In rural Norfolk, farming is very much part of daily life.
But for two communities, the prospect of creating what would be one of the largest industrial farms in Europe on their doorstep is taking things too far.
Hundreds of people in Methwold and Feltwell have objected to plans by food giant Cranswick to create the 'mega farm' less than a mile from the hearts of the two villages.
The company wants to build a site to rear millions of chickens and thousands of pigs a year.
It says it will be a "sustainable, modern farm" which will help to deliver affordable food while creating new jobs and boosting the local economy.
READ MORE: Plans for massive chicken farm near village
But campaigners against the proposed scheme - located close to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - claim it will cause a huge increase in traffic on the surrounding roads.
They are also concerned about animal welfare and fear the project could create pollution, including bad smells, in the area.
Campaigners have set up the Cranswick Objection Group to lobby against the proposals.
Led by neighbours Shirley De’Ath and Denise Charlesworth, the group is raising awareness by putting up leaflets and connecting with concerned locals through Facebook.
“There is absolute uproar from local people who are objecting daily to this," Ms De'Ath said.
“We are a rural community with roads already plagued with never-ending potholes and the infrastructure will not be able to cope with the huge increase in lorries."
She added: “It is a disaster waiting to happen. There are already issues at much smaller farms in the county that have faced constant bad smells, flies and poor air quality."
What are the plans?
Under the plans, lodged with West Norfolk Council, 20 sheds will house 870,000 chickens, with 14 buildings for 14,000 pigs on land that was previously an RAF base.
The site is currently used for pig farming, but the plans represent a major expansion to create an area which will be around one-third the size of the O2 Arena.
Critics believe the scheme will bring thousands of lorries to and fro each year, travelling along a B-road past the villages of Methwold, Brookville and Stoke Ferry.
A spokesman for Cranswick said: “We are currently in the early stages of planning applications to redevelop and upgrade the existing pig accommodation at Methwold and Feltwell.
“In addition, the application includes building a modern, sustainable chicken farm.
“We are working on the detailed plans for the site, considering the impact on traffic and the local environment, with all the relevant authorities.
“The final plans will be completed for submission by the end of September.”
Opinions divided
It has become a big talking point among the villagers but opinions are divided.
Sue and Jonathan Giles have lived in Methwold since 2009.
“We are used to farming machinery going past but this seems like a rather different thing," said Mr Giles.
“We need to move on from having factory farms like this."
Mrs Giles added: “I’m worried about all the waste that will be produced. As a wild swimmer, I worry about how it may end up polluting the rivers.”
But Luke Jones, who has worked on farms for several years, said: “I don’t really care. The old sheds that are there stink anyway but technology nowadays is much more advanced so they should have ventilation to cope.
“I think the traffic issues people are worried about are a joke. If there are more lorries then it might make the council put their foot down and sort them out.
“They are building more and more houses everywhere but people don’t seem worried about that.”
Another local, who wished to remain anonymous said: “We are fully supportive of farming, being in a rural community, and are fully aware of the smells that come with being in the countryside.
“But the scale of the site proposed goes beyond local farming.
“The roads can’t cope with all the lorries. They will also probably end up cutting through smaller roads as these are often used by other local firms as it is. It would cause chaos if this was the case.”
Cranswick's record
Horror stories of swarms of flies and pungent smells plaguing other communities living near other Cranswick farms have heightened fears in Feltwell and Methwold.
Earlier this month, this newspaper reported how locals in Watton were complaining about 'horrendous' smells from the company's processing plant there.
Last year the firm was ordered to pay £75,000 in fines after it admitted responsibility for discharging contaminated liquid into a brook in the town following an Environment Agency investigation.
It is also being investigated after neighbours complained of being under “house arrest” due to the stench coming from the Cherry Tree pig farm in Stow Bedon.
READ MORE: Watton residents concerned over Cranswick factory smells
EA officials have objected to Cranswick's Feltwell and Methwold scheme, arguing the firm has not produced enough evidence to demonstrate the risks of pollution posed to water quality can be safely managed.
READ MORE: Village 'plagued by swarms of flies' from chicken farm
Farming's future? Or its past?
While much of the objections relate to specific details of the project, some concerns relate to the nature of the 'mega farm', the standards of animal welfare and whether such facilities contradict efforts to cut carbon emissions and reach ‘net zero’ targets.
Alun Ryves, a district councillor for Methwold, said: “Like many I have shut my eyes as to the reality of what happens in these sheds and accepted the argument that if you want cheap food, then what are your choices?
“The aspect which concerns me is the sustainability.
“The site will generate 10,000 HGV movements a year, with food likely to come from mills owned by the applicant in Suffolk, and the animals produced will be slaughtered in Eye (Suffolk) and Watton (Norfolk).
“Additionally, we must consider the huge energy and water requirements of the site, and the fact that much of the foodstuff is human-grade soya imported from Brazil. The carbon footprint of this beast will be extraordinary, and that excludes the building site.
"The benefits of a higher-welfare, non-intensive system are numerous, including reduced pollution and a greater number of job opportunities.
“Operations such as this have little to do with farming. It is just about processing soya into meat, and I really do think that British farming is better than this.”
Some critics have also raised concerns that such a large development could create conditions for animal viruses, such as bird flu, to pass from bird to bird, and in doing so, to mutate into new and more pathogenic strains.
The perceived risk has not escaped the attention of local farmers.
J W Spencer Farms, which neighbours the proposed site, is objecting to the scheme saying its operations "would be exposed to a far higher risk of jeopardy" due to the "intensive livestock production" at the site.
However, supporters of large-scale agriculture argue that developments of this scale are essential to provide food security for the UK and ensure affordable meat for British consumers.
Cranswick declined to comment on the broader issue.
But an NFU East Anglia spokesman said: “British farmers produce affordable food, to some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the world.
"They also adhere to strict production and biosecurity standards, with the majority of farmers going above the legal requirements as part of assurance schemes.
“The health and welfare of livestock and animal husbandry is a priority in all farming systems and good stockmanship is at the heart of what farmers do. Farm size and system are not themselves measures of good animal welfare.”
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