Walking to my parents house at the weekend I pass a farm and quite often have a chat with one of the workers. He told me the story of a vegetable market stall holder, who for the last few decades has followed the same routine.
The veg he couldn't sell which was in a good condition went to feed his chickens, the remainder went to compost for his allotment (sort of vegetable growing area). Now he's been told he needs a licence to feed it to the chickens, and that he must pay £200 for a bin for the remainder, and £5 a week for the council to take it away (which they'll only do every two weeks). Oh, and in practice he would fill the bin every two days.
I suspect there's at least one EU directive at the back of this, but you don't even have to be a Tory to wish government would sometimes just go away.
I say ask the chickens if they are happy for him to feed it to them unlicenced.
Since over-filling bins is becoming a chargeable offense (witness the man who didn't quite manage to fully close his bin lid), the council are set to make a fortune.
Given the farmer will be paying a charge to the council for his allotment, I suspect it is merely a matter of declaring an allotment is synonymous with a bin. This will also avoid the question of closed or slightly open lids.
What if he takes the rotten vegetables and uses them to decorate the home of whomever came up with that gem?
Sounds like a clear case of a bureaucrat making decisions from the comfort of an armchair. Someone who's never, ever so much as touched dirt, let alone grown anything...
There are times when government makes zero actual sense....
Your friend ought to see about a "grandfather" clause-- since he's been doing it his way for far longer than even the EU has been in existence...
Or at the very least, a variance. Here in the States, obtaining a variance for stifling regulations is fairly commonplace-- IF you can get the attention of someone who is actually reasonable. :P
That is a big "if", though.
So, what he doesn't sell, he 'gives away' and there's an end to that.
Surely there's elderly or needy folks that would take it off his hands. Or at least a bunch of elderly chickens...
Quote from: Opsanus tau on May 06, 2008, 06:32:59 PM
What if he takes the rotten vegetables and uses them to decorate the home of whomever came up with that gem?
rumble