Living by a farm

[JE678]

We have found our dream house but it is literally opposite the milking sheds of a dairy farm. There are all sorts of farm machinery in the field next to the house too belonging to the farmer. Just in case that wasn't enough they also have a huge silage tank within 20m of the house. Would I be mad to go ahead with it? I have lived in the country before and close to farms but never quite this close. The smell was present when we viewed but not horrendous but that may have been a good day. Talk me in/out of this, please?

Fecking hate those round bales, damm hard to climb on, used to love a good climb on the square ones (yes I know it was dangerous but we never considered that and never had any incident) wouldnt allow my two to do it now but life seemed much simpler back in the dark ages

I love the smell of silage. One of my best childhood memories is of sheltering in a silage filled barn during a rain shower at dusk and having a climb on the bales. Lovely, warm and sweet smelling. no adults, probably dangerous, definitely trespass but lovely all the same.

Congratulations on your offer. No matter what age your children (even if uni age), you need to have a hugely serious talk with them about safety and respecting the farm. Ideally that means no trespassing, but if they are explorer types they need to know the enormous dangers from slurry tanks in particular, but also other farm dangers like large livestock. Farms are far and away the most dangerous workplaces in my country and that is because lots of people don't see them as such, they are an extension of the family home, have been romanticized, etc. safety should be drilled into children from a young age and you will need to do some real catch-up with farm-specific advice, even though the very best is for them never to be near the place good luck.