The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Events => Topic started by: Simpsyla on January 08, 2014, 10:33:52 am
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Hi,
Just posted on the Introductions board but thought it was worth asking on here too. My wife and I live in Sunderland and are interested in having a small holding one day. However, we have very little experience and therefore I was wondering if there was anywhere in the north east that ran courses or such like which may help us? We'd also be really interested in visiting a small holding if the opportunity arose... Thanks in advance for your help.
Chris.
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Hiya Makim ;D
Sort of smoggy south of you (15miles sth of M'bro)......try googling Yearle Tamworths.....they do courses and also try North Yorkshire Smallholders.... a lady called Rachel Benson runs courses too under the Old Sledingford name also check out some of the shows during the summer for NYSS stands.
We usually give a list of shows we'll be at with our pigs in the events section of this forum, just waiting for a few dates to firm up before we decide on our final list.
all the best
Mandy :pig:
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Thanks Mandy - that's much appreciated - had a quick scroll through the websites you suggested and all look very interesting! We are going to visit Bill Quay farm in Gateshead tomorrow - looking forward to that too :)
Shall keep an eye out for your posting of events you're attending too!
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I'm involved in establishing a North Pennines smallholders group (http://www.northpenninessmallholders.co.uk/about-nps/) and accompanying website which may help you get in touch with helpful people. I would suggest that you also post on the forum on that website to see what kind of response you get...
Personally I am also new at this smallholding lark having only moved from suburban domestic bliss in Whitley Bay to 15 acres in the North Pennines last year - take a look at my Small Plot Big Ideas (http://smallplotbigideas.co.uk) blog to find out more about what we've managed to do so far.
I can highly recommend the day course on pig keeping with Sarah at Yearle Tamworths as I did that myself a couple of years ago plus we also got our first Tamworth weaners from there too!
Despite my limited experience so far, I would be quite happy to help in any way if at all possible as I know how hard it can be to get any smallholding training in this part of the country.
good luck!
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Thanks Richard, have taken a look at the blog already and will look at the website soon. We would love to come and see what you are doing at some point if possible please?
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There's not really much happening on the growing or livestock side at the moment but expecting to get another couple of weaners again in March I think. I'll drop you a line once there is something worth seeing! ;D
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That's great - thanks in advance :-). Will keep myself up to date with the websites until then!
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Hi Chris,
We live in Northumberland and are also making steps to follow the smallholding life.
I can also recommend Yearle Tamworths, we done a course there last year and Sarah is great. We had our first Tamworth weaners from her and the experience was brilliant - they taste good too!
How was your visit to Bill Quay? I heard last year that funding was running out and it may close which would be a shame. I got the bug for the Tamworths when I was there doing a bee keeping course a couple of years ago. Sadly I just heard the other day that one of their hives has died this winter. I'm hoping mine survive ok.
As for a smallholding course we travelled up to The Accidental Smallholder to do a days course and Rosemary & Dan are brilliant! I would highly recommend it and I'm hopeful we will go up again some day.
Foster
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Hi Foster,
Thanks for the information, whereabouts are you based?
Bill Quay was ok thanks - got some lovely sausages. However, given the time of year there wasn't much there or going on... They had a sign up saying the rumours about them closing were just gossip :-). Didn't see or read about the bees to be honest.
Will definitely be looking into the courses.
Thanks again,
Chris.