Author Topic: Hello from a vegan w/sheep in Berkshire (Read 2478 times)

Marti615 · « **on:** June 10, 2017, 08:49:22 am »

Hi,

It sounds ridiculous, why would a vegan have sheep? Well, if you saw my hilly 4 acres covered in every imaginable grass, shrub and bramble, you'd soon see. Or rather, they were covered before I got sheep. Things are better now (thanks sheep!).

I have dogs to whom I feed meat so it's not like I'm going to preach to anyone about their being omnivores, btw.

I'd like to know more about sheep and more about growing vegetables. You'd think I'd have figured that out by now, but I am a terrible gardener.

I also would like to be more independent in my pasture management and fencing.

I'm already learning a lot here but thought I ought to introduce myself.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2017, 12:49:25 pm »

Hi Marti - you certainly are not the only person to keep sheep without eating them. They make lovely pets and grass mowers as you have found. They also have a wonderful recyclable resource in their fleeces, which you can perhaps incorporate into your plan

For your veg production, have you investigated forest gardening or permaculture? It is a way of producing crops where annuals are kept to a minimum. Might be worth investigating if you really are no good at veg growing under a normal system. But anyway, you don't have to be a perfect gardener - read the veg pages here and it's all about the problems we all have, with loads of advice and help.

Welcome to TAS.

Marti615 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2017, 03:01:14 pm »

Thank you both for your replies.

I am going to give gardening a proper go and also look into permaculture, thank you. This site is very useful in so many respects.

I became a vegan slowly after owning farm animals--seriously! I had chickens and found myself first unable to eat chicken meat and then unable to eat the eggs! Then I got sheep...couldn't possibly eat lamb. Of course, I can't eat horses either. That leaves cows, except I can't even eat beef anymore because it is meat. Amazing how our dietary preferences are enironmentally influenced. And once you are out of the habit of animal products you rarely want to eat anything that looks like it might have animals in it (except cake...still love cake).

I feed my dogs meat everyday. I probably buy more meat than most people who have no dogs but eat meat themselves! So I am a bit of a contradiction.

Old Shep · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2017, 07:31:14 pm »

Welcome!

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2017, 12:32:01 am »

and welcome from Shropshire.

Marti615 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2017, 06:20:00 pm »

Thank you for all the welcomes!

I'm really so grateful for this site. So many great people and great information!

devonlady · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2017, 12:51:03 am »

Welcome, dear, from Devon!

laurelrus · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2017, 09:42:28 am »

Welcome from Buckinghamshire - we have an assortment of sheep, goats, chickens, donkeys and ponies and are hobby farmers not smallholders so none are raised for meat and have become vegetarian as we've acquired them!
We've also really got into growing and gardening over the three years we've been here.
This forum has been super helpful for information and advice and there are some really knowledgeable friendly people here!

Chris H · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2017, 05:00:48 pm »

Hi from a fellow vegan in the Outer Hebries, have sheep and do use wool so that makes me a little lapsed, also feed meat to my dogs. Into veg growing here, just love seeing things grow.