The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Vidazzle on July 01, 2014, 10:33:15 pm

Title: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Vidazzle on July 01, 2014, 10:33:15 pm: :wave: everyone. We are Vicky and Darren and live in Buxton, Derbyshire. We don't own a smallholding and at the moment, our garden consists of a small courtyard patio that houses a few border plants and a well used Rosemary bush!

As we are both in our mid-late thirties, we have been exploring the idea of becoming involved in running/owning a smallholding. This was seeded last year when we spent some time with Darren's family down in the New Forest where they had sheep, and some lovely land. It was lovely being in and around the smallholding for a week and it's something we are very keen on exploring.

This site has some great information, and we are doing our own research on the ways to go about setting up and the challenges that it might involve. We are thinking longer term as we aren't 'capital rich' at the moment but what we would be very interested in is if there is anyone out there who knows where we can get some practical experience that is a bit 'hands on'. We are aware there are some courses out there (although nothing in the Peak District) but is there anyone on here who might be prepared/willing to share their experiences and perhaps offer us some (voluntary!) work experience?

Thanks! :fc:
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: SallyintNorth on July 02, 2014, 06:43:06 am: Hi Vicky & Darren :wave:

Beautiful part of the world you are in :)

If you want to learn about sheep, find your local friendly sheep farmer and offer to help. You've probably just missed the best opportunity to get your hands dirty and start to build a relationship - help on shearing day is often very much appreciated, wrapping wool and so on.

If you see small bales of hay being made in a field, offer to help stook. It's not livestock, but again it will help to build a relationship.

If you can get to know your local friendly sheep farmer, you will probably then be able to help at lambing time - and you'll learn loads helping on a farm at this time.

If you were nearer to me, I'd be inviting you into our hayfield tonight! ;) :D
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Rosemary on July 02, 2014, 07:31:33 am: Quote from: SallyintNorth on July 02, 2014, 06:43:06 am
If you were nearer to me, I'd be inviting you into our hayfield tonight! ;) :D

Jeez, there's an offer you don't get every day ;)

Hello and welcome, Vicky and Darren. You could try WWOOF or HelpX too.

Good luck with the planning :)
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Treud na Mara on July 02, 2014, 12:33:29 pm: :wave: and welcome - I'm sure there will be some TASers nearby to bite your hands off with that offer ;)
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Backinwellies on July 02, 2014, 01:12:17 pm: :wave: and welcome.

Don't know what you are looking for but check us out on the Help X site
http://www.helpx.net/host.asp?hostid=21774 (http://www.helpx.net/host.asp?hostid=21774)
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Hazel Hollow on July 02, 2014, 03:50:37 pm: Got to agree with Backinwellies, go for Helpx, if you pick and choose you will get all the experience you want and meet some nice people. http://www.helpx.net/host.asp?hostid=28211 (http://www.helpx.net/host.asp?hostid=28211) We started as volunteers and then as a host ourselves.
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Lesley Silvester on July 02, 2014, 11:52:24 pm: :wave: and welcome from :sunshine: Shropshire. I love your part of the world.
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: happyharry on July 04, 2014, 06:53:20 pm: You need to understand that with small tractors, supply and demand comes into play.

There are more buyers than tractors for sale so you can end up paying stupid money for something that's 40+ years old and the best of it's working life way behind it. Mini tractors, like the Kubota, are even more expensive (comparatively) and so the Chinese imports at £5 -7K look attractive, until you realise that they are about 50% less reliable than even a 40 year old European tractor.

There is no simple answer but the first step is to understand the market basics and then take the plunge.

Good luck

Harry
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: SallyintNorth on July 05, 2014, 12:11:21 am: happyharry, I think your post may have been meant to be on another thread?
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: animalcrackers on July 05, 2014, 04:59:11 pm: do you fancy a working holiday in ne scotland?
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Marches Farmer on July 05, 2014, 05:26:33 pm: If you'd like to stay in rural Herefordshire check out holidays@hareleyfarm.co.uk - half-day session on setting up a smallholding thrown in for free for interested guests.
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Deere on July 20, 2014, 11:41:34 pm: Hello Vicky and Darren,

I'm just down the A6 at Bakewell, if you need any help/advice with sheep and the related skills that go hand in hand with them I'm more than willing to help or point you in the direction of someone that does know.

Apart from having a few sheep of my own I work on a local farm/estate which has a pedigree suckler herd, 250 lowland and 400 hill sheep.

Drop me a message sometime if you think I can be of any help,

All the best in your new venture,

Tim
Title: Re: Hello and seeking advice and experience
Post by: Jane91 on July 29, 2014, 08:43:49 pm: Hi,

I'm just looking for somewhere at the moment to start on the smallholding journey too, I'm in chesterfield so pretty close to you, how are you finding things?