Farmers tell FW of stress and anguish over unwanted crop circle
I was going to do an and finally on this rather wistful remembrance of the 80s but then reflected it has clearly been a cause of real stress for the farmers concerned. I suppose they could recoup some of their loss by charging admission! The story tells us:
A Wiltshire farming couple has described the stress and anguish caused by the appearance of a spectacular crop circle on the land they farm near Swindon.
Shelley and Hardy Klindt manage 283ha of arable and livestock land, plus livery stables, for a landowner at Bydemill Farm, Hannington.
“The first we knew of it was when I noticed a gate was open into one of our wheat fields on 4 August,” Mrs Klindt told Farmers Weekly.
“We usually use a hole in the hedge about 800 yards further on to access the field, so we knew we had been broken into.”
The Klindts are convinced the creation, which has attracted hundreds of visitors, is manmade.
“We have spoken to our local policeman at the rural crime department. We had actually caught a guy near the circle soon after we had discovered it, filming it with a drone and the policeman said he knew the man and it is a scam.
“They do it in an area that can’t be seen from the road, so they can get there first and take the drone images which they then sell and put on their websites.”
Going viral
Mrs Klindt said they had hoped to keep the crop circle secret, but then it went viral online and there were lots of people coming.
“Our first idea was to mow it, as we’d had enough. We had drones flying over our house and helicopters scaring the horses.
“But we decided not to as they would only go and make another circle in a neighbouring field.
“So in the end we’ve organised family and volunteers to go and sit in the field and put up signs to make sure people walk down the tramlines and not across the rest of the crop.”
The crop circle is about 60m wide and covers about two acres of quality milling wheat. “It was a perfect crop, but we’re told that’s what they look for as any weeds stand up and ruin their patterns.”
Mr Klindt estimates the crop loss will come to about £1,000, but says he won’t know for sure until the field has been combined and the yield is calculated.