61

Land Management / Re: Strange field drains

« Last post by Lambic on August 21, 2025, 12:17:14 am »

I find my old stone drains are similar depth to the clay tiles, around 600mm deep.

They are very hard to block for me and a nuisance when doing pond work with diggers.

It is beyond belief the work they did in the old days installing them by hand

62

Land Management / Re: Strange field drains

« Last post by Lambic on August 21, 2025, 12:14:49 am »

My initial reaction would be probabl rushes indicate blocked or severed field drains.

Unlike most people, I guite like rushes.  Quite a few Jack Snipe can be found in mine.

63

Land Management / Re: Thistle management with herbicide

« Last post by Lambic on August 21, 2025, 12:12:25 am »

Good to know, did not know Grazon was sopersistent.

I have not removed any of my dead docks / thistles etc.

64

Goats / Re: Trial ownership of Goats - Yes or No ?

« Last post by Penninehillbilly on August 20, 2025, 11:23:10 pm »

Electric fence is the way to go with goats, I have stock fence and some dry stone walls, the strand of fence runs in front of them, if goats can't see a way through, they'll accept boundaries.
We definitely have deer (roe) and hares, I don't think goats or sheep bother them.

65

Equipment / Re: Voluntary VAT Registration Advice

« Last post by Lambic on August 20, 2025, 11:22:20 pm »

Many thanks for all your replies.

My initial thoughts are to selling things lol Ike the following:

* pond plants via eBay
* Arts and crafts supplies foraged from arpund the place.

* In 5-10 years, perhaps local sales of fruit.

All very modest. And certainly would never dream of the B&B route.

Would my very small initial turnover, perhaps only a few hundred pounds a year, cause a problem ?

66

Land Management / Re: Strange field drains

« Last post by Penninehillbilly on August 20, 2025, 11:10:48 pm »

I look at Google earth a lot, the lines of rushes are very clear, diagonal across the field, but I can never decide whether the grass or rush lines are where the drains run, ie are the drains working (grass lines) or drains blocked, =rushes? Someday I'll find time to dig, (wish I had a minidigger!). The electric pole in the middle of the field I suspect was put straight through the land drain. Lots of rushes just there. 
Our drains are old stone drains, flattish stone for the  base, lines of stones for the sides and covered with flat stones, not very deep from surface, just not built for today's tractors, most have filled with silt or collapsed somewhere. 

67

Equipment / Re: Voluntary VAT Registration Advice

« Last post by SallyintNorth on August 20, 2025, 10:27:14 am »

Basic foods are VAT free, but if you "add value" in any way, the resultant product may or may not be VAT free, so do check that for all the products you might want to sell.  You'd have to charge more (or receive less net) for any which are VATable. 

Also, make sure you've thought about future "gotchas", for instance if you subsequently decided to offer bed and breakfast, or camping barn accommodation or similar, those would now be VATable supplies as you are VAT registered.  I don't know if you are able to de-register if at a point in the future it became better for you to be unregistered, so definitely check that side of things out too.

(Another example of a possible gotcha : At present jams and chutneys are VAT free, but if you later decided to run a small cafe, then all your food supplies could potentially become VATable.)

68

Equipment / Re: Voluntary VAT Registration Advice

« Last post by ZacB on August 20, 2025, 06:22:49 am »

Another little anomaly - vat is applicable with honey bees if you were selling a hive of bees I believe. All to do with the packaging your selling them in, a corex poly nuc with bees no issues.


As for the voluntary registration, no issues with that at all. Helps if you can do your own basic bookkeeping as quarterly returns (other terms are available I think) are required. A added hassle is now having to submit your return through a third party but we use Vatify which is still free to use.
If you’ve spent out on machinery then well worth it, 20% refund on Vat can amount to a fair chunk.


As Womble said though - as long as your end product is vat free.

69

Land Management / Re: Thistle management with herbicide

« Last post by SallyintNorth on August 20, 2025, 05:05:21 am »

Also be aware, if you are using Grazon or similar on mowing land, or grazing land for horses and you poo pick, that the broadleaf plant killers in it are mega persistent.  They will survive haymaking, silaging, digestion and composting, and if any rotted FYM or other material ends up in your veg plot will kill - or at least stunt - all the broadleaved plants you are trying to feed. 

Cattle farmer I knew had given up trying to grow turnips after repeated failed crops until we fathomed out he Grazoned his most thistley mowing field, fed the silage he made to the cows, spread the muck back on the turnip field...

70

Land Management / Re: Draining Flat Land

« Last post by Lambic on August 19, 2025, 10:50:44 pm »

The very old stone drains and the old clay tile drains, are very effective on my gley / clay soil

They knew what they doing.

In fact they are too effective if you are creating  ponds, proving very difficult to severe and block.

With a large area, I would be inclined to dig a pond / seasonal pond, fed by some open ditches.  Or covered perforated pipe, french drain style.

Based on this summer, we should try and attenuate it as much as possible on the land
.