Keeping in with the neighbours

摘要

A smelly slurry lagoon can be a worry on any unit, but on a farm that lies just a stone's throw from housing it can be a major headache. Not only can it cause ill-feeling between the farmer and his neighbours, in some cases it could lead to the farm being closed down. Rachael Porter has been to see how one Staffordshire farm has prevented any problems. Running a 95-cow dairy herd on the doorstep of a housing estate would give most producers a huge waste management headache and many sleepless nights.But the Martin family, Frank, Rosemary and Edward, who run their 69ha unit at Loggerheads, in North Staffordshire, don't suffer from these afflictions. Despite farming just 100m from an exclusive housing estate, where properties sell for up to 200,000 pound, the Martins are confident their decision to install a new waste management system will provide an aspirin-free future.