Thank you Elizabeth, your beautiful writing floods one with color, and style. The photographs add a nice context as well! Going to see the tulips two years ago, I broke away from the tour group breakfast to stand by a fence in front of a solid mile of tulips. A farmer in a truck was getting some rows ready for harvesting. Probably because I looked more “country” than tourist. He stopped. “You MAGA?”, he asked. I nodded.
Long story short, after squeezing them dry, the govt was offering the farmers a “fair” price for their land (which his great grandparents started), as long as he signed a paper banning them…and their “kin” from farming ANYWHERE in the EU…forever.
“You Americans saved us once, you must lead by example once again”.
I wish I had that man’s phone number. I would have loved to have offered a toast a few weeks back…”Here’s to making evil people nervous”.
Thank you for your always fascinating look into the window of the French countryside Elisabeth. The technocrats and their insufferable hubris really have the temerity to believe that they have all of the answers. The answers to the infinite variables of "the climate", international market forces, and of course the lowly farmers field are all within their grasp. The insufferable arrogance of these fools is finally getting some pushback from the long suffering working class, and they are aghast that we might object to their relentless bureaucratic overreach.
Wonderfully written, Elisabeth. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to it! I love your updates for the Chateau, and especially this one that reflects on the impact (negative at that) of well intentioned Government policies. Yet somehow we shall all survive. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
A Farmer all my life I really have a lot of empathy for the French Farmer .
We on the land will not run short of food but the Hand Wringers and Pearl Clutcher's may if they keep up the endless attack on us .
If the farmers are told to not spread the cow manure on the fields, then I have a suggestion where they can dump it: Emmanuel Macron's office.
Thank you Elizabeth, your beautiful writing floods one with color, and style. The photographs add a nice context as well! Going to see the tulips two years ago, I broke away from the tour group breakfast to stand by a fence in front of a solid mile of tulips. A farmer in a truck was getting some rows ready for harvesting. Probably because I looked more “country” than tourist. He stopped. “You MAGA?”, he asked. I nodded.
Long story short, after squeezing them dry, the govt was offering the farmers a “fair” price for their land (which his great grandparents started), as long as he signed a paper banning them…and their “kin” from farming ANYWHERE in the EU…forever.
“You Americans saved us once, you must lead by example once again”.
I wish I had that man’s phone number. I would have loved to have offered a toast a few weeks back…”Here’s to making evil people nervous”.
Thanks
Dana Helvey
Thank you for your always fascinating look into the window of the French countryside Elisabeth. The technocrats and their insufferable hubris really have the temerity to believe that they have all of the answers. The answers to the infinite variables of "the climate", international market forces, and of course the lowly farmers field are all within their grasp. The insufferable arrogance of these fools is finally getting some pushback from the long suffering working class, and they are aghast that we might object to their relentless bureaucratic overreach.
Wonderfully written, Elisabeth. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to it! I love your updates for the Chateau, and especially this one that reflects on the impact (negative at that) of well intentioned Government policies. Yet somehow we shall all survive. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!