They represented themselves and this year won a settlement against Ottawa’s Skyview Ballooning for damaging their strawberry field.

Last July, a hot air balloon landed in their strawberry field in the south end of the new city of Ottawa. Two trucks and a van arrived to dismantle the balloon and carry the passengers back into the city. However, the three vehicles destroyed strawberry plants along the way. It was the second time their field was carved up by balloonists, Shari Shouldice said.

And they are not alone. Neighbouring farmers also say balloonists have landed in their fields and destroyed crops. But unless you see the balloonists land farmers don’t see the results until harvest, Shouldice said..

"They have to land somewhere but they don’t want to pay for damages," she said.

Farmers have to be vigilant on summer weekends when air balloons fill the sky because, when they land, a caravan of vehicles will pour onto that field "and they don’t leave a note," Shouldice said