you so when you next have a pointless rant about nothing that concerns you you will have some evidence to back yourself up. sorry i took a long time to get back to you i was working! not that you have any concept of that clearly as you keep posting every 10 minutes!
On 19 Apr 2013 at 3:19pm DW hater. wrote:
i will meet you up there and crush your tiny little skull
On 19 Apr 2013 at 4:20pm Independent Thinker wrote:
I'm not a Towny, in the spirit of calming things down and educating people, could you tell us the reason why Mr Harmer chose to plough up those fields now, after they've been left as chalk grasslands for many, many years, if not decades? What has changed? Has he given up his HLS status? Did the rules change? If not, how does doing what he did fit in with that status? Also, as a non-farmer, could you explain the difference between ploughed and cultivated? It looks like a plough has been used to dig up the grass and turn it over, so you can understand why people would describe it as being ploughed up. There is no sign of the path now, and new barbed wire fencing seems to have gone up around the field. While there is nothing to stop people from stumbling across the furrows now, the intention is clearly there to try and persuade people to go around. And there's no doubt it's no longer an inviting or pleasant path to take. This is a much loved area of the Downs close to town, heavily used by walkers of all ages enjoying the journey to Black Cap, Plumpton etc, that nobody I know can remember being anything but pasture, so you can surely understand why people are so upset about what he's done, and will want to see what they can do to get it put back to how it was.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 5:10pm Im not a towny wrote:
Unfortunately im not in a position to comment as i dont work for them or have a close connection with them but i would think, believe it or not it has been done to put more nutrient into the ground by adding a green maure (the next crop) and in a few years it will be laid back to grass with a seed mix that will encourage wildlife and insects to thrive. a cultivator doesnt dig down as far as a plough so wont cause any damage to soil structure. I am sure when the work is finished and the seed has been planted a footpath will be reinstated and the fence is probably to keep livestock in/out. i understand people including me enjoy walking and riding across the downs but some people are only trying to earn a living. and are guided by defra and the governing bodies. so it is a bit of a case of shooting the messenger as farmers we only do what we are aloud and advised to do. i hope this helps
On 19 Apr 2013 at 7:12pm steve c wrote:
RE, im not a towny,I dont come on here very often, 100% agree with your comments,please DFL's leave the farmers to get on with a very difficult job without your snipeing, I thought your kind formed by maggie would be more encouraging to a man trying to survive and prospher.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 9:41pm Clifford wrote:
Im not a towny wrote: "'Downs walker'... Every farmer in the united kingdom is entitled to payments to help farm and maintain their land"
It's a pity the miners weren't looked after so generously in the 1980s. But then I suppose they weren't Tory voters and so weren't 'entitled to payments'. I love the way there is always money for sme things but not for others.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 9:44pm Local wrote:
It's all EC-related, Clifford, so you can get off your high leftie horse.
On 19 Apr 2013 at 10:10pm steve c wrote:
Get over it Clifford, the unions made the north of england a graveyard, didnt see labour re-open any coal mines?, admit it, 90% of the south of england keep you northern monkeys on your benifits, oh im sorry, you not a bludger, you sound like one!
On 19 Apr 2013 at 10:13pm TeDium wrote:
What delightful people we have in this thread. Doesn't it make you proud.
On 20 Apr 2013 at 4:28am Fair maiden wrote:
Sharon, sorry, fair maiden. I know who you are so stop being a silly little girl. Marriage might have changed your family name but you're still Harmer scum
On 20 Apr 2013 at 7:14am Bored wrote:
Unfortunately with the evergrowing population mixed with more farmers putting thousands of acres into bio mass production because its more profitable more and more grassland will be ripped up for arable use.
On 20 Apr 2013 at 6:26pm amused walker wrote:
I happened to be enjoying a lovely walk today up the downs and what a view it was today makes you proud to live in the south east. And i came across a confrontation between what i assume is the land owner and a very aggressive unattractive man covered in tattoos shouting at a boy in a tractor! next think he was being put in a police car not something you see when walking on the downs everyday! Could i be right in thinking this is getting out of hand the whole town is talking about it!
Vicky (why does nobody put there name on this!?)
On 20 Apr 2013 at 8:30pm Justice wrote:
Good, I hope he gets banged up. That's the problem with this forum, everyone thinks they know everything and deserve everything. Bunch of freeloading opinionated cowardly onanists!
On 21 Apr 2013 at 6:49pm Old Cynic wrote:
You lot should all take a step back and listed to yourselves - you are all as mad as a box of frogs! What an advert for our town - populated by aggressive loonies! Try growing up - the lot of you
On 22 Apr 2013 at 1:06pm Flubber wrote:
What's an onionist?
On 23 Apr 2013 at 11:38pm edtheplumber wrote:
I thought it was farmland being put to agricultural use for the first time in many years; and I was impressed that the soil was of sufficient depth to plant crops! If there is a problem with the farmer getting grants; that is a political issue. Don't blame the farmer for trying to make money.
What I want to know is; "why are they cutting down the scrubland between Neville road and Landport bottom?" They say it is to make it graze able. But there is 50 million acres of graze able land and and about 2 acres of scrub. The scrub was a good wind and noise barrier as well as a unique habitat.
On 25 Apr 2013 at 8:00am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I hope they're not disturbing any badgers or anythiing!
I agree it seems pretty pointless. It's not a big enough bit of land to do anything much with.