There are still, surprisingly enough, some 250 agricultural producers spread over the Laval territory, which, in fact, is the second largest city in Québec. And for the most part, they’re either market farmers or horticultural farmers, with a few exceptions who operate animal production farms, such as Alain and Lyne Forget.

They operate a dairy farm in Saint-François de Laval with 80-head of cattle, 45 of which are lactating. Surrounded by about 30,000 neighbours, pressured by government regulations and disposed to better protect the environment, they decided to install a compost bin for their livestock’s slurry. A significant financial endeavour – $200,000 – to completely process farmyard manure and produce quality compost that is highly prized by professional gardeners for its organic content (51%) and its fertilizing value (4-4-7).

The neighbouring community should be thrilled with this initiative? Not! The compost bin, ideal from an environmental perspective, emits an aroma. In fact, to ensure proper operations, large amounts of cow dung mixed with saw dust must be manipulated twice per month, and occasionally stirs up a stronger stench that is usually acceptable in an agricultural setting, but unpleasant for the delicate senses of certain city dwellers.

What was to happen, did in fact happen. From the first day the compost bin was in operation four years ago, the family has been through a veritable nightmare. They’ve been beset by rumours. Gossip-mongers allege that the family, with its diabolical machine, will import slurry from all over the area, that ground water will be contaminated, that pregnant women will increase their risk of miscarriages! And aside from these far-fetched tales there are of course the ever-present and increasing anonymous complaints to the Environment and Health ministries.

Hypocrisy at its best.

Behind these lofty motives, there are other less noble ones that remain unspecified, such as neighbours who own white zoned land around the farm and would prefer a complete stop of the operations on the part of the family. Should the family forfeit their lifestyle, just imagine the value of these lots located near a bucolic green zone, and only 15 minutes from Montreal!

In this world of anonymous non-involvement and low blows, psychological harassment is a formidable and terrifying weapon. The result: The wife and mother whose only wish is to be left alone is having a hard time dealing with the situation, the proud husband and father lives with his anger day in and day out, as for the kids, they’re concerned and have discovered the darker side of this noble profession.

Let’s not forget about collateral damage. Not only are the two other brothers working a nearby dairy farm affected, but the family patriarch, Yvon Forget, a respectable gentleman of 77, a village elder, an ex-president of the Caisse populaire, and actively involved in farmers’ unionism, must also live with this conflict. Sunday church services aren’t as enlightening since certain neighbours have been giving him nasty looks.

“You know, he said, happiness on a farm is not found in its buildings, nor is it from the height of its silos, it is in the beauty of things and in the satisfaction of having successfully transferred a family-owned business to a fifth generation. It can also be found in community life where we feel loved and respected by our neighbours. Just three weeks ago, in the course of the ‘open house’ organized by UPA at our farm, we had over 2,000 visitors. A great idea. A great success. It feels good to feel appreciated, to know that our job and our work is useful. But it’s not something we’ll be hearing very often.”

This is a very sensitive and troubling issue: The deeply-rooted fear that is common to all farming families, the fear of being rejected by their community, of becoming a laughing stock. Allow me to ask these poor delicate souls in Laval, those faint-hearted, disgruntled cowards who set up house barely 30 meters from a farm and complain about the smells: In the end, who should be liable for aseptisizing agriculture? The citizens who choose to move closer to a farm and benefit from the great open spaces? Or the farmers who are trying to make a decent living?