We're standing in the middle of the highway – the Eurotunnel is just an intersection away, but nothing is moving.
Next to me, Damien Delattre, a farmer from near Calais, showed me his tractor.
“It's been in use for 6,000 hours, so it's middle-aged,” he says. “Just like me.”
Damian, along with dozens of other farmers, parked his tractor on the road and got out, blocking traffic.
Tractors are used to form blockades
At the edge of the hill, about a quarter-mile away, traffic is backed up: trucks waiting to cross, drivers struggling to reach the Eurotunnel station.
But here, standing on the road, everything seems remarkably quiet.
The stove is lit and drinks are distributed. It's like thousands of other picket lines from history, except this one is in the middle of the highway.
Police stationed to the side, watching and waiting. They have clearly worked with the farmers to ensure that most traffic can find a way through and that the blockade, although worsening, does not become a more serious problem.
Traffic queues in Calais amid a road blockade by protesting French farmers
Read more:
Farmer protests in France spread to Brussels
But it's the images that matter here, and the farmers' protest has become a mosaic of blockades across the country. The message is also clear: farmers have the power to paralyze France.
There are a variety of complaints you hear, but they all boil down to one theme – that they feel neglected, forgotten and deprived. That their role – in feeding the nation – is taken seriously while their problems are ignored.
“We've been silent for years,” Damian says. He is 51 and has been a farmer for half his life, but says his job is more difficult than ever.
“All we do is work, and you know – I lost a very dear friend of mine last week. I'm sorry, but he hung himself. It's common now in our profession.
I asked him: “What do you want from the politicians who are monitoring these protests?”
“They need to understand our problems – we don't need any more easy words. They need to really listen.
“Look – three years ago, nitrogen fertilizer cost €180 (£153) per tonne. Last year, the price rose to €700 (£598).
“How do we deal with that?”
French farmers block the N12 road in Brittany. Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
He received a call yesterday from friends inviting him to join the protest, and he did not hesitate.
As we speak, shouts of support are heard from trucks passing on the other road.
There are many people who feel sympathy for the plight of farmers, especially after the death of a mother and daughter, who were killed when a car crashed into a blockade in southwest France.
Among the farmers we spoke to, there was a determination to make the most of this moment.
They are getting support from the impact of farmer protests in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and elsewhere.
French farmers block the A61 highway with their tractors (Reuters)
There is talk of columns of tractors arriving in Paris to stop the capital.
“Are you going to join that?” I ask Damian. “Yes, of course. It's easy to get to Paris.”
Right now, it's day by day. Some protest movements, such as the yellow vest movement, last for years. Some burn brightly and then fade away.
The farmers are tough, but part of their problem is that their jobs require a lot of effort.
A cow statue hangs from a car, as French farmers stage a protest near the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo: Reuters
Read more from Sky News:
Paris honors David Bowie with its own street
An avalanche kills a British mother and her son while skiing on Mont Blanc
Breaking off to close the highway is not something you can do all the time without further damaging your livelihood.
However, it is not just about the plight of farmers, but also about widespread resentment against authority.
The protests are being exploited by various groups, most notably the National Rally (RN), the right-wing political party led by Marine Le Pen, as another means of attacking Emmanuel Macron's presidency.
Marion Maréchal, Marine Le Pen's niece and executive vice president of France's far-right Reconnect party, joins a demonstration in Brussels
They praised farmers, saying Macron was happy to see French agriculture wither.
European elections loom later this year, and the National Front is expected to flourish, along with populist and anti-establishment groups across Europe.
As the tractors set off at the end of the day, we saw a tall figure applauding the farmers – a politician from the National Union Party, waving at the tractors.
Tomorrow, farmers will protest again. Their anger is boiling. The question is whether, when and how it can be boiled.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the United States, call your local Samaritans chapter or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
