[ballingall]

I have joined the other forum, because I thought being local to me, it was a good idea.  When you only have a few acres of land, its hard sometimes to get hay making equipment etc. or chain harrows.  This way, maybe we can help each other out doing different things.  And things like buying in bulk.  Someone local to share a wagon load of straw maybe, is a bonus.

And I agree, all that is great. But, if you dis-encourage some people from joining, you may be shutting yourself off from opportunities. I know how we used to struggle to get someone to cut and bale our hay for us, and maybe a forum like that would have helped. Nowadays- I just wish we had enough land to get some hay made!


Beth

[Roxy]

And I wish we had the weather to make hay - done nothing but rain this past week or so.  And here is us with a hosepipe ban, and empty reservoirs!!

Yes, I see what you are saying, Beth.  I am sure The Grange did not mean to dis-courage people from joining.

Probably I will not be eligible to be on there once we move, as we will more than likely be out of the area, but never mind.

[Hilarysmum]

What about a sub group on here, a bit like the sausage recipe theme on recipes?  Then people who live close enough could get together to buy a giant wormer which can be split, etc. etc. 

[Rosemary]

Grange did indeed ask Dan for permission to post on TAS. He was happy for that to happen as there is no conflict (remember, TAS is my business now!!).

I will PM her.

[doganjo]

Grange did indeed ask Dan for permission to post on TAS. He was happy for that to happen as there is no conflict (remember, TAS is my business now!!).

I will PM her.

Please let her know I was not criticising her at all.  Beth has probably put what I think into words better than I did, so I apologise if I did not make myself clear. It just seemed the forum was elitist in my eyes but I realise now that was not the intention.  It seems a good forum for local people if they have more than an acre.

[Sandy]

Not read all the posts but noted that :-

We may mean something in our heads and for that moment then write what we feel but it may well be read in a totally different light,  just because we think things are not offensive, it dose not mean that they aren't.

I spent so many years doing anti oppressive practice stuff at college then Uni and we (the whole class) would spend hours if not days changing words in things to make them inclusive and non offensive and quite frankly, all it taught me is, that will never be the case, we all have different ideals and want different things so why should we not look for things such as forums, that suit us even if we are a minority....I am excluded from disabled, male transsexual trainspotters forums as I do not like collecting numbers even though I like men

Finlay, I have learnt that we can offend people all over the world with the wrong words so we either keep it lite and rosy or occasionally offend...you decide

[Hilarysmum]

That was well put Sandy.  Hopefully The Grange will make a comeback after Rosemary has made contact.   

[Sandy]

My OH always makes me chuckle, he stairs at people, men or women either on really nice bikes (keen cyclist) or with dogs (keen on dogs of any description) BUT, if someone stairs at him he gets offended...see what I mean!!!!

[plumseverywhere]

I have joined the other site because I am in the midlands and I guess with making the soap business out of my goats milk and selling the amount of smallholding produce we do, it is quite a chunk of our income (hubby still remains main earner but even that is farm related)
the written word can be misconstrued so easily, having run a forum for women with postnatal depression for some years  I can recall many instances where offence was taken when perhaps it need not have been or as Sandy has said, where offence should have been taken but was not!
Its a shame, the other forum seems a good idea for the midlands of England where we have very little in the way of smallholding groups and the members are friendly as they are here too - but I will still be coming here too because I've made some lovely cyber friends and had some good laughs along the way (very welcome laughs I must add after some very gruelling days with my animals!)

[Womble]

Oh 'eck!   I hadn't meant to start anything!

I freely admit that a few chickens and a raised bed doesn't exactly make me a smallholder, and thus I accept I'm not part of this new forum's target audience. However, that doesn't mean I was in the slightest bit offended by the OP, more just amused. Sorry if I put the  among the    s (sorry, there's no pigeon smiley!).

[humphreymctush]

Who's going to verify whether or not a prospective member meets the criteria? I claim to have a 36 acres and a flock of 50 shetland sheep of various shades, but I could be an inmate in a secure mental hospital with far to much time on my hands. Thats the whole point of the internet. There is no place for eliteism on the internet and the excuse that it saves them trawling through the idle chit chat is nonsense.

[humphreymctush]

And another thing! The proportion of my income and time accounted for by my smallholding is nobody else's business. My sheep make a profit but I have expensive tastes and therefore work full-time. That I am able to do this demonstrates that my farm is well set up and efficient. Whats the oppossite of an actual smallholder? a virtual small holder. That would only really describe someone who plays farmville.

[smiffy]

Just to clarify why the forum came about!!!!

I was talking to the grange, on the phone and said that i use many forums, but everyone is so far away... on tas a lot of people are in scotland, on downsizer many are in the south or wales...everyone on river cottage is miles from me

I said it would be really nice if we had a local forum, so we can share thing, also when i look in the trading posts on various forums everything i want to but is miles away...not that that stops me, i went to deveon and west wales for chickens.

I live in yorkshire, not a million miles from derbyshire where the grange lives....

an hour later i got an email from the grange saying, 'your wish is my command' with a link to the new forum

Now she set that up in less than an hour, i dont think thye grange considered the banner to be offensive...
then to advertise the new forum the grange contacted the owners of various sites.

No one ever said if you have a few chickens you cant join, or if you have less than an acre...

Its about sharing equiptment, labour etc
and helping local people in our local area... I think this is way out of hand, it doesnt stop people being a member of tas, or any other forum, but it is a support network for all us fools who are trying to eak a living off the land.
I am greatful the grange put herself out to form this forum foer me and i am sorry that some people are taking umbridge

[woodlandproductsfife]

Why could TAS not have been contacted, Just like topics or catogories They could have added regoins, Then would  be no need for new forums.  Im not bothered by any of this, everyone here is real freindly and help full and thats good enough for me

[Rosemary]

I can't get hold of the grange as she's on as  a guest not a member so, smiffy, if you are in contact, please tell her to look again and we can allkiss and make up!!