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Author Topic: Hello from Wiltshire  (Read 5512 times)

mikymackeral

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • West Wiltshire
Hello from Wiltshire
« on: January 13, 2009, 07:02:12 pm »
Evening all, just thought i would introduce myself.
living in West Wiltshire with my wife,4 kids, 1 choc labradoor, 2 ferrel kittens, 4 block rock hens and a trio of light sussex.
We are desparate to start with pigs, but need to find land and what a headache that seems to be. We have gone knocking on farm doors and searched down all avenues but cant seem to find a plot of land to rent that is local to us ???

Once we can find suitable land we will raise a couple of weeners, a few turkeys and expand our chicken flock to table birds. spurred on with the passion to feed my kids the best food i can, and even better the kids love being involved and enjory being outside, with us.

So i look forward to joining in with you all, and if there is anyone local who would like to chat and exchange experiences it would be great to hear from you, we are just outside Warminster.

Thanks.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2009, 07:54:28 pm »
Hi, Miky and welcome to the TAS forums. Good luck with the land search - it's like hens teeth round here.


juliag

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Wanstrow somerset
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2009, 09:26:37 am »
Hi Mikey, we are just outside Frome and are lucky enough to have 3 acres of our own land. We have just sent our first 2 pigs off and let me tell you the meat we had back was fantastic. I have exbattery hens and 'normal' hens both for eggs and next week we take our first delivery of a dozen meat birds to raise for the table. We raised ducks for the table last summer as well which were very tasty. We also raised 6 geese last year, 5 of which we sold for xmas and we had the other one on xmas day...... well worth doing too. we have a 35' polytunnel  and are looking forwards to doing lots of veg and flowers this year. we also planted raspberrys (56 canes) gooseberrys (6 canes) blackcurrants, whitecurrants and redcurrants. We have a Facebook group called friends of produce from the field where I reguallly post photos etc of what we are doing. As we are so cose if you fancy visiting to see what we are doing it would be great to see you, my kids love it and yours will too! Julia :)
juliag

Guy

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • East Devon
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2009, 02:49:00 pm »
hi mm,
good to have you onboard - i know what you mean about finding land , we've been trying for years!!! :D no doubt when the time is right for us it will find us ;D - dont let it stop you enjoying what you can do though
relax and enjoy life - let others do the worrying

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2009, 06:02:55 pm »
Hello from Scotland !

Sorry I'm not more local cause I could've helped with the land issue but don't suppose an 8 hour round trip is very appealing !
I've been peeing at your wee photo - is that a mackeral you're holding there cos if it is it's got to be the biggest one I've ever seen ! (and I've caught a fair few)
Your ferrel kittens reminded me of the ones we used to have, farm cats left to their own devices and we, as kids used to love going up to try to catch them in an attempt to make them 'tame' it was all needle sharp teeth, claws and flying fur most of the time but we did manage it on a few occaisions - one even won a prize for cutest kitten at our local pet show lol!
Good luck with the search for land - might Hugh FW's 'landshare' be worth checking ?
Keep us posted and let me know about that fish - it's a beauty!
Karen  ;D

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2009, 06:23:34 pm »
Quote
I've been peeing at your wee photo

 ;D well tell us then ... did you hit it ...? :o ::) ;D ;D
   Sorry bout that....I had to comment ....it was the best thing I have read for ages.....( I know ...what a saddo !!) still thought it was funny  ....

Russ
 

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2009, 09:55:56 pm »
OOOOoops,
sorry about my terrible spelling/typing slip up ! I have to learn to read things before hitting that post button !
I don't have any strange fish fetishes going on or anything like that ! lol! HONEST!
Karen

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2009, 12:03:35 am »
lol...we all do it ( well I do anyway ) so don't worry . ::) You can always edit your posts anyway , just hit the modify button on the post in question, but that was a good one ..don't change that one... ;D

cheers

Russ

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2009, 08:24:58 am »
Hi M.mackerel and welcome.  For land have you tried your local council, sometimes they have some available.

mikymackeral

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • West Wiltshire
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2009, 05:02:44 pm »
Hi guys,
Thanks for the warm welcomes, HappyHippy thanks for peeing at me  :), no that is not a mackeral, it is an 8lb Bass caught of the beach with a whole mackeral. The reason i am grining so much is that i had been taking the kids down to fish for about 3 months trying to catch a Bass, and this was our last outing for the year as it was getting to cold for them, and on the last cast we landed this..... just to see the excitement on the kids face was as good as actually landing it, not to mention a free dinner which if you had bought that fish from the monger it would have been about £25-£30.

Regards the land we have secured a piece 5 mins from the doorstep from our local manor house. got just enough to raise around 4 weeners and start to produce table birds. Getting really excited now, just working on the fencing so hopefully ready to go next month.

Cheers all

Mikymackeral

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2009, 05:59:59 pm »
Excellent news about your land - you'll love having pigs, mine were just like dogs. Tails wagging and squeals of excitement when I arrived (or rather when the bucket full of food did !)
I'm soooo desperate to get some chickens this year - it's all part of my grand plan while I'm off work on maternity leave, that and veggie beds, composter, sorting a very large shed roof, farrowing pens etc etc etc - oh yes, and having the baby too in between times lol!
Good luck with it all and keep us posted
Karen  :pig:

Ross

  • Joined Jan 2009
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2009, 01:27:29 pm »
I was in Mole Valley this morning. There's a card on the wall advertising a 5 acre freehold plot between Dilton Marsh and Chapmanslade. 2 1/2 as pasture, 2 1/2 as woodland. Asking price is 65,000 which is about right for moderate/good land, provided there isn't a value uplift clause.
I should n't appear too keen though, if I was you. Landowners can smell a "needy" smallholder a mile off. I'd be glad to view the land with you if you are interested. Let me know.
Cheers, Ross.
There is no problem in the world that cannot be fixed by the judicious application of the appropriate hammer.

pigsatlesrues

  • Joined Oct 2008
  • Normandy, France
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2009, 06:50:02 pm »
Great to welcome you to TAS,  I originally come from Bradford-on-Avon, so not too far away from you!

Kate  :pig:
Bonjour et avoir un bon jour !

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2009, 08:21:52 am »
Congratulations on the land find mm.

juliag

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Wanstrow somerset
Re: Hello from Wiltshire
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2009, 09:37:29 pm »
mole valley , great source of inspiration isnt it!! thats still quite a lot of money for 5 acres isnt it? Also what is security like, just a point to consider as you are not living on sight. As we are just up the road I can confirm we have lots of suspicious charecters driving around in their ropey old vans and lorrys at the moment!!! And a very well known dodgy charecter has just set up house and scrap of land  on the edge of dilton marsh we were warned by the police to lock down all tack rooms etc!!
juliag

 

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