Dear Helen, what you’ve been through is utterly appalling and it’s really mind boggling as to why your neighbours haven’t supported you. My parents have a farm in OZ and the situation isn’t much better there. As you know, hubby and I got out and moved to South America. Well done on your first video. Hopefully we can collaborate at some point in the future. In the meantime, I’m happy to write letters to council or sign any petitions.
Thank you so much for your kind message and for offering to write to our council. Sadly it is too late now, I wish I had spoken up before and maybe more people could have rallied in support. Would it have made a difference? Who knows!
Where about in South America are you? We were looking at Costa Rica as a possibility.
And most importantly I would love to collaborate with you in the future. I am so keen to collaborate with anyone and everyone. I find I learn so much from working with new writers.
We’re in the Brazilian Amazon. It’s great here. Farmers don’t even pay land rates to council, let alone inheritance tax. Building a wildlife hospital slowly. I want to start a podcast soon covering environmental issues from regen farming to wildlife rehabilitation.
Oh that sounds so exciting! Do shout if you ever want to collab one day I've only done a few podcast interviews but I really enjoy the back and forth of conversation. In the mean time definitely send me a link when you've launched the podcast, I'd love to follow along!
110 ,000pounds $$?!!! Incredible. Did you do a go fund me? Bless you and your family. I hope your milk didn’t curdle for gods sake what a stressful time for you and your family
Sadly we have not paid this debt yet and it is still hanging over us like a storm waiting to burst. At this stage we are awaiting a taxing master to decide what proportion of that bill we will pay, he may reduce it. The likelihood is that we will have to sell our land to pay off the bill and due to the mortgage on the property we took out to pay our on going legal bill it will leave us with nothing once everything is paid off.
It breaks my heart because we loved our farming business and put all of our hearts and soul into it and it was successful but we just couldn’t sustain the constant attacks both personally and financially.
Thanks Jennifer. Our legal team actually told us to start a go fund me page to try and help cover our costs but it seems wrong to me to ask people for money to cover this but I wont lie every paid subscriber helps me get closer to supporting us through this journey.
I’m very sorry to hear what you have had to go through and for such a long time Helen. I think you have all shown extraordinary courage and resilience and must take strength from that always. It appalls me how quick and heavily councils and courts will hit small-scale, honest and genuine landworkers and property owners, trying to live regeneratively, and yet they’ll allow selfish individuals wanting to build yet another crammed-in house or two get on with it.
I've just managed to catch up with your video, Helen. Something's got to give, hasn't it, in the behaviour of local councils. It hardly matters what the particular policy is: they are always based on an Orwellian inversion of serving the people plus an extra helping of deliberate polarisation and divide and rule. Those who ever find themselves on the same side as a council (and they are all actually corporations) need to seriously question whose interests they are really serving, who benefits in the end. We have a way to go before enough people see what is going on.
I am in awe of your resilience and determination. You have chosen what is currently one of the most difficult professions and are evidently doing it with integrity. Your work on Substack shows you are doing your utmost not to fall into a victim mindset, which is to be highly respected in this day and age!
If I’m honest, I don’t think it was some deep unmet need so much as a very simple desire, they didn’t want a farm next door. They wanted a pretty view and green fields, and they wanted the countryside as a backdrop, not as a working landscape with animals, muck, noise, and all the normal realities of food production.
What made it so infuriating was the double standard. We couldn’t live on site in a small static so we could actually look after pigs properly, but they could put a swimming pool right on our fence line. We couldn’t get permission for a basic barn to store feed and straw, yet the “amenity” stuff always seemed to find a way through.
And you’ve nailed the wider dynamic that councils can exploit that territorial instinct so easily. They frame it as “protecting residents” or “preserving character,” and suddenly ordinary people are encouraged to see a family trying to farm as the threat, while huge developments on green fields get waved through because the money and power behind them is bigger.
I’m really sorry you’re watching it play out in South Glos too. It’s exhausting, and yes, something has to give.
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch the video and to write this. It really means a lot.
I agree with you that something has to give. Whatever the policy of the day, the way councils behave can feel completely inverted from what “public service” is supposed to mean, and once you’ve been on the receiving end it’s hard to unsee how quickly they default to divide‑and‑rule dynamics.
I’m also trying to be careful not to slip into a mindset where they become an all‑powerful villain in my head, because that’s when you lose your footing. But I won’t pretend it hasn’t changed how I see institutions and who they really end up protecting.
Thank you for your kind words about resilience and integrity. Some days it’s grit, some days it’s just getting through the next hour, but I’m doing my best to keep telling the truth without letting it turn me bitter. Sending love right back.
Helen, do you know what needs were not being met in your 'neighbours' that led them to behave so unempathetically? Probably a tough question to answer, as it always is with neighbours who behave like this. They can be the nicest people in other situations but once they believe their living situation is being compromised they can turn into beserkers, even if it's all in their mind. It appears all too easy for councils to exploit this territorial instinct.
Exactly as you describe, I'm watching my council (S. Glos) force through massive housing estates on green fields, against at times very well organised and crowd-funded local opposition. It is so obviously about power and money but still such bodies will persuade some that they are on their side against defenceless individuals just trying to do something healthy and positive with their lives.
Dear Helen, what you’ve been through is utterly appalling and it’s really mind boggling as to why your neighbours haven’t supported you. My parents have a farm in OZ and the situation isn’t much better there. As you know, hubby and I got out and moved to South America. Well done on your first video. Hopefully we can collaborate at some point in the future. In the meantime, I’m happy to write letters to council or sign any petitions.
Thank you so much for your kind message and for offering to write to our council. Sadly it is too late now, I wish I had spoken up before and maybe more people could have rallied in support. Would it have made a difference? Who knows!
Where about in South America are you? We were looking at Costa Rica as a possibility.
And most importantly I would love to collaborate with you in the future. I am so keen to collaborate with anyone and everyone. I find I learn so much from working with new writers.
We’re in the Brazilian Amazon. It’s great here. Farmers don’t even pay land rates to council, let alone inheritance tax. Building a wildlife hospital slowly. I want to start a podcast soon covering environmental issues from regen farming to wildlife rehabilitation.
Oh that sounds so exciting! Do shout if you ever want to collab one day I've only done a few podcast interviews but I really enjoy the back and forth of conversation. In the mean time definitely send me a link when you've launched the podcast, I'd love to follow along!
110 ,000pounds $$?!!! Incredible. Did you do a go fund me? Bless you and your family. I hope your milk didn’t curdle for gods sake what a stressful time for you and your family
Sadly we have not paid this debt yet and it is still hanging over us like a storm waiting to burst. At this stage we are awaiting a taxing master to decide what proportion of that bill we will pay, he may reduce it. The likelihood is that we will have to sell our land to pay off the bill and due to the mortgage on the property we took out to pay our on going legal bill it will leave us with nothing once everything is paid off.
It breaks my heart because we loved our farming business and put all of our hearts and soul into it and it was successful but we just couldn’t sustain the constant attacks both personally and financially.
I m so sorry what an incredible ball of stress I wish someone would start a go fund me for you. I’m not savvy but someone here could do it
Thanks Jennifer. Our legal team actually told us to start a go fund me page to try and help cover our costs but it seems wrong to me to ask people for money to cover this but I wont lie every paid subscriber helps me get closer to supporting us through this journey.
I’m very sorry to hear what you have had to go through and for such a long time Helen. I think you have all shown extraordinary courage and resilience and must take strength from that always. It appalls me how quick and heavily councils and courts will hit small-scale, honest and genuine landworkers and property owners, trying to live regeneratively, and yet they’ll allow selfish individuals wanting to build yet another crammed-in house or two get on with it.
Hi Helen. Could you get in touch with me, as I would like to send some work your way.
I've just managed to catch up with your video, Helen. Something's got to give, hasn't it, in the behaviour of local councils. It hardly matters what the particular policy is: they are always based on an Orwellian inversion of serving the people plus an extra helping of deliberate polarisation and divide and rule. Those who ever find themselves on the same side as a council (and they are all actually corporations) need to seriously question whose interests they are really serving, who benefits in the end. We have a way to go before enough people see what is going on.
I am in awe of your resilience and determination. You have chosen what is currently one of the most difficult professions and are evidently doing it with integrity. Your work on Substack shows you are doing your utmost not to fall into a victim mindset, which is to be highly respected in this day and age!
Sending much love!
If I’m honest, I don’t think it was some deep unmet need so much as a very simple desire, they didn’t want a farm next door. They wanted a pretty view and green fields, and they wanted the countryside as a backdrop, not as a working landscape with animals, muck, noise, and all the normal realities of food production.
What made it so infuriating was the double standard. We couldn’t live on site in a small static so we could actually look after pigs properly, but they could put a swimming pool right on our fence line. We couldn’t get permission for a basic barn to store feed and straw, yet the “amenity” stuff always seemed to find a way through.
And you’ve nailed the wider dynamic that councils can exploit that territorial instinct so easily. They frame it as “protecting residents” or “preserving character,” and suddenly ordinary people are encouraged to see a family trying to farm as the threat, while huge developments on green fields get waved through because the money and power behind them is bigger.
I’m really sorry you’re watching it play out in South Glos too. It’s exhausting, and yes, something has to give.
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch the video and to write this. It really means a lot.
I agree with you that something has to give. Whatever the policy of the day, the way councils behave can feel completely inverted from what “public service” is supposed to mean, and once you’ve been on the receiving end it’s hard to unsee how quickly they default to divide‑and‑rule dynamics.
I’m also trying to be careful not to slip into a mindset where they become an all‑powerful villain in my head, because that’s when you lose your footing. But I won’t pretend it hasn’t changed how I see institutions and who they really end up protecting.
Thank you for your kind words about resilience and integrity. Some days it’s grit, some days it’s just getting through the next hour, but I’m doing my best to keep telling the truth without letting it turn me bitter. Sending love right back.
Helen, do you know what needs were not being met in your 'neighbours' that led them to behave so unempathetically? Probably a tough question to answer, as it always is with neighbours who behave like this. They can be the nicest people in other situations but once they believe their living situation is being compromised they can turn into beserkers, even if it's all in their mind. It appears all too easy for councils to exploit this territorial instinct.
Exactly as you describe, I'm watching my council (S. Glos) force through massive housing estates on green fields, against at times very well organised and crowd-funded local opposition. It is so obviously about power and money but still such bodies will persuade some that they are on their side against defenceless individuals just trying to do something healthy and positive with their lives.
Yes, it's got to give.