[jinks84]

Firstly completely out of my comfort zone - approximately four years ago I purchased a small old farmhouse (300 years old approximately) the house is wonderful we overlook all of Cardiff the channel and across Caerphilly and upto Brecon.

Since moving here we've renovated the house built a deck which you can land a plane on, but have done NOTHING with the acre of land and it's completely overgrown!!! to say the least previously is was a small holding and has four derelict pig pens and hen houses.

In addition I have the opportunity of purchasing additional grazing land equating to four acres.

So here's the biggie I have no experience of gardening further than cutting the grass, the idea sounds interesting and I have the land rover defender so would look the part at least.

I like the idea of vegetable patches, chickens a sheep or two, my father informs me my grandfather had a green so maybe its in the blood??

thought ideas suggestions maybe mental health check would all be appreciated

thanks 

[SallyintNorth]

If you’ve no experience of growing or of livestock, I would say go and get some experience first, to at least make sure you like it, before getting yourself committed at home.  Have a look at WWOOF UK, lots of hosts all over the UK (and all over the world through the worldwide organisations) who will be glad to have a bit of help and show you what they do.

Also, see if there is a smallholder association in your area, lots of these about, they often have monthly meets at members’ holdings, so it’s a great way to see a bit of what can be done and make some friends who can advise if you do decide to have a go.

An acre is a good size for starting, extra acres would be a lot of work if you are growing but essential if you want livestock more than a few hens and maybe a couple of weaners to fatten up each year, or a couple of orphan lambs to rear and put in the freezer each year.

If you’ve come at this more from wondering how you are going to tame your patch now it’s got away from you, rather than from having a passion for growing, or for livestock, or for eating your own food, then you may be better off finding some local folks who could do something with the ground - maybe put a couple of pigs on it this year to get it cleared, then some sheep next year to even the ground out again after the pigs have rootled it.  Again, the local smallholders would be the place to start.

But if you think you may have a passion, then doing some WWOOFing should help you decide if you do, and if so, for what.  (Just try not to fall in love with cattle, you’d need more than 5 acres to do cattle properly )

[Briggsy from Gower]

Hi Jinks,

My advice would be to have a go on a modest scale, there's one sure way of putting yourself off and that is to try to do the lot in one season.

It is a HUGE amount of work, either you love it and that ceases to sound like an issue, or you hate it. If you've renovated your house already then sounds like you don't mind getting stuck in.

We have a small plot like yours and it is a perfect size so long as you do not want big grazers, we just have a few ducks.

(Here's a lovely link to a re-wilding project for that 4 acres - https://www.isabellatree.com. If I ever get my hands on the field next to us then that's what we'll do, though on a more modest scale than their 300 acres!)

Like Sally, I also suggest visiting some folks doing something similar to get a feel for what is possible and advice on what to avoid (nothing like learning from other peoples mistakes!). We are near Swansea so if you ever head west your more than welcome to pop in and take a look at our tiny slice of heaven.

[Rosemary]

My advice, for what it's worth is buy the four acres (I'm assumig it marches with your existing land) if you can afford it. Opportunities don't come that often. Rent it out to a neighbouring smallholder or farmer to graze sheep to keep on top of it (I'd personally avoid letting it for horses beacsue they can make an awful mess).
Then do as Sally suggests and decide if you have a passion for growing and producing your own food - if you have, you'll use five acres no problem. If you don't have the passion, please either sell the land or give a tenancy to someone who does - not a seasonal let - so that they can invest and care for the land properly.

[pharnorth]

Also worth visiting some of the excellent Agricultural Shows in South Wales. Gives you a chance to see livestock up close and meet amd talk with farmers and smallholders.

[jinks84]

Thanks for the information, I've been away so just weighing up my options. It's just getting dark here otherwise I would send over some images of the land. The difficulty I have is the slope nature of the ground, to begin with I think it's best to buy a mini digger and clear and fence the land.

As for the additional land it doesn't adjoin the property it's about 5 minutes walk away again it's very sloped, in this instance it grassed and has had sheep on it previously.

There is a machinery auction coming up near in January and I'm going to bid on a 1.5ton mini digger, tomorrow I will post some photo's thanks again for the info

[jinks84]

Hi it's been a long time and work has been crazy - now we're in lock down we've been battling the garden below are the raised beds I constructed. I've now got to shift 75 bags of compost.

as you can see from the photo the pig pen is the next project, the block work is loose so it has to come down but what will be left is a flat pad for a workshop and green house.

No animals yet but the wife is eyeing up chickens!!

[Briggsy from Gower]

Great start, bet you can't wait to get some veg growing in those beds.

[Womble]

Hi Jinks,


That's great progress - superb!


Can I give you one word to the wise?  Take it easy!

When we first moved here, I did all sorts of things in the first year, and ended up exhausted, which really took the fun out of everything. In year two, we pared everything right back again, and did more of what was worthwhile and enjoyable, and dropped loads of stuff we felt we "should be doing" because "well, we're smallholders now, and that's what smallholders do, isn't it!?".

So yes, by all means use current situations as an opportunity to get things done, but equally take it easy and look after yourself too. Smallholding is definitely a marathon, not a sprint  .

[Briggsy from Gower]

Sound advice!

[jinks84]

Thanks for the advice, where we lives it's isolate, so being outside is an absolute blessing. Although I would say the garth mountain is a tourist hotspot still.

To be honest I have to keep busy my very small house rental business is taking hammering and if I didn't go outside I would be dwelling to much.

Next job is building a dwarf stone wall along some gabion baskets to plant some flowers and veges

You all keep safe too