The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: SuzyJ on December 06, 2009, 06:41:39 pm
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Hello, just a short introduction. We're an English ex-pat family living in Bulgaria and trying our hands at small holding. So far we're enjoying the complete life change but do find the language difficult still.
Never tried anything like this before and apart from having an allotment in the UK we're quite new to gardening too. Must be doing something right as we're all still alive and our animals are doing well too!
Hoping to learn some new things here on TAS and maybe chat to some of you friendly people out there too.
Feel free to have a read of my blog about our daily life (link should be on my profile I think) and leave comments too.
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well hi from an expat in Ukraine
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Hello and welcome from derbyshire
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Hello from windy and wet Kinross in Scotland, just joined the group as well. Nice to see so many new folk on here.
:chook:
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Welcome from an accidental smallholder in the Wet and Windy Wee County (Clackmannan) Think I'll try rice next year ::) ;D
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Welcome from Brittany. We are becoming very global.
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Hello and welcome from Devon :)
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Welcome from another newbie!
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Hello, from Central Scotland, how the internet connects people, brilliant int tit????? Good to work on the land, keeps you fit, mentally, physically and emotionally!!!!! (I only have chickens and 2 ducks in the garden)
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I'd be interested to hear more about how you get on. We lived in neighbouring Romania for almost 10 years before returning to the UK, and have been thinking about whether we could run a smallholding there. It's nice to read that other people have similar ideas.
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Hi, and a belated welcome. I joined a while back but have not really been on much and today decided to revisit. I live in Sweden and have a smallholding here with my husband and three children, all we have aquired so far are domestic pets lol, we have been a bit hesitant in taking the plunge in investing in farm animals, I think it is the thought of their ultimate destination which is a little off putting. Has anyone else felt this way and if so how did you manage to overcome this in order to fulfill the dream of being self sufficient. I would be interested in knowing also how other people cope with the winter(we have snow from Dec to April)
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we have been a bit hesitant in taking the plunge in investing in farm animals, I think it is the thought of their ultimate destination which is a little off putting. Has anyone else felt this way and if so how did you manage to overcome this in order to fulfill the dream of being self sufficient.
I got a tour around an intensive pig farm - their ultimate fate seemed to be a blessing - after which we decided to rear our own.
(I know there are some good intensive farms and some bad "smallholders" before I offend anyone).
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Welcome from Midlothian, Scotland, new to this as well, but hey life is one huge learning curve.... Good luck
Lavinia
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hello and welcome from frozen wirral,we got some cotournix quail with the idea on being sufficient in eggs and meat but i gave all the males away to avairy owners ;D
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Hi, and a belated welcome. I joined a while back but have not really been on much and today decided to revisit. I live in Sweden and have a smallholding here with my husband and three children, all we have aquired so far are domestic pets lol, we have been a bit hesitant in taking the plunge in investing in farm animals, I think it is the thought of their ultimate destination which is a little off putting. Has anyone else felt this way and if so how did you manage to overcome this in order to fulfill the dream of being self sufficient. I would be interested in knowing also how other people cope with the winter(we have snow from Dec to April)
I must admit when we first started rearing animals I used to dread the time when we had to start thinking about their end. The first batch of turkeys I raised were like pets as I'd handled them so much and I was panic stricken thinking about their end. It has got easier over time and now I'm much more at ease with the whole thing and actually proud that we got off our backsides and have tried something different. What also makes a difference is knowing where your meat comes from and how it's been cared for and that it's end has been quick with minimal fuss and stress.
The winters here aren't as long as yours but can be hard - got down to -25 last winter although this year has been a lot milder. As to coping with it and having livestock it's just something you have to do, animals need cared for no matter what and as long as you have a good stock of feed and some decent wellies then you can do it.