Author Topic: Hello! (from South Somerset) (Read 2105 times)

Greenwood_Pete · « **on:** February 22, 2017, 03:17:03 pm »

My wife and I have just moved to a rental cottage just outside of Yeovil, with a 0.5 acre paddock attached. We've been wanting to start our own smallholding for years, and this seems like the perfect opportunity and foundation from which to build.

We're both ecologists by training and I'm also involved in woodland management, coppicing and hedgelaying. Whilst we've grown and gathered our own food before, this is our first opportunity to seriously attempt to fulfil much of our own needs.

I look forward to getting involved and sharing the experience with you!

Pete

farmershort · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2017, 05:18:02 pm »

Hi pete,

Welcome!

We're just a few miles west of tiverton, so not too far away. We took on 26 acres of totally neglected land last July, and ate loving it. Plenty of stuff that you'd be familiar with I'm sure... hedging etc.. in fact last weekend we started planting our new mixed coppice.

We've only got sheep so far, but we've previous done pigs and goats in a small way too.

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2017, 05:19:45 pm »

Hello and welcome to TAS from

Carnoustie

Bionic · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2017, 06:32:10 pm »

Hello and welcome to the forum from Carmarthenshire

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2017, 07:51:29 pm »

Waving

from North Cornwall

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2017, 10:03:06 pm »

and welcome from Shropshire.

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2017, 09:36:33 am »

and welcome from Ceredigion

chrismahon · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2017, 10:08:54 am »

Hi Pete. We had half an acre in Staffordshire and it amazed us how productive it was. Chickens, sheep, 20 fruit trees and a big vegetable plot. The experience gained there was essential to get us here. Good luck.

Possum · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2017, 06:46:41 pm »

Hello Pete,

We are in South Somerset as well. Stoke St. Gregory, which is between Yeovil and Taunton. It's a lovely part of the country, if a little stormy at present.

Fell free to send me a PM if you need any information about local suppliers or organisations.

waddy · « **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2017, 07:13:37 pm »

Hi Pete! South Somerset as well - just other side of Chard. Took on our place in 2013. We have 34 acres but are concentrating on the acre around the house at the moment while saving up for livestock, machinery, equipment, fencing, housing etc. The farmer we rent the fields to looks after them better than we could at the moment but we have plans. We have loads of poultry (hens, geese, ducks and turkeys), bees, have planted an orchard and have been using a digger all weekend to level an area for a large polytunnel. We are loving it!

Helen