Author Topic: Hello Everyone. (Read 4633 times)

Bog Spavin · « **on:** July 17, 2008, 11:19:31 am »

Hi everyone, I've just popped in to say hello. I live in a cottage in North Yorkshire with my partner, a chocolate labrador, a cat, three sheep, two pigs, eight hens and a cockeral. We produce as much food as we can but we are not self sufficient. Our house was quite run down when we bought it (well it still is

) and the land was neglected, poorly fenced pasture but it didn't take long to start feeding us.
Its nice to meet you all.

Lindsey.

Rosemary · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2008, 05:43:39 pm »

Hi, Lindsey

Good to hear from you. Hope you enjoy the forums.

We're not aiming to be self-sufficient - it would take too much of a lifestyle change ie I'm not giving up chocolate for anyone. Or bananas, or oranges. I just like to feel we're a wee bit more independent. It's also good to feel like you're making something better - like bringing the house and tha land back into productivity. There is so much land that could be made productive if the small folk ie the folk on this forum could get access to it.

Bog Spavin · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2008, 08:47:51 pm »

Thanks Rosemary

Funnily enough the vet came out yesterday to a bad case of flystrike and said it was a pleasure to see a smallholding being run as a traditional smallholding instead of having large ornamental lawns I felt really proud of the place.
It nice to meet some like minded folk.

Lindsey.

greenfingers · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2008, 09:36:49 pm »

Hello from me too, Elaine,
I live in the North East of Scotland and have about 1 acre of land, not a small holding, not sure?
I have just dug up my first potatoes for dinner tonight along with my home grown swiss chard and strawberries for afters. I had my own salad veg for lunch. Food tastes so much better home grown. It's the first time I have grown veg. The whole point of us buying this farmhouse was to be semi self sufficent. It has taken us a year to renovate the derilict farmhouse and this year we have been busy on the garden. We have a great selection of veg growing and I noticed today my peas and broad beans now have pods on them. I have about 20 lavender plants in the garden in a border, its the only bit that is ornamental in the garden. We should have our hens this next week. We also have an eco friendly log stove which cost us around Â£20.00 per month to run for hot water and central heating. We have to go and collect the logs ourselves and chop them though, it is keeping us very fit. I also have on the go 5 gallons of beer, which works out around 40p per pint, a little cheaper than the pub or Tesco's.
If any one wants free range (organic?) rabbits they are welcome to come and shoot them, they are a pest!
We also have a chocolate lab as well as a black one
Elaine

Bog Spavin · « **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2008, 10:52:21 am »

We have just under an acre and managed, well we have a plentyful supply of pork and lamb so as far as I'm concerned if you have the need for a parish holding number then you qualify as a smallholding.
According to that endless source of information ie "Wikepedia"

In British English usage, a smallholding is a piece of land and its adjacent living quarters for the smallholder and stabling for farm animals, on a smaller scale than that of a farm but larger than an allotment, usually under 50 acres (0.2 kmÂ²). It is often established for the breeding of farm animals on an organic basis on free-range pastures. Alternatively, the smallholder may concentrate on the growing of vegetables by various traditional methods or in a more modern way using plastic covers, Polytunneling or cloches for quick growth.

Well done on the veg Elaine our house is still in a state we did the garden first

. I need to pick the first sowing of broad beans and make soup (they were planted in autumn aqua dulcia [sp?]) and I have a dwarf variety on there way to being ready.
I'll put some pics up if anyone is intersted.

Rosemary · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2008, 12:28:48 pm »

Love photos - they do paint a thousand words!

We're a smallholding and we've only got an acre. useful definition, though. In my head, it's the addition of livestock for food production that moves it from a garden to a smallholding.

Bog Spavin · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2008, 08:16:12 pm »

Here are some pics.

Here is the house and paddock when we were waiting for the paperwork of the sale to go through.

These are last years sheep and some of our chooks.

Here are our middle whites that are about ready to go.

Here are our shetland lambs that we will keep till next spring.

And this is the garden at the start of this season.

Rosemary · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2008, 08:46:46 am »

Looks fab - congraulations on all the progress!

pigsatlesrues · « **Reply #8 on:** July 19, 2008, 10:47:38 pm »

You have done so much - it all looks lovely - your pigglies look very grumpy - I am guessing they would have preferred a bucket of something instead of having to pose for the camera. Ours are just the same, cupboard love!!

Kate

MrRee · « **Reply #9 on:** July 21, 2008, 02:24:04 pm »

Hi from me......... great pics too,you should be proud!

Oh,and I thought "cupboard love" was something I got from my French teacher at school,or was that just me?