.....Figure out how much to grow?

[Mustardseedmama]

Wow---you really made me think! I never counted all the gasoline we run through the tractor to till the garden, and I never counted the electricity to charge the fence (keeping dog and cats out). I don't count anything but actual veggie/fruit garden expenses, because we aren't nearly self-sufficient. So far we haven't been able to come up with the funds to fence our pasture, so no cows. All we grow is rabbits, chickens, occasionally hogs, vegetables and some fruit, and mostly in the fruit department we get strawberries, as our fruit trees usually suffer a late freeze these past few years.

I think Dunc's idea is grand,...especially if you know some decent folks who'd take good care of the part they rented.

Also, have you considered bartering seeds, young trees, the use of tools, and even labor?

[boboff]

Well I am I suppose, I am using part of the field with a Neigbour to grow Christmas trees, this will help shield the Water Treatment works from my Neighbour.

I have spoken with a local group about allotment space and a neigbourhood recycling centre, and I have just become involved with them Volunteering with their accounts, but this started 3 years ago, and it is just so much red tape and approvals etc, that it begars belief.

I have offered some to friends, who then had various family tragedies, and I set up a Pig Co-operative 2 years ago, got ready to do the fencing and then got a tree preservation order put on the woodland.

I then had the issue with my truck "discovering" a mine shaft, which meant it was pretty unsafe for a while, my truck got stuck for 4 months, and I have ended up chucking tonnes of stone down the "hole"

The fields are awash with Rabbits and foxes and Lone Angry Badgers, not to mention the number of Deer that use the fields as a short cut.

What ever you look at, you need fencing, or machines, or ground cover or Chemicals to spray etc etc etc.

I must say though that the Meadow is looking absolutely beautifull though, it hasn't been cut or sprayed for a few years now, I am starting to trim the brambles and ferns around the edges, but the variety of flowers are stunning, and when I do strim the abundance of spiders and creepy crawlies on the deck give me a great feeling that the land is happy and healthy and supporting lots of wildlife, and in some ways I wouldn't want it fenced and made into allotments as it's pretty as it is, abandoned!

[marshlander]

Regarding the pigs and the tree preservation order - were you prevented because they might damage the trees, Boboff?

[boboff]

It's a woodland TPO and Cornwall tree guy thinks 4 pigs per Hectare, let out for a couple of hours 2 times a week is over grazing.

[oldjerry]

Then he's an idiot,who knows JACK about pigs in woodland,Mate.

[red]

blimey i dont spend anything like that much on growing veg

you do have to think about it though - we realised it was never going to be financially viable to grow maincrop spuds - when you can get 25 kilos of locally grown spuds for 6 quid.. its not worth the price of the seed potatoes!

but we still grow first earlies - cos they are expensive to buy and it is worth it plus they taste great.


great way to save money on slug pellets? dont use them!

[gregorach]

you do have to think about it though - we realised it was never going to be financially viable to grow maincrop spuds - when you can get 25 kilos of locally grown spuds for 6 quid.. its not worth the price of the seed potatoes!

I don't buy seed potatoes... OK, I did once or twice, but no more. (Barring disaster.)

[red]

you do have to think about it though - we realised it was never going to be financially viable to grow maincrop spuds - when you can get 25 kilos of locally grown spuds for 6 quid.. its not worth the price of the seed potatoes!

I don't buy seed potatoes... OK, I did once or twice, but no more. (Barring disaster.)

We always seem to get blight - its just very rainy here, so saving our own is out, as is using bought local spuds.
it just about working out what makes sense for you.

[boboff]

Arn't most of the seed potatoes grown in Scotland? I am sure it is something like over 200mtrs above Sea level you don't get blight? Or was that a dream?

Tree men, and foot path men are all rather silly is my experience, especially the drop outs who move to Cornwall to have less stress.

[gregorach]

I have no idea. I'm certainly not more than 200m up, but I've not had any problems with blight so far... I do tend to cut the shaws down as soon as the leaves start turning brown.

[red]

Arn't most of the seed potatoes grown in Scotland? I am sure it is something like over 200mtrs above Sea level you don't get blight? Or was that a dream?

thats what I understand, yup.