[Onawa]

Hi All 

Been lurking for a bit and felt i might start posting!! I inherited some 12 acres 10 or so years ago. It was rented out to a long term tenant until he was forced to downsize a few years ago. Since then we have had several tenants that just fail to pay the rent. So at the start of the year I decided I would take it on myself!

So much to learn and enjoying the process! I've kept horses all my life and they have been moved onto the land to save my livery bills. Just awaiting a CPH number and doing some bits of fencing before we can get sheep. Would like some poultry too, but i'm afraid Mr Fox will get them.

Would be great if I could create an income from the land. But lacking inspiration at the moment and enjoying it as an (expensive) hobby!

[SallyintNorth]

Welcome    And enjoy your foray into smallholding

[PipKelpy]

Ditto re expensive hobby!! Praying for Sun and heat so the grass will dry and can get my hay done! Was planning on just 3 acres this year but due to wonky weather grass is reaching for the sun and 3 acres is now around 6 acres looking beautifully green with heads!! Tup due in at the weekend for 5 sheep and cattle and sheep being strip grazed all over the place and I'm running out of fencers!! But take deep breath and remember how lucky we who have land are and the "pleasure" (at times through gritted teeth) we all feel when we see bales of hay stacked in shed, home grown produce looking just like it does in the catalogue (yeah right!) and the chirping of birds in the sky yadda yadda yadda! My spuds have gone demented, something has eaten my runner beans and my lettuces have bolted due to the weather! But other than that, it's just another day with a very expensive hobby, that i WOULDN'T give up for ANYTHING!!

Ps - for me income from the land is selling excess lambs at auction (we eat most of them) and selling finished pork after buying in weaners, customers are sister and cousin, the same with beef. Finding customers who will pay can be a problem as another smallholder in my area found out. He told me that people no longer wanted to buy half a pig, only wanted the choicest cuts or would pay only so much. As a business he couldn't afford that. That's why I only ever sell to family now. People passing comment about the cost of proper meat yet thinking nothing about buying the latest gadget, I can do without! Good luck with whatever you do!

[Perris]

hello Onawa  Good luck with your new venture!

[Rosemary]

Hello and welcome to TAS  from  Carnoustie! Good luck with the new venture!

[sabrina]

Years of fun ahead I am sure