# Angry landowners



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

Have you ever had your hives on the land of a landowner who you upset or who just became unreasonable?

It has been raining off and on for over a week now and supposed to rain off and on until at least next week.

I had to get out to my hives to put supers on as they were getting crowded. My bees are on a grass field with a dirt road. To avoid putting ruts in the dirt road which they use for access to their field I drove my half ton along the very edge of the grass field, very slowly and upon my return trip followed the same path.

This morning I receive a text asking why I was checking my hives when it was wet and that I was destroying their cattle feed, and that he didn't know what to think.

As he owns a large portion of the land in my area, I offered to purchase him a few hay bales. He declined and said it was all fine, he was just surprised.

I am sure by the end of next week you wont even know I drove on the edge of the field. I felt it was an over reaction, but I am not a cattle farmer and don't grow hay. For the record the only reason I drove on it was to protect the road and thought nothing of it due to it only being hay.

Its his land and I will be more inclined to contact him before going on his land in any less than perfect weather in the future.


----------



## StewRoten (May 22, 2010)

I think I would visit when he could walk the area and get some sense of what his expectations are.


----------



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Tearing up roads does close some land to bees. It is a rough one and you may need to let him get it out and then try to explain why you did what you did.


----------



## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

It is clear that your intent was saving the road, but tracks in a field impact his crop (probably a higher priority than tracks in the road). I can see how he would be upset. You just need better communication with him.


----------



## ginkgo (Apr 26, 2013)

Since your intentions were good, hopefully communication will fix. But I have been in the farmer's shoes, very upset with a relative who decided it would be better to make new tracks / ruts randomly across fields -- and never drive in the same place twice -- rather than make ruts in the road. So I have criss-crossed, torn up fields all along the side of the road. 

The road is there to receive vehicle damage. That's the point of the road. If the road will be TOO rutted by travel, then it's too wet, stay out of field.


----------



## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

I don't think he understood why you didn't take an established road vs driving thru the field. I would also be confused why. I would talk it out, determine what he prefers and an apologize. 

Eric


----------



## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

JoshW said:


> I felt it was an over reaction,


I farm, have cattle, raise grass & feed for livestock etc. and I think you are correct....he over reacted......at least in my opinion. I'm assuming that you didn't spin tires and sling mud everywhere and cut up his field.

Hopefully at little time and an apology from you will make things better. Have a reasonable chat with him when he's cooled down and let him know why & when you did what you did. If he's still hostile about it, then I'd move my bees to someone's land who might appreciate the bee's work & rewards a bit more.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

In every case, take the road. Never drive through a farmers field. Even though your hay crop damage would of amounted to the change you have in your pocket, the optics is what gets ya. He would never of approached you about it, texting allows us to speak without thinking... 
I would not think another thought about it.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Reading emotion in text is difficult. Go talk to the landowner.


----------



## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

I would just tell him how dire your circumstances are. The bees needed supers now and rain, rain, rain in the forecast. So you made a decision, but next time you will call him and consult him first.


----------



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Speaking as a farmer I can say sometimes you need to nip things in the bud, often making a small displeasure known in it's early stages saves you from having to deal with catastrophic issues. 
You see it as saving the road, he sees it as going off roading through his cropland. I mean the whole reason we build farm roads is to save the cropland.


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

I would bet by now the farmer has spread the word about your driving habits. The other farmers won't be be laughing at you. They will be laughing at the farmer for agreeing to let you on his land. Chances are that the others won't be making the same mistake. I don't like driving on my own crop and I hate it when someone else drives on it.
Did you super the hives when you were there?


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

And now you know why it is prudent at times to run the supers in on a wheelbarrow.

Without the landowner, we have nothing.

Crazy Roland


----------



## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

Guess I'll be the contrarian here…….I once saw a beek lose an almond contract for driving into a wet orchard. I don't drive on anyone's wet ground without his blessing……..most especially a crop, wouldn't dream of it. Personally, I think you screwed up, it is his ground, he can react any way he wants…..I'd go to him with hat in hand and plead insanity……a wheelbarrow full of honey and tears wouldn't hurt also.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I think you guys are over blowing the whole thing...

first off it was a bit of grass, along the field edge, and he texted his displeasure... not like Josh drove through a standin crop of wheat


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

The landowner is always right. Like it or not, we are guests on their private property and must abide by their rules whether we think they are logical or not. These problems are best averted first by a lot of communication upfront. It's the cell phone age, as is evidenced by the text you got from him. I recently averted such a problem when I was an hour away from home and staring at a muddy access. In a couple minutes I was talking to the landowner, explained my situation and he gave me his blessing to do what I had to do. Perhaps had you done the same.....


----------



## JodieToadie (Dec 26, 2013)

Ian said:


> I think you guys are over blowing the whole thing...
> 
> first off it was a bit of grass, along the field edge, and he texted his displeasure... not like Josh drove through a standin crop of wheat


I agree with Ian. Perhaps the farmer was just having a bad day and wanted to take it out on someone. Josh happened to be an easy target. When a farmer starts the texting game with me I personally over-communicate until they are sick of me and I know their expectations. I am sure there are lots of other farmers that would let you have space if this particular farmer is unreasonable. Just apologize, explain your logic and ask what he expects in future. Farmers need to understand you are a business too and weather be ****ed have time constraints and need to access your hives. Supering 30 hives with a wheel barrow is not realistic nor practical.


----------



## JodieToadie (Dec 26, 2013)

Ian said:


> I think you guys are over blowing the whole thing...
> 
> first off it was a bit of grass, along the field edge, and he texted his displeasure... not like Josh drove through a standin crop of wheat


I agree with Ian. Perhaps the farmer was just having a bad day and wanted to take it out on someone. Josh happened to be an easy target. When a farmer starts the texting game with me I personally over-communicate until they are sick of me and I know their expectations. I am sure there are lots of other farmers that would let you have space if this particular farmer is unreasonable. Just apologize, explain your logic and ask what he expects in future. Farmers need to understand you are a business too and weather be ****ed have time constraints and need to access your hives. Supering 30 hives with a wheel barrow is not realistic nor practical.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Can you share the exact text, please?


----------



## mnbeekeeper (Jun 30, 2010)

hey Jodie tode, its not unrealistic at all to cart the supers into a yard. I have done it, sometimes I carry them by hand sometimes I have a dolly cart with me. like roland said we are nothing with out the land owners. but at the same time, I would have a understanding with the landowners that the bees need to be attended to when they need to be attended to and some times that means on a rainy wet week. I don't put bees any place I cant close to them 24/7. had a yard flood here last week saved the boxes and some bees. lost a lot of brood sucks cuz the basswood is going to start soon and that was a good yard for it. I also don't put bees places it floods!!! unless its a 100 year flood.


----------



## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

Ian said:


> I think you guys are over blowing the whole thing...
> 
> first off it was a bit of grass, along the field edge, and he texted his displeasure... not like Josh drove through a standin crop of wheat


Well, there ya go Josh……..just print off a copy of this and hand it to the man………….should end well! 


You have computer access…….watch the weather……it's not like the work 'suddenly' became a desperate situation or that it couldn't have waited a day or two. Farmers/ranchers share coffee on a near daily basis…..as some one else already pointed out……..others have already heard the story so you've likely cost yourself potential locations. Wrong attitude or repeats will surely cost you this one. Guaranteed it would if it was my land.


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

Ian said:


> I think you guys are over blowing the whole thing...
> 
> first off it was a bit of grass, along the field edge, and he texted his displeasure... not like Josh drove through a standin crop of wheat


Exactly, If there was anything on the land other than wild grass I would not even have thought of driving on the field. This was an unfenced pasture, they mow it down and make hay. The road was not really a road, it was a nice dirt equipment access to a field a quarter mile away, along side the pasture where my hives are. Let me make it even clearer the ground I drove on has never been tilled for a crop or had a crop on it. I made a decision that instead of putting the truck in 4x4 and absolutely making the road un-travelable both for them and myself, I would idle along the edge of the firm pasture land and in 3-4 days that grass would stand right back up, no ruts were made, drove in the same tracks on the way back.

I was not cranking donuts and wrecking his land. I was doing the least amount of damage I could. 

You guys are right I should have let him know that I needed to access the hives while it was wet. In the moment I didn't even think of that, I think I made the decision anyone would have made. Even himself, which is why he realized it wasn't a big deal after all.


----------



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I work with a great farmer who gives me nearly unlimited access to his land. The only restriction he ever mentioned was "stay off the fields". Crops or not, I believe that they pay very close attention to the state of their fields, so any thing not as they left it will hit their radar.


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> Can you share the exact text, please?


Landowner: I see you have been driving to your hives. Thought we had discussed you wouldn't drive when it's wet and such. Driving down our feed not sure what to think

JW: Sorry we did not discuss that. I kept the tracks right on the edge so as not to make ruts. Clearly you feel otherwise.

JW: Do I owe you a couple hay bales? I didn't realize I was doing damage

LO: No, no it's all fine. I just was surprised.

JW: I have to be in them about once a week this time of year and add new equipment. Next time I will be sure to talk to you first if the weather is less than perfect like its been for nearly 2 weeks now. Good for the crops though right? Or are you ready for some sunshine?

LO: It's all good. Yep waiting on sunshine wanna make hay.


As you can see it was a miscommunication on when I would be out at the hives and a lack of understanding that during this time of year double nucs that I run need additional caretaking and its exactly that time of year. Offered to replace what he felt I had damaged which was obviously nothing as Ian previously said, and talked about weather, something we in any agriculture feel the need to talk about every day. End of the day its all good, he really was just disappointed that he couldn't cut hay yet.


----------



## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Respect.
Until it is firmly rooted, do not take it lightly. Like it or not, that is what he was concerned you were driving on.


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

What I was really looking for here was stories of disputes with land owners.....

I handled mine professionally and swiftly and it really was a non-issue.

I want to hear some Hatfield and McCoy beekeeping stories.


----------



## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

If you really want to hear stories about disputes rather than disputes avoided; I will be blunt; you will have your own soon enough.


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

Saltybee said:


> If you really want to hear stories about disputes rather than disputes avoided; I will be blunt; you will have your own soon enough.


I hope you don't watch action movies with that mentality. :no:


----------



## babybee (Mar 23, 2012)

Well, we know why you call yourself saltybee now!


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

dback said:


> Well, there ya go Josh……..just print off a copy of this and hand it to the man………….should end well!


you can deal with reason, or you can deal with jerks. In this case, its pretty obvious the issue has been dealt with reason...


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

probably this is ya had to be there but if there is a road or drive way it will be much more firm than tilled land. stay on the roadway. just comman sense to me but I grew up on a farm.


----------



## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

babybee said:


> Well, we know why you call yourself saltybee now!


Little harsh? Me?


----------



## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

I don't think you should contact him whenever you are going there to discuss. That is wasting his time & making too big a deal of it.

He has expressed his displeasure at wheel tracks in his pasture. So apologise but explain why you did it just so he doesn't think you did it out of stupidity. And from now on use the road, problem solved.

Oh, beekeeping is weather dependant. If weather has rendered the road impassable, don't pass it.


----------



## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

This has been a good thread. Hopefully many of the inexperienced folks have paid heed and learned from it. Josh I'm glad it worked out…..I'll bet you never do it again without the blessing of the landowner. In post #22 you stated "You guys are right, I should have let him know."…..you should have left it at that…..trying to deflect responsibility by later stating "I think I made the decision anyone would have" or agreeing with anyone that the landowner was "just having a bad day" is a recipe for subsequent issues. He contacted you about it…….that makes it an issue…..as Jim said…"it's his land, he makes the rules". View it as a learning experience, accept it and move on. I can't speak to Canada but in the US….driving on wet roads or wet off road is addressed in Code of Federal Regulations, Title Code 36 which covers National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, National Parks among others…..if found guilty, it is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. Most any state with public lands has similar regulations.

Ian…..I guess you're calling me a jerk for stating facts……1500 miles provides you that opportunity.


----------



## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

jim lyon said:


> The landowner is always right. Like it or not, we are guests on their private property and must abide by their rules whether we think they are logical or not. ....


Jim, just a note to express appreciation for your views.
Thank you for the common sense, reality check comments that you are known for.
Keep it coming! Reality rules!


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

dback said:


> Ian…..I guess you're calling me a jerk for stating facts……1500 miles provides you that opportunity.


.....


beekeepers can deal with land owners who are reasonable, or they can deal with land owners who are jerks... I don't keep hives on property owned by jerks... To me it sounds as if Josh is keeping his hives on a land owner who is reasonable.


----------



## JodieToadie (Dec 26, 2013)

Ian said:


> .....
> 
> 
> beekeepers can deal with land owners who are reasonable, or they can deal with land owners who are jerks... I don't keep hives on property owned by jerks... To me it sounds as if Josh is keeping his hives on a land owner who is reasonable.


Yeah it is nice up here. We have the luxury of thousands of square miles and farmers practically begging to have hives on their property. Might be a different word for some. Heck I have some who mow the hay and even make special driveways so I can have separate access to my yard. Amazing what 15 kgs a year of honey will do. I treat them with respect but I don't need to put up with any guff either. Land owners up here have quarter sections. They couldn't give two hoots about 200 yards of tire tracks through a 160acre field.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

JodieToadie said:


> farmers practically begging to have hives on their property. ... I have some who mow the hay and even make special driveways so I can have separate access to my yard. Amazing what 15 kgs a year of honey will do. I treat them with respect but I don't need to put up with any guff either.


That sounds very familiar for me too Jodie. I have two yards where as my land owner mows the driveway up to my yard (stopping short of the beeyard LOL) I have two bee yards, right in the farm yard, couple hundred feet from the yard. These people have apple orchards and large gardens, and love having my hives within sight of their coffee table window. I have had guys come to me and spend an hour scouting yards on their property, because they want bees. I have had guys kick beekeepers out of the area so that my hives could reside. It makes for awkward phone calls from these other beekeepers LOL. Keeping bees on someones property goes farther than just placing a yard. Its the relationship with the land owner and all the other farmers in the area which keeps a beekeeper his territory. I provide a service to the area, pollination, and in return I get access to the bounty the land provides. I am raising a family in the area, and support my community and the community has turned around to support me. I know this model of beekeeping is not realistic for some models of beekeeping... but Im sure the better beekeepers out there follow the same philosophy as I do regardless how far they move bees around.


----------



## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

jim lyon said:


> The landowner is always right. Like it or not, we are guests on their private property and must abide by their rules whether we think they are logical or not. These problems are best averted first by a lot of communication upfront. <snip>





Saltybee said:


> Respect.
> Until it is firmly rooted, do not take it lightly. Like it or not, that is what he was concerned you were driving on.


Two gems, both full of common sense.

In reading the "text transcript" as a landowner, I see several things that I would have taken exception to. The land owner "appears" to be "all good" with things, but trust me, he will remember the incident and text exchange. In my opinion the best things you can do now is stay on the road, stay out of there when it's wet, and definitely don't push any more of the land owner's buttons.

Best wishes,
Ed


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

JoshW said:


> Landowner: I see you have been driving to your hives. Thought we had discussed you wouldn't drive when it's wet and such. Driving down our feed not sure what to think
> 
> JW: Sorry we did not discuss that. I kept the tracks right on the edge so as not to make ruts. Clearly you feel otherwise.
> 
> ...


Next time would you do us a favor please and tell us the whole story w/ all you have to reveal, like actual quoteable text messages? It will save the rest of us taxing our imaginations filling in the blanks in your story. This was almost kinda like that guy w/ the bees that moved in to a short stack of shallows who let us all go around thinking it might have been bees robbing honey from them when all along he had a video of a swarm moving into the equipment, but he didn't say so until much later after he got pissed at all of the questions he got, especially mine.

On the off chance I will cause you to become angry to, is that the actual text or the way you remember it?

You want to hear landowner vs beekeeper interactions that didn't go well? Believe it or not I don't have any.


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> Next time would you do us a favor please and tell us the whole story w/ all you have to reveal, like actual quoteable text messages? It will save the rest of us taxing our imaginations filling in the blanks in your story. This was almost kinda like that guy w/ the bees that moved in to a short stack of shallows who let us all go around thinking it might have been bees robbing honey from them when all along he had a video of a swarm moving into the equipment, but he didn't say so until much later after he got pissed at all of the questions he got, especially mine.
> 
> On the off chance I will cause you to become angry to, is that the actual text or the way you remember it?
> 
> You want to hear landowner vs beekeeper interactions that didn't go well? Believe it or not I don't have any.


Nope, I just made it all up because I have nothing better to do..... its copied word for word.

now your wasting my time. I guess we are even.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I grew up during the Nixon administration and Watergate. Trust but verify is always in the back of my mind. If I am wasting you time why aren't you out working your bees? I am not keeping you here, am I? Do I have that kind of power?


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

Its still raining and I have the flu. Looks like the rain might clear up on Tuesday.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Sorry to learn that and I hope it does for you. One of my swarms went off your way. Would you grab it for me?


----------



## nater37 (Aug 15, 2013)

You have guys that are on the payroll for the county and there job is to fix the roads. So stay on road and give them work and help the rancher save his hay


----------



## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

JodieToadie said:


> Supering 30 hives with a wheel barrow is not realistic nor practical.


Practical, no..........realistic, yes. A friend of mine in another state just supered a bunch of hives using a cart that the farmer let him borrow, that was after he had carried a few in by hand almost a mile. The road was washed out and hives needed to be supered, you do what you have to do to get it done.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I know a guy who pulled honey on a 4 wheeler... lol

Josh worked his hives as they needed to be worked, 
he should of stuck to the road, and perhaps waited a day or so, but with three days of rain coming, his decision was sound. 
Easy access bee yards are hard to find... the land owner is a farmer, he understands what its all about! 
Josh, welcome to the school of hard knocks! lol


----------



## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

Ian said:


> I know a guy who pulled honey on a 4 wheeler.


That's all I use to check my bees with... :thumbsup:


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Our wheel barrow from the '50s holds 6 empty deeps, and earns the respect of the land owners when used in muddy conditions. It is your choice what to use, but we have never lost a yard in anger in 162 years(that we know of). It is the appreciative land owner that gives you the reference for your next yard.

Crazy Roland


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

nater37 said:


> You have guys that are on the payroll for the county and there job is to fix the roads. So stay on road and give them work and help the rancher save his hay


Huh? What? From what he wrote, it isn't really a road, it's a cow path across a field. Right, Josh?


----------



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> Huh? What? From what he wrote, it isn't really a road, it's a cow path across a field. Right, Josh?


Right, a makeshift road maintained by the farmer.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I was moving bees last night, got caught in a down pour of rain out on a mile rd between two canola fields... I did not leave too bad of ruts... The reason I have 4x4 on my truck. 
We don't lead flawless lives here, when it rains, we drive through mud...


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

Ian too bad there wasn't a prairie trail there so that you could have just driven in the field.


----------



## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Just yesterday I had to run down 40' of corn that the farmer planted on my lane. Landowner wants bees on the land and framer doesn't want to raise the planter to go across the lane. 

5 years ago I had a landowner call me up in Sept. and ask me if I had drove through the framers soybeans. My reply was, only the ones he planted in the lane. Farmer tore up my lane and planted it in beans, after 17 years of having bees on the farm. The next spring the landowner called and wanted to know why I moved the bees out. Just let him know that I have to have a lane to get to the bees, and I knew the farmer wasn't giving back my lane.

I've had landowner put locks on gates that I have to go though to get to the bees and never gave me a key. I just use my bolt cuters on the chain and add my own lock in, so I don't have to chase the landowner down for a key. 55 farms and really the only time I talk to the landowners is when I make rent payments in the fall. Most the farms have had bees on them for over 50+ years, and really the only time we have any problems is when the landowners pass away.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Haraga said:


> Ian too bad there wasn't a prairie trail there so that you could have just driven in the field.


We ranch quite a bit of land. We have lots of those turkey trails. Usually when it rains, and we need to travel, its on the grass and not the trail, so we don't get stuck and make a mess...


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

sqkcrk said:


> I grew up during the Nixon administration and Watergate. Trust but verify is always in the back of my mind. If I am wasting you time why aren't you out working your bees? I am not keeping you here, am I? Do I have that kind of power?


Hey Mark: I know the following might be considered off topic but had to speak up as I think you are driving down the wrong road with your quote. 

My "babysitter" from growing up had the unfortunate event of having her wedding day on the evening tricky dick resigned. I to remember days on end with Sam Rayburn and the honorable Howard Baker ( who unfortunately just passed away this past week) spending their lives getting to the bottom of that fiasco. 

Regarding "trust but verify." Not sure how or why you are pegging a famous quote from Reagan and trying to tie it to Mr. Nixon. Reagan used it towards Gorby in the SALT talks.... I think you are driving down the wrong road. Wrong President! Correct?


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

This is why it's not a good idea to drive in the farmers field instead of taking the muddy road. That's two hours I will never get back by having to pull the guy out. Since the guy is a friend of mine we had a good laugh.


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

Here is yet another reason to not stay in the middle of the road when it's been raining.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Haraga, is it not an Albertin's pass time TOO get stuck when it rains !! LOL


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

I think you are right Ian. I know it's sure a lot of fun pulling them out. I had to have my neighbor pull my sprayer out last week. It's the ruts I made in the field that piss me off the most.
I think the rain is over here. It's supposed to heat up. We won't have the humidity like you guys get. I saw on Telemundo all of the flooding in Manitoba. It showed cars mostly under water in some underpasses. When will people learn not to do that?


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

You will forget about the ruts... till you start swathing ! Ha yikes


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

Even swathing or cutting hay across a tire track is enough to irritate a guy after one has been sitting on that machine for 24 hours. Last year a neighbors renter drove across my field to put his bulls into his pasture. He didn't want to use the gate at the south end of his pasture because he would have had to drive on HIS CROP. I bounced across the trail he made about 70 times when I cut that field. Right after I cut that field I made sure there was no more gate in that fence. He got the hint.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I am going to be using my 4x4 this next week moving out yards and supering up. The work WILL get done this week, hope the sun firms things up soon... Comes a point we can't wait any longer


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

Is Miami flooded too? I am going to super some in a bit then crack out of bed at 2:30 in the morning and live the dream all over again.


----------



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

This goes to show the difference in locations and needs beekeepers in secluded areas where their bees are needed for pollination can act and react differently. Where I have been things would be interpreted differently.





JoshW said:


> Landowner: I see you have been driving to your hives. Thought we had discussed you wouldn't drive when it's wet and such. Driving down our feed not sure what to think
> 
> = Did you mot understand I do not want you driving to your hives when the ground is wet. let alone through my fields.
> 
> ...


 the alternate is how it would have been interpreted or said in my parts.


----------



## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Ian, how much rain did you get with the downpour?


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

we were spared, 30mm
neighbours within west of here, 200mm
neighbours north of here, 240mm

the sun will firm us up, not so much for our neighbours 

it has been cold and dreary here... we are lookin for warmth...


----------



## Haraga (Sep 12, 2011)

The warm should be there In a couple days. Warming up here and crops are really growing.


----------



## dingo983 (Feb 10, 2011)

I have empathy for both sides. Having farmed my property, I take great pride in the field I created. When I grew my first field of sudan and the older farmers stopped to talk and compliment my field, that was more of a reward than the crop itself. I think most farmers take pride in straight rows and healthy crops. Almost like painting the earth. So when someone ruins part of the field, even unintentional and minimal, to him it is a huge smudge on his artwork. Or maybe I am just anal when it comes to farming. Lol.


----------

