[lordlonk]

Hello from lordlonk - Very pleased to have found this site for so many reasons. I hope you will see me very often on here. You all look a very friendly  group of people and good conversation and knowledge is what im really looking forward . I look forward to sharing your companies. Any other lincolnshire  and nottinghamshire  smallholders on the forum ?

[carole h]

Hi. I am also new and from lincs. Nice to meet you.

[HappyHippy]

Hi from Scotland !

My sister is living in Nottingham at the moment, but she's not exactly a smallholder (in fact the very thought of worms and muck sends her into a panic lol!)

Look forward to hearing more from you !

Karen 

[lordlonk]

hi carol and hi happy hippy - very nice to make your aquaintance. I look forward to being on here a great  amount. At present i have a huge amount of tidying up my exisiting business so far removed from farming and smallholding -i work in the music business-I have a great amount of stuff to deal with including 3 year end accounts in my office and a great amount  of stock to clear and much tidying up the warehouse. Plan is to sell that building \(its not that big ) and get my first land to be able to make a start.  where in lincs are you carol ?? happy hippy i saw you on here yesterday i think - your in scotland i think yep?

[HappyHippy]

Yes, I'm in South Lanarkshire - 10 minutes from the main M74 north - south motorway, but in the middle of the country. Not exactly a smallholder as I'm currently trying to get the family farm up & running as a farm again (it's been a retirement home for the last 20 years) and most of our 130 acres is now woodland. I've got about 4 useable acres and am just busy trying to figure out exactly what I can fit in and how to raise the cash to do it - my problem is I have no patience (and no cash! lol!) and no time as I'm either working or sorting out my 2 (soon to be 3) kids. But hey, baby steps and all that, I've got plenty of time!
If you're ever passing through and need a comfort stop - just let me know !
Karen

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome to the TAS forums. I've had no internet access or emila since Friday! I've been bereft!

Good luck with your land search.

[HappyHippy]

Pigs, pigs and more pigs hopefully !
The woodland has almost been planted long enough to withstand pig abuse ! I had a couple of wee cross breed weaners last year - mainly to prove to hubby (ex-aberdonian pig farmer) and my dad (ex-beef farmer) that when the time came I was capeable of taking them to the abbetoir - before they'd let me spend an obscene amount of money (their words) on pedigree pigs to breed from.
I would've loved to put highland cattle to the wood but I feel it's just way too densely planted for them unfortunately - but the pigs would have a ball rooting about (and maybe tapping into a truffle or two in the process!)
On the 4 acres of workable land I'm hoping to get my polytunnel up (if i ever have the cash for a new cover) and if I can get a sheltered enough area would love an orchard - but we're v.high up & quite exposed, so it's on hold at the moment.
Also have a huge shed (I think it's about 70ft x 60ft) but it's seen better days and hasn't much roof left - I'm still undecided as to what to do with that......... but give me time & I'll think of something lol!
My grand plan is to eventually have a 'learning' farm where people can come & stay (log cabins in the woodland funnily enough) and get hands on with pigs or offer day courses & stuff for schools, but also a farm shop selling produce (hence polytunnel & orchard) and I've got my eye on a great spot for a tea room right next to our pond lol!
But as I've said before patience is NOT one of my strong points and am still learning to try and walk before running headlong into it and finding myself stuck ! Baby steps at the moment, but one day............
Karen 

[lordlonk]

hi karen

That sounds a great plan and i hope as time goes by you get to be able to do  all that you hope - coming myself from no farming background anda desire for great changes in my life is a huge learning curve for me too. All and everything i want to achieve was  never a pipedream but a real sense of making the changes to live the life that i want to lead-  uncomplicated -a joy to get up in the morning - a responsibility to the  animals - low cost living and pretty much do a bit of what i do work wise now but very stripped back and very much less than i do now - i have a house paid for that i would rent out that could achive some monthly income and  ifi bought some land from selling my small business premises i would be self sufficient with land and no rent and no mortgage and i could lead the quieter lifestyle i dream  of and get rid of all thesepressuresthat have come my way many self inflicted. Ive learned so much from the ex and all that i wish to achive was inspired by her passion for good  healthy living  working the land  and living a beautiful chilled happy lifestyle . Nothing will make me more happier to get up - do all the animals -do a bit of mail order - do some general work on the land - reading a bookevry day or part of a book -watching some decent tv and having a pint with good people in a nice country pub away from all the doomand gloom of this  country that is in tatters. Iwill find it hard to  do all the things on my own -I loved  my ex so much and she stilllives with me for a little longer till she finds her feet. She works with dairy calves and has cows and chickens of her own and i just wish i had been abletoput all my plans intopractice sooner than i have. Alllast year i have been trying to work towards a plan to get us both moved from here - we both hate where we live with a passion and i so much want to move on and so does she . I had hoped we would go together and find somewhere we could could both do the things we really want to do. im happy to get me hands dirty  and get me wellys on to helpa bit sometimes  if you want sometimes -im not that brilliant at stuff but it would be goodto get out and get a real feel of  new friends and hands on approach to stuff. Your plans are exciting - That big shed - id love that -  - imlooking at 12 acres here locally with a big shed that size but no woodland , id love a bit of your woodland and your big shed - very jealous - all your dreams willcome together 

[Rhyan & Melissa]

Helloah!

Haven't our paths crossed on another (shall remain nameless forum)!!!

How ya doing?

[Rhyan & Melissa]

Hey Ian,

Have you heard about the Lincolnshire Smallholders?

http://www.lsssc.org.uk/index.html

We joined last month - they have a monthly meeting at various locations, each meeting having a tutorial, food and a chinwag.

Keep in touch!

[lordlonk]

Thats sonice ofyou- thank you very much - i willhave a look at there pages later today and i will join up. That will be good to get out and meet some new people. This may be a bit sad but ive recorded all the grow your own veg of the uk gardens channel and got the book  for  afiver  . Im itching to start . Just got a few  weeks of tidying up all the loose ends of the business that i so much want to put in a big box and walk away from - The business from now on will be much smaller and more managable and once thats all taken care of i will be out looking for the acre or acres. Thanks again - I love logging on here  twice a day and will have a good read through the site so much more over the coming days .

[Rhyan & Melissa]

Not sad at all - I've got a pile of allotment, pig and chicken books at the side of the bed! Just finished John Seymours book - damn fine read!

Right, have a good evening all - off to bag the ingredients for bunny stew!

[lordlonk]

hello ryhan and melissa

are you off to the next smallholders meeting -id like to go whenever there is one  but not having a smallholding leaves me somewhat feeling a little false - i have a pretend 4 acres that i help nat with on occassions but my intentions are all good -i wondered if they would let me join and attend

[weeJim]

Hello. My name is Jim and I live in a small village south of Birmingham although I am Scottish.  I do not have a smallholding but my grandparents and then my uncle were farmers and I have always been deeply interested in agriculture.  I came across the site by accident when researching the book by Henry Stephens which is much featured on the BBC 2 series Victorian Farm.  This looks like an excellent site and one I will visit often.

[Rhyan & Melissa]

Hello Ian,

Yeah we are gonna go!  We haven't got a small holding yet either, just the allotment, lots of ideas, a hen shed in the post and a cat!

They seem a reasonable bunch, everyone brings some food along and it all seems quite civilized!

Come on!