The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: doganjo on November 15, 2011, 11:00:16 pm
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Tomorrow evening 7.30, Mayfield Centre, Stirling - Rare Breeds Survival Trust talk, coffee and biccies, calendars for sale. All welcome
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i was begining to thing i was going dowally with no posting about this meeting until now :thumbsup: :farmer:
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Annie, I'm not going to make it :( Thought it was a daytime thing (brain freeze moment !) - it clashes with Brownies and I can't let them down (wasn't there last week cos of the knee thing) I'm still waiting for pork from the butcher too, but will get a run up to see you once it's ready.
Take care & please send my apologies to everyone :wave:
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i was begining to thing i was going dowally with no posting about this meeting until now :thumbsup: :farmer:
It's on our Facebook page too, Robert - has been for weeks, AND on our own website as it is at the moment.
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Annie, I'm not going to make it :( Thought it was a daytime thing (brain freeze moment !) - it clashes with Brownies and I can't let them down (wasn't there last week cos of the knee thing) I'm still waiting for pork from the butcher too, but will get a run up to see you once it's ready.
Take care & please send my apologies to everyone :wave:
Sorry you can't make it, Karen. Our winter meetings are always in the evening. ;D Don't worry about the pork - still got some in freezer. Just let me know when you're coming. Could maybe meet you somewhere, to save you coming all this way?
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I won't make it - I just don't do driving in the dark except in absolute necessity so haven't/won't make any meetings through the winter which is quite sad as I joined to meet folks but there it is ::)
If there is a way of proposing either alternate evening/daylight meetings or even just one daytime one occasionally then could I ask that the idea goes forward please? If it doesn't work for anyone else and other members are happy to come out on a dark cold/wet night that's fine but is it possible to ask anyway? At this rate I'll have been a member for a whole year and never been ::)
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We have only had daytime and weekend meetings in the summer months until now, Ellie, but I'll mention this at the next Committee meeting on the 27th - does sort of make sense, especially with the turn of the weather. ;D
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A lot of the calendars will be going at the meeting tonight - but I still have a few left if anyone wants them?
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AND on our own website as it is at the moment.
Actually, is it? I can't see it there, as I looked the other day. Also, is it 7pm or 7:30?
Either way, I'll see you tonight. Do bring a couple of calendars for me if you've got any spare.
Womble.
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The problem for me with daytime meetings in winter is that I finish doing morning chores about 11am then start feeding again at 3pm; in between, there are other outside jobs to be done. The dark evenings are fine for meetings, because I can't do anything outside anyway.
I don't like driving in the dark very much either, but a can or two of Red Bull and I'm fine :o
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7.30pm tonight, David
I have calendars for you.
Perhaps weekend meets are the answer then?
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Good meeting but not many there in the end. Ruth from RBST did not seem to mind and was enthusiastic and knowledgable. Evenings in the week as at present are best for us as we are generally busy during day and weekends. Maybe we could pick up/drop off if people are more or less on our route.
Simon
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AND on our own website as it is at the moment.
Actually, is it? I can't see it there, as I looked the other day. Also, is it 7pm or 7:30?
Either way, I'll see you tonight. Do bring a couple of calendars for me if you've got any spare.
Womble.
http://www.smallholders.info/future-events (http://www.smallholders.info/future-events)
That's the last meeting till the Christmas party and Secret Santa - might be at my house and if so, anyone who doesn't want to drive home can kip here - I have two double rooms and a twin room spare. Could that be an option Ellie?
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http://www.smallholders.info/future-events (http://www.smallholders.info/future-events)
That's the last meeting till the Christmas party and Secret Santa - might be at my house and if so, anyone who doesn't want to drive home can kip here - I have two double rooms and a twin room spare. Could that be an option Ellie?
Thanks for the kind offer, but not really.. the cats and chooks go out at dawn around 7am now and the ponies are needing hay in both front and back field rings at that time too as my "evening" round is more like teatime between 4-5pm now it's dark so early ::) I can come back later but the last 2 nights I did that there was one hen who had chosen not to go indoors and I didn't spot her til morning :o I reckon not letting them out til mid morning they'd be starving and have a go at each other..
Anyway, I don't do Christmas so I'll just wait anyway, welding was mentioned on the events list as I recall so that might be more my daytime kind of social event ;D
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is that right that welding is on the agenda :farmer:
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is that right that welding is on the agenda :farmer:
Don't remember it being decided on to be honest. I think it was a suggestion on here by someone. It would have to be done by an establishment such as Oatridge and they are very expensive.
I'll mention it at the next committee meeting. That reminds me - anyone fancy coming on the Committee - ladies especially, I feel rather outnumbered right now, and new ideas are always welcome.
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you were not outnumbered last night ;) :farmer:
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you were not outnumbered last night ;) :farmer:
eeksy peeksy - with Ruth on our side lol ;D ;D ;D
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i meant the commite :farmer:
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I have a printed off list on the notice board beside me at work here which says Basic Welding Sat 21 Jan Oatridge College 10am-430pm bring a packed lunch member's £25 non-members £40 I was looking forward to this so I hope it is still on. I've got plenty of ideas of things I could weld together if I only knew how
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OK, howabout some ideas for meetings next year? My feeling is that whilst it's great having outside experts (e.g. Andrew and Ruth this year), we shouldn't neglect the expertise we have within our group. For example, Robert & Lillian - would you be happy do do an evening on pig keeping? Just the basics that a smallholder would need to know to be able to rear a couple of weaners. Likewise, Rosemary, how about sheep? I'd love to get a few, but I really don't know where to start. The key thing is that you don't need to be an expert, just to share what you know, and if there are several who also know about the topic already, they can chip into the discussion too.
So, ideas:
- Beginners Pigs
- Beginners Sheep
- Growing in a Polytunnel - Somebody in our group must know someone who knows lots.....
- "Show and Tell" - just like at School, we each bring an object, skill or similar, and chat on it for 5 minutes
- "Kill it, Pluck it, Gut it", bring your own cockerell (or actually I can probably supply one for each participant FOC!). This one is likely to get us banned from the Mayfield Centre though!
- Home wine / beer - again, anybody know an expert?
- Energy Efficiency / Micro-renewables - I can probably arrange a speaker for this one if it's of interest
- Setting up your own website - Business Gateway do a 1 evening intro to this. Maybe they'd run it specially for us, or if not, perhaps we could gatecrash en masse?
- Subsidies for Smallholders (plenty of interest in this the other night)
- Beginners Butchery
I'm sure there are more..... what else can anybody come up with?
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The welding at Oatridge, and the lambing course and the grassland course, are provisionally arranged but are dependent on numbers. The College charges £280 a day, so either we need good numbers or the Association needs to subsidise it - as the sheep course was.
I agree with Womble but someone's got to organise these events. No disrespect, but the ideas are the easy bit :) I think smallholding visits are good - it's good to see what other folk are doing and for the host, it's a great incentive to finish those wee jobs and tidy up ;D
CSSA should have a committee of seven - currently it's five and may be less come the AGM. If other members don't come forward, it will fold. Dan set up the framework for a new, simple website but it needs a member to take responsibility for getting it finished. The basic text is written (by me) although there's nothing to stop other text being written too - but it was a start.
I've done three years on the committee and, for the most part, it was very rewarding but it needs new folk with get up and go to take it forward.
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Good ideas.
Beginner's goatkeeping
DIY fencing - really an outdoor session
I am sure if I have time to sit down I can think of lots more i would be interested in myself as a starting smallholder
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your getting my vote womble for a committee position
the basic welding would be good good eyesight is a must and quick reactions also required but what welding are they doing mig tig stick or gas welding
the pigs/sheep is a good idea the kill it pluck it gut it is best done away from the public polytunnel i know a man wine and beer i am well up for an honest opinion on the end product subsidies is not just as straight forward as claiming if you could get somebody from defra/rural payments butchery that has been done in conjunction with qms and was well attended
BUT if you don't read the posts book a place or mark it in your calender (cssa ones have big enough boxes to write in) you have missed out :farmer:
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Sorry Rosemary, I didn't mean to be flippant, and I know there is an awful lot more to organizing this than just coming up with the titles. However, I still think it would be good for folks to add to the ideas list, and then that can be evaluated to see what flies and what doesnt (personally I hope the pigs will fly, but I've been told there's only a slim chance of that ;)).
I think in general some things we will only want to do once, or once every few years, whereas other things could be done on a more regular basis (seed / seelding swaps in spring for instance).
DIY Fencing is a great idea. I'll host that one, and provide the materials! ;D
Meeting times are an interesting dilemma. For me, dark winter evenings are about as good as it gets, as I work 9-5 weekdays, and weekends are always jam packed. However, I know that's not as good for folks with young kids, those who dislike winter driving, etc etc.
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Can I just remind everyone that this TAS - it is NOT related to CSSA although we do post on here as individuals. If anyone is willing to come on the Committee can I please have a message from you to the CSSA email address - I have one offer already and I am very pleased, but we need more as Rosemary says!
cssa_committee@yahoo.co.uk
Some great ideas chaps, keep em coming and we'll discuss at the next committee meeting.
Anyone who would like to be on the committee is welcome on Sunday afternoon 27th November at my home 2pm.(you could be co-opted on now I think)
I think the Christmas get together may possibly be changed to the Friday, 16th December rather than mid week. but we have to discuss that in committee too.
Annie
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Ideas
Definitely beginning with sheep (and other animals/fowl too)
Talks on more unusual species we may not have or necessarily want but would be interested to hear about - exotics, camelids, the buffalo guy for instance? or someone like Fletchers deer farm..
Incubation, chicken sexing and rearing maybe too?
Fencing I could host but not do myself :P
Pruning fruit trees (another one I volunteer to host but know nothing about ;) )
Cuttings and other forms of plant propagation
Polytunnel selection and setup
Subsidies, grants and other financial things - I just appealed a tax credit application and have to sort out ILA who want an accountant's stamp before they'll consider what I told them I didn't earn ::)
Book keeping and Tax returns (Annie?)
Websites I can do based on free templates but it could help some folk
Marketing produce - design, markets, legislation, hygiene certificates, selling at the gate, farmers markets..
Agricultural animal health - vets, nutritionists..
Building a coop from scratch/modification of other structures (here please!)
Chainsawing
Welding (tho I just realised I've taken a booking to work 21 Jan :( )
Preserving fruit and veg
A meat equivalent, curing etc for the carnivores (I won't be around that day!)
Butter making
Cheese making
Basketry
Spinning
Dyeing with natural materials
Herbs and spices - growing, preserving, using in food/medicinally
Weaving
Crochet
Knitting
Felting (I would still come tho I've done a few courses already)
Fleece to fibre wool processing
Brick/blockwork basics for animal shelters/barns/outbuildings/storage repairs
Tractor driving (Always wanted to but will never afford a tractor and just want a shot!)
How to prepare and show livestock (various species)
How to prepare and show produce
Trailer towing/manoeuvring
That's just off the top of my head as the list of what I don't know is endless and tho I have some ideas on some of the above I'd usually try and come to broaden my skills and enjoy the social aspect - but it does need to be daylight for me ::)
Oh and another idea is whether we could create a cooperative or skills/labour/equipment exchange to pool both manpower and skills particularly for the likes of the middle aged single crock who can't pay workmen but might muck in with other things in good company.. A kind of moneyless banking system of hours or just a monthly day somewhere with the host providing a task, the materials, the catering and a wee show and tell around their holding..
Sorry I have lots of ideas and relatively little experience of any relevance and, given the night time meetings I can't volunteer to join the committee before anyone thinks of saying to go on and get the above organised :-\
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some list ellied a lot of the items are on the training group list
i know a guy that does that as a living will ask the next time i see him about a group session and no that does not tie in with ellies second last para
i think womble has the lead on the fencing well he is going to supply the materials :farmer:
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Ellie, you don't have to be on the Committee to organise some of the events - I'll be talking to you about that soon. We all have skills and one of the things the present committee suggested was making use of these.
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Can I PLEASE ask you NOT to use TAS and to reply on cssa_committee@yahoo.co.uk
I have sent a questionnaire email out to all current and past members so if anyone has been missed can you please let me know, and accept my apologies for the omission. :-[
we also have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/centralscotland.smallholders (https://www.facebook.com/centralscotland.smallholders) - let me know if you wish to be a 'friend' ;D
- Annie
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Can I just remind everyone that this TAS - it is NOT related to CSSA although we do post on here as individuals.
I think the Christmas get together may possibly be changed to the Friday, 16th December rather than mid week.
No problem with a CSSA thread on here - at least everyone can see and participate, which is great.
The 16th would be good, Annie, for reasons that you know about ;D
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Can I just remind everyone that this TAS - it is NOT related to CSSA although we do post on here as individuals.
I think the Christmas get together may possibly be changed to the Friday, 16th December rather than mid week.
No problem with a CSSA thread on here - at least everyone can see and participate, which is great.
The 16th would be good, Annie, for reasons that you know about ;D
OK thanks, Rosemary. It's your site and I felt we were intruding on your space - maybe we could have a specific section? (If you and Dan are feeling generous ;)) at least until we get our website sorted out with a forum of some sort.
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Do you want me to do the CSSA website ?
I'm not quite Dan level ;) but I'm not too bad :D
I'd like to get more involved - but have one or two (or 10) other commitments already :-\ it's easier for me to do things here (where I can watch the kids & pigs) so it might work out alright ?
You can email me if it's easier Annie, but I'll make a point of checking back here too.
Karen :wave:
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Have PMed you Karen. I need help with a friend's new website I said in a mad moment of bravado that I'd do for him! and that was about 6 weeks ago - he won't come and fit my conservatory radiator iof I don't get a move on! ::)