Farm machinery noise!

[SameKeyThough]

Currently staying on a gorgeous campsite in Dorset. Only 3 pitches for tents, no caravans/hook ups, and 4 unfurnished bell tents. We've stayed before several years ago. It's a beautiful setting and the owners have an organic farm next door. So there is a lot of (entirely acceptable) sounds of nature - geese, chickens, cows etc. Occasional tractors. It's very much advertised as a haven of peace and tranquility - no music, quiet activity after 8.30pm, no noise after 11. Eco and organic etc etc. Lots of rules about this.
BUT. From 6.30am this morning LOUD farm machinery in neighbouring field. Continuous droning noise for 2 hours now, sort of busy city road level. London bin-men loud. Even with ear plugs it's loud. I accept that camping does not equate to quiet. I've stayed at a few campsites here and in France and not had anything like this. But can I say anything to the owners without sounding like an idiot townie? It's not their field so I know not their responsibility. But they must know and I feel a bit, I don't know, misled? cheated? I'm tired and cross so may be over reacting! I'm thinking I'm more concerned for teen DS and his friend in the other tent who have been completely quiet and respectful and loved chilling out in nature but now have this!!! I don't know if I can face it for 2 more nights.. Talk me down!

@SirBasil so should the campsite state please note we are in the countryside and we can’t ensure there won’t be countryside noises, but apart from those noises we are tranquil

Hmmm but tranquil sounds mean different things to different people. As I said before the sound of a Massey Ferguson makes my heart soar but soft tinkling water features are just going to make me want to pee and pan pipes are will turn me into a massacring rage.

Perhaps the holidaymakers should specify their chosen relaxing sound and the campsite pipes it through each morning.

Farm noise when you're staying next to a farm is FINE end of. No need to post. Nothing unreasonable is happening. My friends are farmers - and there are loads of reasons why they would be making noise at this time:

1. primarily because the amount of money they get paid for the sale of crops is a pittance - they have to use all the crop, because if the don't they will have spent more to grow it than they sell it for!
2. with that there's many reasons they would harvest early:

• might be about to get wet, then they can't harvest till it dries out, which might be days and by then the crop may have gone so they get even less for it
• they may not be able to harvest later due to other things that they need to tend to
• they may have hired a combine and literally have to harvest every dry light minute they can in order to get it all before the combine has to go back

Ultimately if we want to keep eating we need to support farmers not complain when they are doing nothing wrong.

I think the campsite has not helped themselves by majoring on the tranquil/quiet/undisturbed angle which is dependent on farming activities both from the owners and their neighbours. They should stand you some free ice creams or something, especially as they are so restrictive about noise made by guests. It's not obvious what farming activities go on and when if you don't live around them.

The worst disturbed camping I had was accompanying MIL and FIL who were in a (more soundproof) caravan to one of their favourite campsites in Kent - yes - right next to both the HS1 railway and the A20. I felt like the trains were running through my head.

Hope they got the harvest in and have moved on OP.

i don't understand your problem with this?

And for the sake of local harmony with neighbours i really don't get why a farmer wouldn't just give their neighbour a heads up they're using the combine?
They do here.

Because if you live next to an arable farm and you don't know a combine may be used that's weird.

@SirBasil so if the farmer decided that morning that the conditions were right for harvest, how would that have helped the OP? And even if they knew the night before, what would the OP have done?

@SameKeyThough I really hope that you have settled in and are enjoying your holiday.

Things about this thread that have made me laugh (bitterly) :

Me. I am also camping. On a site described as ‘peaceful’ but to be fair says ‘ on a working farm’ and has ‘farm’ in the name. And I have worked on a farm., years ago. And yet it was only when the owner hopped down from her tractor and hay cutter in the field next to the camp to show me where to go that I thought ‘shit! Mid harvest! Huge dust! All night noise!’ I cast my eye around and was relieved to see hay / silage meadows / grazing beef cattle all around. She did then move on and cut the next field behind the site, but it was nothing like the noise and dust of a massive ‘factory on wheels’ that is the modern combine. And it is indeed peaceful and idyllic. Though I know the baler will be along after the cut grass has dried.

Loads of posters using their in depth knowledge of farming learned from Jeremy Clarkson to berate the OP, (though I did enjoy Stella’s CombineCam commentary on the Archers on my drive up)

The number of posters desperate to pour scorn on a MNer who booked something described as a Haven of Peace, (with no mention of ‘working farm’ as the euphemistic warning of all it entails) only to find herself woken at 6.30 by a roaring combine. Come on folks, we’ve all been there, frazzled, tired, looking forward to a relaxed start and Bam! Toddlers / neighbours / roadworks / harvest. It takes a while to re-compose.

The suggestion that the OP ask the nice farmer if her children (she says in the OP they are TEENS) can have a ride in the combine harvester. Children under 13 are not allowed on tractors etc. Jeremy Clarkson clearly has not covered this. And does that poster go bothering other workers for a ‘ride’ for her kids? Crane operators? Tube drivers? Massive heavy plant for road building? LOL, this is MN where anything more risky than inviting a friend in for a cup of tea is potentially ‘invalidating your insurance’.

‘Get up early because you go to bed early when camping’ ? We don’t. Always sat up late round the fire, chatting with kids. The OP is either teens! And isn’t everyone who is camping staying up late to watch the meteor shower which is at its height?

Anyway, well done OP, you have attracted the longest thread on the camping board EVAH!

I hope you had a lovely time in the end, thank you for being a teacher, i hope that your DH finds work soon.

It’s a whole new type of AI: agriculture included.

They’ll be off to the next farm soon enough OP, they won’t be hanging about in this weather.