Hiya Everyone,
In June 2019 at the tender age of 49 and 25 years of dreaming I finally made the leap from a (council estate) townie in Newport, South Wales to a Small 2.5 acre smallholding in the appropriately named Ffarmers, an village just outside of Lampeter in West Wales.
We, that's me and longtime suffering husband Andrew, have a concrete prefabricated bungalow. Its nothing swanky and nor will it be as we are doing this on a shoe string budget. The land is dissected by 3 small streams which had no access across which would account for why it had become overrun with brambles and nettles.
We spent the first few weeks living in a van as the bungalow was, to put it politely, stinking
Having source a secondhand bathroom and kitchen and a tonne of bleach we made it a liveable space to move into and it is now a work in progress which will no doubt be completed in the cold dark winter months. So with the help of friends and family we armed ourselves with brush cutters and strimmers and started to open up the land. We acquired a large amount of scaffold planks and made foot bridges over the streams to be able to access the different areas.
We now, 4 months on have one clear field of around 3/4 of an acre with the start of some outside raised beds and a small polytunnel. We have planted fruit trees and bushes and have various veg and salad growing (even if the are only 2 inches high). We have designated a small corner for a chicken run and have 8 chickens providing eggs on a daily basis. We have our CPH number and are thinking of getting a couple of weaners to help clear the top field. We have a difference of opinion whether these will be pets/breeding stock or for meat. Obviously I have research it from various angles but there is nothing better than hearing from people who have already walked this path for your recommendations.
I am drawn to British Lop as I've read that they are a quite docile pig and an easier start for a new pig keeper but they are not at adept at foraging and clearing land as another breed such as Tamworth.
Choices, choices.... what should I choose???
TIA Jayne x