The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: jaymac on January 02, 2009, 12:28:07 pm

Title: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: jaymac on January 02, 2009, 12:28:07 pm: Firstly i would like to say what a great site this is with lots of info and local people to myself. My name is James and i have bought some land 27 acres in West Lothian Scotland it is not the best of land. I would like to become self sufficient with veg and livestock. I am thinking of sharing the land with a couple of people with similar interests as it is a lot of land for one person to manage. If anyone is interested please get in contact with myself. I would be looking for people with knowledge of veg and livestock as I am very new to this but looking forward to the challenge. :pig: :bee: :chook: :cow: :goat: :sheep:
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: HappyHippy on January 02, 2009, 03:40:56 pm: Hello and welcome to the forum.

I'm in South Lanarkshire, don't need any land myself (got 130 acres - but mostly woodland, so it takes care of itself. The remaining 4 acres of workable land is okay but with work, kids etc it's taking me much longer to get things up and going than I had hoped !)
Look forward to hearing how you get on - good luck from me,

Karen :pig:
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: Rosemary on January 02, 2009, 05:52:41 pm: Hi, James and welcome. You need to join Central Scotland Smallholders Association www.smallholders.info - great bunch of folk.
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: doganjo on January 02, 2009, 08:11:34 pm: Hear, hear - very friendly and knowledgeable too! with GSOH too ;)
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: sellickbhoy on January 13, 2009, 04:52:11 pm: Hi Jaymac

where abouts in West Lothian are you?

I'm just outside linlithgow - i've only got a small half acre :-(

i'd be more than willing to get together to see if we can't help each other out at all
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: johnmac on January 13, 2009, 06:18:17 pm: From Johnmac to JayMac...welcome on board.

This site is full of helpful people....

Good luck with the land!

John. ;)
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: Rosemary on January 13, 2009, 07:56:38 pm: Hey, sellickbhoy, the invitation to join the smallholders' association extends to you too.
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: jaymac on January 13, 2009, 08:24:31 pm: Hi sellickbhoy

The land is at East Whitburn not to far from you. What do you keep or grow on your land ?.

Cheers Jaymac
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: doganjo on January 13, 2009, 10:53:53 pm: How does everybody else manage to get land down here when I tried for a year and could only get this one acre garden? Anything over an acre and half was going for silly money - one I offered for went for double it's asking and I was the 6th offer out of 17! And that was less than a year ago.
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: sellickbhoy on January 14, 2009, 02:48:08 pm: Quote from: jaymac on January 13, 2009, 08:24:31 pm
The land is at East Whitburn not to far from you. What do you keep or grow on your land ?.

not too far at all

i've no livestock yet - well, a pet dog, but he gets to come in at night, or if it's wet, or if theres food, warmth, toys on the go - in fact, he's rarely out there, don't know why i bothered building him a kennel!!!

I am hoping to get Chickens sometime this year - i've still a few big jobs to do in preparation for getting the veg gardening sorted out for this year.

I'm also keen to get some breeding rabbits - for my own meat source, and hopefully they'll keep the grass in check too!!

But for the meantime it's just fruit and veg. I've 2 small polytunnels/plastic greenhouse type things - and i've just put the frame up for my greenhouse - the glass will go in around march time

i'm planning on growing the following

Strawberries - going in the tunnel in pots as i lost loads of strawbs to rain/mildew last year
Chillis - i've loads of seeds and different types - they'll probably go into the greenhouse
tomatoes
peppers
tatties - plenty of them!!!
carrots
beetroot
parsnips
mange toute/sugar snap peas
peas
onions
shallots
garlic (already coming along nicely)
sweetcorn
raspberrys
blackberries
cranberries
kiwi
loganberry
tayberry
i've 4 apple trees, 3 cooking apple trees and 3 pear trees
wee variety of herbs

think that's it

I've also planted 300 willow cuttings - long term to provide my own firewood, short term to help with the ground drainage/structure (very heavy clay at the moment)
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: jaymac on January 14, 2009, 04:28:05 pm: Hi sellickbhoy

We will have to meet so i can see your setup my e-mail is [email protected].
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: microbabes16 on January 22, 2009, 04:41:49 pm: Hi there James and everone else on the forum,

I would be very interested in helping you with the land you have. I have been looking for an allotment in West Lothian for a while but with no luck. I even tried to buy some land behind my house but the builder wouldnt sell it even though they cant use it themselves. >:(

I have only been growing for a year in my own garden and my veg plot is not very big but i was quite impressed by the results.

Anyway you can let me know if you are still looking for people.

Cheers,

Jen
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: Crofter on January 22, 2009, 05:55:25 pm: Best of luck Jaymac!
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on January 22, 2009, 06:48:39 pm: hello all,
the newmembers one one post lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
from FWS
Title: Re: Hello from West lothian Scotland
Post by: jaymac on January 22, 2009, 11:24:58 pm: Hi microbabes16

Send me an e-mail and i tell you more about the land and what i am looking to do with it. [email protected]