Farm feud has neighbours walking on (ostrich) eggshells
A tomato-plantation-turned-ostrich farm has ruffled its neighbours' feathers after its change in direction meant a lot more visitors and a lot more disruption to rural life
Beaks out of joint
Together with alpacas and wallabies and the more usual barnyard inhabitants, the place was soon doing great business, with regular visits from schools and families. Some people who had opted for the quiet of rural life couldn’t put up with children running about squealing, playing on the bouncy castle and driving about the place on blue toy tractors. Nor could they stand the traffic that suddenly clogged the tiny, local roads.
Last week the farm received a fine from a bailiff of €21,000 after neighbours reported them for making their ostrich egg pancakes for visitors, for which it has no licence. For the Gielis family, it’s the latest attempt to harass them out of their property. For their lawyer, it’s something every other petting farm in Flanders gets away with. For the plaintiffs, it’s nipping in the bud what they see as the tip of the iceberg – birthday parties, weddings, etc.
Lier mayor Frank Boogaerts doesn’t know where to turn. He met with both sides and hopes to get them together around the table soon. In the meantime, the Gielis family have turned to the 21st century version of arbitration, with a Facebook page calling for support for ’t Struisvogelnest.
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