[Skylark]

Hello from Deeside in Aberdeenshire. We just moved to our new home with 12 acres a few months ago and are TOTALLY new to all this. We have no great plans to work the land we just always wanted to have our own space in a beautiful setting and now we have it! We have one dog and 3 cats and hope to get some hens in the spring.

Plan was to let a farmer cut our grass and take it for silage, which is what previous owners did, but he says our grass is quite old and if we let him have it for few years he will plant barley and then grass. We are very unsure because we keep getting warned to be very careful about letting anyone do anything with our land. So looking for advice about best way to go about it, know there all kind of legal implications, or even best place to get good advice.

I have been reading all the great info on here and am impressed at how willing everyone is to share advice

[Victorian Farmer]

speak to Ronald greenlaw you re nabourer he will sell you good hens advice etc very good man                   http://oldmacronaldsfarm.co.uk/resources/rg$5B1$5D.pdf

[mojocafa]

Hi from Arbroath, I was in exactly the same situation but we have put our goats in field and they're doing just fine
Mojo

[Rosemary]

Hello and welcome from Carnoustie 

Depending on what the grass is, ploughing and reseeding shouldn't be the first option. If it was sown for silage, then it's probably a ryegrass / clover mix but if it's been down a while I'm sure it will have wildlife value. Cutting and removing grass for hay or silage depletes the soil's resources, and if it hasn't been grazed or fertilised then nutrient levels may be getting low. A soil test will verify this.

The best sustainable managers of grassland are livestock, especially sheep but sheep and cattle do well together as they graze differently.

Can I urge you to use the land for some kind of food production? If it's been used for silage production, I guess it's reasonably good quality land. Given that they're not making land any more, I believe it's incumbent on those of us who have the privilege to have responsibility for land to steward it well and, in a world of food scares, food insecurity and food shortages, to produce food from it.

Sorry, don't want to go off on one and scare you off  You'll find lots of help and hopefully inspiration on the website and the forums. If you can make it along to the Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival at Lanark in September - there will be more help and inspiration and the opportunity to meet lots of TASers, I hope.

[Lesley Silvester]

Hi and welcome from Shropshire.  There are many of us on here who would kill for 12 acres (almost).  I suspect though that, once you've got used to having so much land, you will want to use it.

[Skylark]

Thanks for the tip about Ronald Greenlaw, he is pretty close to us so I will get in touch with him once we are ready. 

Mad goat woman I think you may be right but at the moment it all seems a bit daunting! We will just have to take little steps

[lachlanandmarcus]

Skylark if you are close to Ronnie and Marion Greenlaw you are also close to me!!
If you want to pop up for a coffee PM me. We have 40 acres (yes it is too much we must be mad!) and have sheep and geese and chickens and horses.
Can def recommend Ronnie for supplying chickens, esp specific breeds, they look after their animals well and are lovely people, PM me if you want their number (it is published on the web so isnt confidential).
You are right to be wary about the farmer thing. Once its ploughed and sown, it takes away all your options. Also, unlike a grass let which is a short term thing eg for sheep wintering where the animals are removed and no tenancy is created, with something more long term  like that then unless you are careful could unwittingly create a tenancy (very likely if you 'just let him have it for a few years)- and until the tenancy right to buy legal cases are settled not many landowners are creating those at the moment (which is a shame). Definitely (in capitals) dont sign anything lasting  over  without legal advice first - it has big implications and you could lose the land!!!!Will you be happy with the enormous machinery too?
Also is it fenced/? if it is well enough for sheep then the best option to improve the land is to get some sheep on it and graze it down hard before the grass really starts growing, that way you will get a lovely sward as the grass can get through and up and the sheep poo will gently fertilise it. If not then you could just have it mown for hay this year, Im sure there will be someone locally who will do that if you remove any ragwort.
The other thing is...it depends on the farmer as to whether it will be a good idea. There are some who I might consider it with, and others it would be over my dead body!
Hope this helps and do PM if you want a coffee and natter
 

[clydesdaleclopper]

Hi from up near Huntly way 


I would echo what Rosemary said about growing food. It sounds like an ideal place to implement some permaculture techniques. There are quite a few of us in Aberdeenshire doing permaculture so plenty of people to ask 

[Ina]

I would echo what Rosemary said about growing food. It sounds like an ideal place to implement some permaculture techniques. There are quite a few of us in Aberdeenshire doing permaculture so plenty of people to ask 

I don't want to start a controversial discussion - but what the farmer suggests would constitute "growing food" as we all know it... Both barley and grass for silage goes into food - ok, unless you feed your silage exclusively to horses, I suppose!

Almost forgot - hiya and welcome! 

[Skylark]

Thanks for all your welcomes. I agree that in its way silage does contribute to growing food too!

Had a look at permaculture on the web, looks interesting and would hope to treat my plot in similar ways.  I have always had the idea of making it a real haven for wildlife so will hopefully work towards this.  Listening to everything on here I am beginning to think that having sheep graze the grass would be a really good option

[Ina]

Yep - definitely more wild life friendly than barley and silage! You can always divide the plot up in future and use some for other livestock/orchard/veg etc... And once fruit trees are mature, sheep can graze under them, too.

[Birdie Wife]

Thanks for all your welcomes. I agree that in its way silage does contribute to growing food too!

Had a look at permaculture on the web, looks interesting and would hope to treat my plot in similar ways.  I have always had the idea of making it a real haven for wildlife so will hopefully work towards this.  Listening to everything on here I am beginning to think that having sheep graze the grass would be a really good option

If you're interested in wildlife friendly options, the RSPB have an Agricultural Adviser based at Aberdeen who may be able to help. Their advice is free and they might be able to help get you into a grant scheme once it's back up and running.

[goosepimple]

  ....and hello from the Scottish Borders - 12 acres is a great size, good luck to you 

[Skylark]

Thanks again, I will definitely look into the RSPB option

[MischieMoo]

Hello

We are also new to this and are also looking at getting hens in spring and sheep later on.  We let our fields to a local farmer for grazing last year who paid us for the privilege.