The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: oor wullie on January 03, 2016, 08:46:26 am

Title: How much would you stockpile?
Post by: oor wullie on January 03, 2016, 08:46:26 am

If you lived in Braemar?

The A93 washed away the other day just after Ballater.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-35206652 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-35206652)

Fortunately there is a diversion around it.

Unfortunately the Invercauld bridge has also partially collapsed with the floods and will probably be closed for a couple of weeks.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CXt3yCUWwAIzFY7.jpg (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CXt3yCUWwAIzFY7.jpg)

There is no diversion possible so the only way on and out of Braemar is from the South.  The road from the South goes across the Cairnwell and is one of the highest in the country.  I remember in 2001 it took them more than a week to dig it out (bits were too deep for ploughs or the blower) and they found avalanche debris over the road.

The weather forecast is for the next week or 2 to be significantly colder than December.

If I lived in Braemar I think I would be getting in a little extra food just in case!

Title: Re: How much would you stockpile?
Post by: Marches Farmer on January 03, 2016, 09:04:27 am

We aim to go into Winter with pretty well all the feed we'll need for the stock through to Spring and a three week supply of food - we buy dry goods like flour in bulk anyway but have long life milk, butter and hard cheese in the freezer and so on. We also have a good stock of things like baked beans we could heat on top of the woodburner if the LPG runs out or the electricity supply fails.  This area was cut off for six weeks over the Winter of '46/47, though, so maybe it should be more!