The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Croftess on February 18, 2014, 06:06:06 pm

Title: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Croftess on February 18, 2014, 06:06:06 pm: Living in Shetland for 10 years now. We were very lucky to acquire a croft and haven't looked back. Since the kids left home we sold Beth our gorgeous Shetland cow but we keep a flock of native sheep and rear all our own chickens for eggs and table. We've also managed to grow a lot of our veg, but the polytunnel blew away a couple of weeks ago :( We have reared weaners, geese and ducks. It was a steep learning curve with the livestock but it was something I always wanted to do - grow and rear from the land to the plate

I have a craft business and amongst other things I dye and spin my sheeps fleece and knit scarves/shawls, buttons, shawl pins, felt etc etc

Looking forward to spending time on here and hopefully getting to know you all ;D
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: darkbrowneggs on February 18, 2014, 06:16:47 pm: Hi from Sue :wave: - currently in Dunbeath but heading your way soon I hope. You will love it on here, everyone is so knowledgeable and so helpful :thumbsup: Bad luck about the polytunnel :( I suppose it has been very windy
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: shygirl on February 18, 2014, 07:05:29 pm: welcome from aberdeenshire. :wave: :wave:
your business sounds great. if you have a website, you should put up a link :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Bramblecot on February 18, 2014, 07:11:18 pm: :wave: from the other end of our Isles (on the south coast of Dorset). We keep Shetland sheep but I have not got into the craft side of things - yet ::) :roflanim: . You'll love TAS :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: benandjerry on February 18, 2014, 07:25:01 pm: Hello and welcome :) I am sooo jealous about you :spin: I'm a wannabee with a new pair of gardening gloves :roflanim:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Clarebelle on February 18, 2014, 07:30:09 pm: :wave: welcome! I am moving to Orkney in a couple of months so we will be almost neighbours! There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum, its such a great resource.
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Rosemary on February 18, 2014, 07:31:20 pm: Hello and welcome from Carnoustie :wave:

We breed Shetland cattle here on the mainland. We have two cows (Breeze and Blizzard), in calf with their third calves (we bought them from David Smith at Beadies Farm); an in calf heifer (Annie, 2012 daughter of Blizzard); Bonny, Breeze's 2013 heifer calf plus George, Breeze's 2012 bullock, Charlie, Blizzard's 2013 bullock and our bull, Hollins Storm. We put our first bullock in the freezer autumn last year.

I was lucky enough to visit Shetland with SCBA last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, taking in Cunningsburgh show plus lots of visits to Shetland cattle breeders.

Loved Shetland, love our cattle ;D
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: mowhaugh on February 18, 2014, 08:03:11 pm: Hello from the Scottish Borders!
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: SallyintNorth on February 18, 2014, 08:12:37 pm: Hello and welcome from the north of England :wave:

We may well manage a trip to Shetland this year... would love to make it for Wool Week!

We're commercial beef and sheep farmers but I keep a couple of Jerseys and a small flock of fleece sheep on the side. Make butter :hungry:, spin :spin: and knit. :knit:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Croftess on February 18, 2014, 10:24:50 pm: What a lovely welcome, thank you feel right at home.

Hi Sue DBE, got some eggs from you last year ;)
Thanks Rosemary - so you'll know all about the herd book - My Beth came from Robert Ramsey in Ollaberry.

Thank you everyone, hope to be speaking with you all :excited:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Somewhere_by_the_river on February 19, 2014, 09:30:06 am: Hello and welcome from Wales!

We've been members for a mere few months and already met some lovely people - in my opinion you'll be hard pressed to find a friendlier or more useful place than TAS! :D
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Rosemary on February 19, 2014, 01:00:53 pm: Quote from: Croftess on February 18, 2014, 10:24:50 pm
Thanks Rosemary - so you'll know all about the herd book - My Beth came from Robert Ramsey in Ollaberry.

Is that the Collafirth herd? If so we visited there - it was wonderful. Lovely cattle, lovely cakes - and then the whisky bottle came out ;D
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Lesley Silvester on February 19, 2014, 09:21:59 pm: :wave: and welcome from Shropshire. I grow fruit and veg and keep two :goat: :goat: for milk and meat. I also :spin: and :knit:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: marka on February 20, 2014, 12:46:37 pm: Welcome from Moray :wave:
Title: Re: Hello from Shetland
Post by: Croftess on February 20, 2014, 05:09:37 pm: Thank you for more welcomes :))

Yes Rosemary it was the Collarfirth herd - having been reading the goat section avidly I am coming to the conclusion that a cow is easier to manage than a goat :thinking: