Danger of pesticides from nearby farm

[Yasminh14]

Not sure which section to post this in, so just putting it in Veg, apologise if it should be somewhere else.

We are currently looking for a new house in Brittany with more land than our current house. We have found, after a very long search, something that MIGHT work for us, and which has enough land for what we want (to be as near as possible self-sufficient in veg and to be able to keep chickens and a few sheep). However, the land is arranged in a long, narrow strip and it would mean that any vegetable plot would be right next to a farmer's field. Currently there is wheat growing in this field, and we assume that this would be rotated with other crops in future seasons (maize for example is widely grown here).

I am concerned that growing veg so close to a field of crops could be dangerous in terms of pesticide and chemical fertilizer contamination, not to mention what we might breathe in ourselves. We have passed fields where crop-spraying was taking place and had to rush by holding our noses, it smelt so awful. What do others think about this? What are others' experiences of gardening so close to farmland?

[fishpond]

Talk to the farmer to see if he is organic, if you are still not happy then walk away.

[bearded bloke]

Sadly modern farming & crop spraying go hand in hand these days & will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Personally I would visit your neighbour to be & introduce yourself share a glass of wine (take a bottle or two) & talk to them about what you intend to do,gently working into the conversation any worries or concerns you may have You may be pleasantly surprised