The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: bloomer on May 09, 2012, 02:00:14 pm
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Based on a few things i have read on here and been thinking generally, what are your rules for smallholding you live by...
For when i get land,
Rule 1, it must be edible or able to produce edible stuff to be worth keeping.
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No matter how long you think something's going to take or cost to do - double it ;) :D
All emergencies (smallholding related) WILL take place when you're on your own, in the middle of the night and normally in the pouring rain ::)
Karen :wave:
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And vets can only be called after midnight on a bank holliday or over Christmas, according to our animals.
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.. the normal rules of 'clutter' do not aply. Do not throw anything away. Even if you do not know what it is.
Those 10 rusty gates that we tut tuted about and pulled out of the land in our first year (they were litteraly ambedded)and were going to take down to the scrap man.... are now lashed together with baler twine as our penning system!! (couldnt afford hurdles). Neccesity IS the mother of invention!! (or modification)
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I like the one about leaving the land in better condition than you found it. Also that we don't own the land but are just temporary caretakers.
Because of that I think it is very important to build up the condition of your soil by the application of manure, to plant trees and hedgerows, to care for the other inhabitants of the land such as animals and native plants and to deal with pernicious weeds. We have turned a bare acreage simply fenced off from the surrounding land into a well-organised smallholding, which someone else can enjoy once we have finished with it ie once we're carried off in our boxes 8)
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Join TAS
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fleecewife that should be the aim of every owner of land
the most important rule don't have rules ;) :farmer:
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Rule 1, it must be edible or able to produce edible stuff to be worth keeping.
My version of this is 'no freeloaders'. Cats must catch vermin; dogs work sheep, catch rats, rabbits, chase foxes and / or guard; pigs must breed or be meat; sheep ditto (unless stupendous fleece for handspinning, I guess), etc. The ponies do not yet comply with this rule, through no fault of their own - so that's my justification for prioritising their training this year! ;D
We do, however, allow flowers which simply feed the spirit. :) And I suspect the pigeon pies will be a lucky side benefit of some other things which feed parts other than the alimentary tract.. ;)
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the most important rule don't have rules
Yup
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Barter as much as possible.
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No1 rule...enjoy it, no point otherwise.
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'no freeloaders'.
Agree.
Go for as much space (land, greenhouse, polytunnel, house etc) as you can afford. You will always fill the available space!
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Mine, unfortunately, is don't rely on anyone but yourself to achieve something.
Also, when stuff goes wrong there is no point in gettng mad about it, just take a deep breath and approach a solution with as open a mind as possible - us smallholders are adaptable!!!
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i got a morbid one- just when everything is going great something will drop dead :( or as my mother would put it where there's livestock there's deadstock.
sorry warned it was morbid just always seems to be the case
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I was just going to say something similar - sooner or later something will die because of something you did or didn't do.
Pick yourself up, learn from it, and don't take it as the end of the world.
also, don't be afraid to ask the really stupid questions ;D
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sell it before you buy it
or perhaps it should be extended to "sell it before you buy/breed/grow it."
We're doing 13 weaners/piglets-> pork over the summer and have sold 11.5 of them already. Same with veg boxes and eggs. For us, its too much of a risk to end up with a lot of stock or produce that we can't shift at a good price. Obviously our community model doesn't work for everyone, but beyond our members, we also have 'Friends of the farm'. We email them before we're going to buy weaners or goslings or what-have-you and get them to sign up for the end result (and pay a small deposit!) so we end up buying roughly the same amount as we know we can sell.
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Mine, unfortunately, is don't rely on anyone but yourself to achieve something.
I think that is a rule for life in general too. We may live in a social setting, but when it comes to the crunch, you are really the only one who cares totally what happens to you.
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Anything you buy with an engine - will break down - Buy a hammer, a big one and WD40.
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dont plant laurel :thumbsup:
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Agree with everyone above, with the addition of remember to stop and smell the roses, it's those moments that make it all worth while and they don't come every day. :wave:
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Anything you buy with an engine - will break down - Buy a hammer, a big one and WD40.
And use 'easy start' sparingly....it is additive!!
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No passengers. Everything has to pay for itself in some way. Not necessarily in hard cash but must contribute to the overall picture.
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To have both the physical and the mental strength to get thro all the tasks especially when its blowing a gale the mud is sucking off your wellies and you're trying to move stock between paddocks or buildings.
To take time out everyday and thank god you're alive and so lucky to live where you do and how you do.
Mandy :pig:
ps and major shares in pallets and baler twine ;D :
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With stock, learn to recognise the point when they're so wound up they simply won't go through that gate. Leave 'em alone, go for a brew, try again tomorrow.
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Have an even distribution of the workload and enjoy the fruits of your labour. :)
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Don't get attached to the animals going for slaughter.
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Talk to the animals.
Some years ago dad had a sow needing the boar, dad was in hospital. I arranged for someone to come and take her. she WOULD NOT go in that trailer. to save stressing her we gave up, next day tried again, she walked straight in. Farmer commented how he'd stayed quiet, while I had talked to the sow all the time, he realised the sow was listening to me and stayed calm. Something I've never forgotten.
I'm sure we all do it, do we realise the effect we have?
after writing this just seen the Dr Doolittle post - co-incidence!
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..and I won't forget that next time I go out today..I do always make sure I smile at them ;D
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Take each day as it comes.
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I've just read all of these posts and decided I can't handle being a smallholder. I resign! ;D ;D ;D
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Thje road to China starts with the first step.
Keep plugging away at stuff and you will get there eventually
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Allow yourself the one spoiled 'pet' be it the hen that never lays any eggs or the naughty rabbit or the dog that doesn't like the rain. You'll appreciate the others all the more :love: