Hi everyone,
It has been ages since I have posted anything on TAS as we have been so busy. Building our little farm from scratch has taken every bit of time we have but it's been worth it!
Here is an old post (my first on TAS) and quite a blast from the past. I hope it will give a little bit of hope to anyone who like us had a plan to get back to the land, be more self sufficient, rear animals and ultimately live on their land. We had that dream when we started....but we just had one tiny problem.....our land was clasified as greenbelt!! Let me tell you where we are now:
It has taken us nearly three years and we have come such a long way from our original 39 sheep and 2 pigs. We now have around 80 sheep, 6 sows (OSMs and Tamworths), 2 boars (1 of each!), currently 14 piglets with more on the way next week and then again next month, 30 meat birds, 35 turkeys, 25 ducks, 50 egg layers and a handful of silkies. We have built a huge polytunnel, are in the middle of rebuilding a big agricultural shed, we've got a large veg plot with 24 raised beds, a fruit cage containing another 12 raised beds, a small orchard and a couple of thousand potted Christmas trees....plus much more. We've built our own chicken houses and pig arks and have had a little bit of shelter from our now filthy static caravan. While continuing to live 8 miles from the farm we have travelled there every day in all weathers to help everything grow and develop little by little. We've often had to sleep in the caravan and even in our car when animals have been born. We've learned about best practices in animal husbandry and the treating of complications and ailments of all types of livestock. We've had the joy of seeing and assisting animals being born....and the sadness but satisfaction of seeing them off to market or slaughter. We've enjoyed the fruits of our labours and dispaired at our losses. We have developed a growing business selling our meat, eggs, livestock and veggies and after all of the money we have spent on this new venture we are at last starting to see some income. It has been hard hard work.
Now here is the BIG NEWS...after developing our business plan, three planning applications, four planning panels, two site visits and a hearing......we have been granted outline planning permission for an agricultural workers house on our farm
it still hasn't sunk in!!!
We are now in the process of designing our farmhouse something that at times I thought we would never be able to do.
We couldn't have done this without the support of our family, work colleagues and friends (many of whom we've met here through TAS and Central Scotland Smallholders Association) and Robin and his team at Laurence Gould Partnership who have guided us through the minefield which is planning.
I was very naive three years ago presuming that there was no reason why we couldn't build a house on our own land. I am now extremely familiar with planning policies, government guildlines and the workings of the system (that doesn't equal "working the system")....even speaking at our hearing!
To anyone wanting similar success in order to get a fast buck......don't even consider it! The planners are sceptical of every case and have seen every trick in the book. If though you truly want to do as we have done - provide local food with zero food miles, promote high levels of animal welfare and allow people to know exactly where there food has come from, support local businesses and possibly employ local people then so long as you are willing to work very, very hard, put your life on hold, overcome many set backs, skeptasism and even some hostility anything is possible.
I'd love to hear of other peoples success stories and I promise to now be more active here on TAS
Have a great day!
Pebbles
Topic: Hello everyone - looking forward to sharing & learning (mostly learning!) (Read 16723 times)