[Anke]

I have just stopped my subscription to Country Smallholding, after about 7 years of religious reading.(I stopped Smallholder about 3 years ago). I am partly past the "Starting with.... " stage and also find that the direction of the journal since its new editor arrived is more towards urban smallholding (poultry and a large(ish) garden/allotment - not where we are at all. I will miss some articles though, especially on sheep, but there is always WWW.

Question: What kind of (monthly/quarterly) journal could I be continuing - aimed at the rural smallholder/small farmer? I have so far not read anything like Farmers Guardian (more than once), as the pictures of huge combines/tractors etc are quite offputting... and I do feel a bit of a fraud buying it with my less than 20acres!

What do others read?

PS.: I also was quite annoyed to be asked to pay 36quid for subscription where it is offered at 28 to newcomers!

[Hilarysmum]

I gave up both some years ago mostly due to cost - everything is equated to a bag of pig food, very little wins the battle our pigs are very greedy!!!

I would love an affordable magazine aimed at more experienced smallholders.  Have never found any form of smallholding magazine here, one of the very few drawbacks of French life.  If anyone can suggest a cheap one I may be able to negotiate the costs with the pigs ....   

Anke hope this is not jumping on your topic 

[sheila]

Why not get together and produce your own?

[ellisr]

I'm sure we could produce our own somehow that would keep us up to date and grow with us, I have found that the mags were a great sorce of knowledge to start with but become repetative and not to the direction of which a smallholding normally goes.
Most deal with sheep pigs and goats, growing veg but very few articles about diversification which most of us do (ie soap making, cheese making farmers markets and craft fairs).
If there was a mag that was for smallholders by smallholders it could cover a lot more topics that are relevant to the more established smallholder.

[Sharondp]

I like Home Farmer - as with any monthly, there will only be certain articles of particular interest, but I find the recipes and preserving stuff in every issue really good.

I haven't taken out a subscription as not every issue will be relevant, but I get it when I remember!

[Anke]

Yes I think we could produce one, but such a business venture would really take up more time than any real smallholder would have available(besides the smallholding that is)

I guess this forum is a good replacement - without the glossy pictures and the adverts showing children with cute chicks perched on their head....


I have had a look at Homefarmer a few times and bought a few issues, but I don't like the urban angle and most articles are written by the editor or his wife. Good thing about it is that it so far doesn't come in plastic wrap, so you can have a look through it in the newsagents and decide if anything is of interest.

[jacob and Georgina]

just bought my first edition of home farmer today as it happens as a change from country small holder, this is definatley aimed at a slighltly larger scale and more advanced smallholder, it covers a wide range of topics slightly more than country smallholder and has a good section in the back full of really good recipies, unfortunatley i dont think it is any cheaper! but definatley worth a try. There is always farmers weekly but like you i was off put by the pictures of combine harvesters etc on the front!!

[Mo]

We had Homefarmer from the first issue and it has been very good but after 2 years we stopped our subscription because of the repetition. I guess it happens with all such magazines. We've kept out copies, they're good to dip into. But, for example, when we were researching Polytunnels we found the articles were even using the same pics. Now we browse new issues just in case they have something appealing - as Anke said, it's one mag you can actually still browse.

[bamford6]

smallholder very good chouse

[Samantha]

Hey guys ... I sent a message to Dan several weeks ago which kinda touched on a subject which I think falls under what is being discussed here.. I suggested that maybe a few of us here on the forum started an Ebook of sorts .. with recipies for starters but could move on to being a useful small holder bible written by real people

What do you guys think ?

Sam

[sheardale]

Its a great idea. 

[Anke]

Definitely worth some more thought!

[Sharondp]

Recipe book being collated right now in memory of Wizard (George) - please add your favourites

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php/topic,9424.0.html

[VSS]

Home Farmer is geared towards those with very little land and CS has too much poultry in it (but a very good sheep writer  ). I have never liked the smallholder, largely because they are so advertising driven - they will not take submissions from writers unless they also place adverts, which i guess must skew the content.

There is no panacea. Anke, you will just have to face up to the fact that you don't fit the mould made for the masses - we have always been square pegs in round holes.

[Anke]

Yep, never was one for doing it the same way as everybody else.

Funny thing, in the last issue of CS was an article on loading pigs ready for abattoir etc, and it mentioned to cover the ramp on the trailer as pigs don't like treading on it... we put their feeding platform onto it and the pigs were in the trailer wihtin 5 minutes, just munching their way up... so some bits of info i will miss...

And yes the sheep articles were very good, because not just aimed at the beginner. Really liked the one on embryo transfer... something I had never really heard about much. You just have to write another book then!