Grass clippings aren't rubbish. I used to have Jersey cows, they loved cut grass and their stomachs can cope with it, but clippings give horses colic and can be dangerous. If the field was empty then grass clippings aren't like fly tipping, they will rot down eventually and disappear.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Everyone is an inbecile around here. I chat with local farmers a lot and you'd be amazed at what people try and feed their animals. One local field is notorious for it with people dumping peelings in for the horses complete with the plastic bags they brought them in. I saw a red pepper and a whole orange in there this weekend. The woods are also full of black bags of tipped grass clippings, although some were investigated by the police so might have been the other type of 'grass'
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Well, I'm sorry if you feel that I was lecturing you : it's something I feel passionately about. If you had said that the farmer is happy for you to dump clippings there would have been nothing to say and, sadly, a lot of people really are stupid when it comes to the countryside. Every day I walk along footpaths and bridleways and wherever they run behind houses there are piles of garden waste popped into the fields. Grass can cause laminitis or colic in horses. They may not be in the field when the gardener dumps but it will do as much harm next day. But not everyone confines himself to grass. I have seen all sorts of toxic plants. Many people seem to view a field as a handy bin and they have no idea what the material might do to an unlucky animal. I couldn't know that you have more sense - that throw away line about putting clippings in the field made me see red and frightened me that it might inspire others to do the same. So I did not intend to offend you, but PLEASE if ever anyone sees you or speaks to you about it, explain politely that it is only ok with the owners permission.
We are lucky enough to have a couple of fields, we rent them out to a friendly farmer. Our worse find is broken bottles of beer and similar drinks, although thankfully it is mostly aluminum cans these days. We have been more fortunate than some other field owners who find old mattresses, furniture and similar large pieces of rubbish and then often have to pay to have this rubbish removed. Our neighbours are now having 8 houses built alongside our field and I am concerned that we may find more rubbish dumped over into our field.
Well, I'm sorry if you feel that I was lecturing you : it's something I feel passionately about. If you had said that the farmer is happy for you to dump clippings there would have been nothing to say and, sadly, a lot of people really are stupid when it comes to the countryside. Every day I walk along footpaths and bridleways and wherever they run behind houses there are piles of garden waste popped into the fields. Grass can cause laminitis or colic in horses. They may not be in the field when the gardener dumps but it will do as much harm next day. But not everyone confines himself to grass. I have seen all sorts of toxic plants. Many people seem to view a field as a handy bin and they have no idea what the material might do to an unlucky animal. I couldn't know that you have more sense - that throw away line about putting clippings in the field made me see red and frightened me that it might inspire others to do the same. So I did not intend to offend you, but PLEASE if ever anyone sees you or speaks to you about it, explain politely that it is only ok with the owners permission.
Seriously? You've followed up 'sorry if you felt I was lecturing you' with another lecture and ended your piece by telling me what to do if anyone sees me putting grass clippings in a field. I don't think i'll be taking any advice from you on how to politely interact with strangers as you don't seem to be very good at it yourself!
I was just trying to explain. Wild Edges made clear the sort of thing that happens all the time. And I'm not TELLING but pleading. I love the countryside and the animals that live in it. What do YOU think people can do to get get through? I didn't think I was rude but if I was I apologise. But what on earth can be done to enable people to understand the damage they do to the countryside?
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Every day I walk along footpaths and bridleways and wherever they run behind houses there are piles of garden waste popped into the fields. Grass can cause laminitis or colic in horses. They may not be in the field when the gardener dumps but it will do as much harm next day.
But not everyone confines himself to grass. I have seen all sorts of toxic plants. Many people seem to view a field as a handy bin and they have no idea what the material might do to an unlucky animal.
I couldn't know that you have more sense - that throw away line about putting clippings in the field made me see red and frightened me that it might inspire others to do the same. So I did not intend to offend you, but PLEASE if ever anyone sees you or speaks to you about it, explain politely that it is only ok with the owners permission.
What do YOU think people can do to get get through? I didn't think I was rude but if I was I apologise. But what on earth can be done to enable people to understand the damage they do to the countryside?