Am I a cf for asking a farmer this question?

Estate agents will tell you anything to get a sale. I viewed a place where the yard backed onto a row of houses. The owners had died and it had been lying empty for some time. ALL of the houses had installed gates giving them direct access to the yard so they could walk through it to the land. Most didn't even bother doing that, judging from the amount of dog shit that was lying around. When I pointed this out, the agent said, "I have a friend lives in one of the houses and she told me no one ever uses them," despite standing in a fug of fresh dog shit. "Why did they go to the trouble and expensive of installing them?" No answer! Another told me that the neighbours were very friendly and would have no problem with us riding across their fields to access a bridleway and cut out a busy A road. Another who told me the land was not prone to flooding despite water bubbling up around my boots during the driest summer in years, etc. I have LOADS of stories like this!

Plus being trampled by a cow isn't an irrational fear. It's a very real possibility in the countryside with dogs involved even for farmers, and even more so for someone with a limited understanding of farming and the countryside.

I come from a farming family. This happens. Have you seen the damage that can happen to sheep being worried by dogs? It costs the farmers a fortune and they're often more attached to the animals than they'd let on.

If dog owners are responsible with their dogs around farms, they won't have a problem.

I have no idea why you find that particularly hard to believe.

If you asked me, I'd say no. I'm asked these types of (what we consider) nutty questions all the time. Last week it was someone asking about flying their hawk.

I don't own any fields with footpaths, but my neighbours who have get their gates left open, dog shit left for their cattle to eat, sheep going missing, sheep worrying (have you ever seen a pregnant ewe that has been mauled?) and god alone knows what else.

i have to pay for insurance every year in case someone just decides to go into my fields even if they have no right to be there.

i don't want to sound get orf my land but there's a reason why farmers don't want you on their fields. There is nothing in it for them but hassle and god knows being a farmer is generally just hassle anyway.

Most lanes are national speed limit, I wear high vis and jump in the hedge if I hear anything coming. There is probably a public footpath near though, check on the OS map. I wouldn’t ask the farmer personally but then I grew up rurally so am quite wary!

It may well be that it just isn't practical. There will be different things happening in the field at different times of year. Not sure it if is pasture or arable, but if the latter it may well be ploughed and planted right to the very edge at some point in the year, in which case walking isn't really practical, and there may be distribution of pesticides etc that the farmer wouldn't want people to come into contact with.

Farmland can be a bit like a factory floor in the sense of being a production zone with unpredictable hazards. Farmers' health and safety responsibilities may make them cagey of giving permission.

When you have been in an area for a while you get a sense for which field edges are accessible - some are 'de facto' footpaths, others are no-go areas.

Yes but that may well be because it is in some sort of environmental scheme agreement which case they REALLY won't want random townie dog walkers in

No harm in asking as long as you make it clear you’ll accept a no, I used to live next to farmland and the farmer didn’t mind people in the village walking on it, however I wouldn’t buy the house if being able to do this is a dealbreaker. The farmer could sell off some land or could decide to use it for livestock or just change his/her mind in the future. Even if you get permission you can’t guarantee it won’t be revoked at some point.

Tbf, I’d say 95% of the people on this thread are townies too. They’re talking out of their townie hats.

if you’re walking on the edge of a field, not allowing your dog off the lead, picking up after them, you’re not establishing anything at all. But do check the footpaths around you. You could be surprised.

we have plenty single tract roads near where I live and walking with a dog on them for short distances is fine. Have a look at the paths available to you. I’m sure it’ll be better than you think

It’s the wrong house if you want to buy a house in a rural location - but the location means that you would feel unsafe walking down the road outside your house. If it’s a one lane car only type of road and cars go over the 30 mph - how are you going to feel when you are driving down it and a car comes zooming along in the other direction ?

The farmer may change what the field is used for. Crop/stock rotation is a real thing.

They may not be livestock farmers at the moment but they could diversify. Many are changing what they farm because of costs, weather etc.

We looked at lots of houses and areas before buying our house for a pretty similar reason. Having an active dog and a small child, plus a lovely of being outside, we wanted to be able to walk out of the door and be walking, not having to drive. Check for public footpaths and if there aren't any, this house doesn't tick that box for you.

You could ask but I doubt if any farmer would agree to this.Neopsora is a real problem and I doubt if they would risk it. Estate agents will say anything you want them to and I doubt if they would know whether livestock graze the land.
Has you investigated where other residents walk their dogs locally?

I don’t think it’s the right house for you.

If you’re not able/prepared to either take the dogs in the car or walk down the lane - for whatever reason- I think you need to look at other properties where you don’t have to compromise.

If there’s no footpath through the farm field, then he’d be reasonable to not anccept everyone walking their dogs there.

You could ask, but expect a no.

I have permission from one local farmer to use his land for training my dogs for about five months of the year. But I know him, and had known him a couple of years before I even asked. And he knows me and expects me not to take the piss.

You can ask, you are not a CF for asking.

Your problem is that you'll be dependent on someone else. They can change their minds, they can sell.....where it will leave you?

Practically, find another property to suit your needs, and your dogs.

🤣🤣

Maybe offer to bring some sour dough from Gail's as a way of compensating the farmer?

Look up public footpaths nearby. You would be very very surprised how many go across/at the edge of farm land. I lived on a farm and had walkers through all the time.

Some farmers will get arsey about it, even if there is a path. Not something I was ever bothered about myself, but if a saw a dog off the lead I would shoot it if it was bothering stock.

It's an irrelevant question and answer though. Why were you even asking the estate agent?

I agree. It wouldn't be any kind of permanent arrangement.

Again irrelevant.
It's none of your business what the farmer uses the land for, unless they're doing something illegal!