Another newbie!! Wooo!
Another newbie!! Wooo!
Hi all!!
I've had green tendencies for many years now, done the house-buying, capitalist bit and felt there was something missing!
After doing a lot of thinking about what I want from life I finally decided that I wanted to go completely off grid and self sufficient as resonably possible. I am in the process of buying nearly three acres of land in Devon, I already own an acre there but it's not as usable and at the moment it is a holding area for my orchard trees, that will be transplanted to their new home in the winter.
I live in Dorset and hope to move near to my plot in the next twelve months or so, in order to run my plot as a small market garden. Any advice from those who have been there and done that would be supremely appreciated!!!!!!! I have been reading John Seymour's Guide to Self Sufficiency and it is very useful, and any further info will help me get a good start and avoid making expensive and time consuming mistakes!
My first concerns are how to secure the site cheaply (I'm thinking post-and-wire as I have no livestock currently) and what is best to plant for fast growing coppice wood for heating. Any other preliminary things I should be thinking of to make my life easier?!?
Thanks in advance and I'm glad to be here...and where I can give help I hope to be able to.
Eph xx
I've had green tendencies for many years now, done the house-buying, capitalist bit and felt there was something missing!
After doing a lot of thinking about what I want from life I finally decided that I wanted to go completely off grid and self sufficient as resonably possible. I am in the process of buying nearly three acres of land in Devon, I already own an acre there but it's not as usable and at the moment it is a holding area for my orchard trees, that will be transplanted to their new home in the winter.
I live in Dorset and hope to move near to my plot in the next twelve months or so, in order to run my plot as a small market garden. Any advice from those who have been there and done that would be supremely appreciated!!!!!!! I have been reading John Seymour's Guide to Self Sufficiency and it is very useful, and any further info will help me get a good start and avoid making expensive and time consuming mistakes!
My first concerns are how to secure the site cheaply (I'm thinking post-and-wire as I have no livestock currently) and what is best to plant for fast growing coppice wood for heating. Any other preliminary things I should be thinking of to make my life easier?!?
Thanks in advance and I'm glad to be here...and where I can give help I hope to be able to.
Eph xx
Born too late to be a hippy...
Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Welcome to the site - I am sure you'll find alot of the answers your looking for if you have a little browse around.
Fast growing trees, I think willow and sycamore were recently discussed. Thurston Garden is/was in the market garden business... I am sure you will see him on your travels
Fast growing trees, I think willow and sycamore were recently discussed. Thurston Garden is/was in the market garden business... I am sure you will see him on your travels
Ann Pan
"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"
My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay
"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"
My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Hello from me too!!!
According to my OH willow is one of the quickest.
According to my OH willow is one of the quickest.
Shirley
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
My photos on Flickr
Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
My photos on Flickr
Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/
Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Hi Ephemera
The secret of life is to aim below the head (With thanks to MMM)
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Location: uk
Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Hello and welcome to ish.
It's nice to be important,
But it's more important to be nice.
But it's more important to be nice.
- red
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
welcome
Red
I like like minded people... a bit like minded anyway.. well people with bits of their minds that are like the bits of my mind that I like...
my website: colour it green
etsy shop
blog
I like like minded people... a bit like minded anyway.. well people with bits of their minds that are like the bits of my mind that I like...
my website: colour it green
etsy shop
blog
- marshlander
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Location: Cloddygate Farm, North Linconshire coast.
Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Hello ephemera!
Good luck with your venture!
Good luck with your venture!
Terri x
“I'd rather be a little weird than all boring.”
― Rebecca McKinsey
“I'd rather be a little weird than all boring.”
― Rebecca McKinsey
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Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Thanks for the lovely hellos!!
Yes, I have heard that willow is good, will look out for more info. I am thinking of keeping the diversity up so the more different types of fast growing woods the better. And if they can produce a food crop then so much the better... Hazel is also a good option there.
I'm aiming for a mainly permaculture food growing area, but am leaving some room for grains, grazing and traditional seasonal crops. Mainly because I'm likely to be farming it on my own and I don't want to have to rely on anyone else to work on it. I am also intending to do as much as possible without using fuel - by hand or animal power.
I am a keen scythe user and this tool is great for weeding, haymaking, grass cutting and harvesting grains (though a sickle is used if harvesting on your own as you need two people to harvest with a scythe - one to cut and one to stook) so if anyone would like info on this tool I am happy to offer what assistance I can. And I am finding a wealth of info on the main site!
Once again thanks for the welcome and hope to talk to you all soon!!
Eph xx
Yes, I have heard that willow is good, will look out for more info. I am thinking of keeping the diversity up so the more different types of fast growing woods the better. And if they can produce a food crop then so much the better... Hazel is also a good option there.
I'm aiming for a mainly permaculture food growing area, but am leaving some room for grains, grazing and traditional seasonal crops. Mainly because I'm likely to be farming it on my own and I don't want to have to rely on anyone else to work on it. I am also intending to do as much as possible without using fuel - by hand or animal power.
I am a keen scythe user and this tool is great for weeding, haymaking, grass cutting and harvesting grains (though a sickle is used if harvesting on your own as you need two people to harvest with a scythe - one to cut and one to stook) so if anyone would like info on this tool I am happy to offer what assistance I can. And I am finding a wealth of info on the main site!
Once again thanks for the welcome and hope to talk to you all soon!!
Eph xx
Born too late to be a hippy...
- Ratty
- Living the good life
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Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Welcome aboard! Can I ask if you intend to build your own property on your land? We're currently looking at smallholdings in West Wales so I'm interested in what other Ishers are up to!/I'm nosey!
Ratty
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/in_memory_of_joeb - Raising money for charity selling lots of things! Please take a look!
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/in_memory_of_joeb - Raising money for charity selling lots of things! Please take a look!
Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
Hi Ratty, and Rosendula,
I do hope at some point to be able to build on the land, but at the moment I am going through the buying process. I am likely to have to apply for a change of use of the land, then go for a permitted development like a barn, and go from there. If I am keeping livestock (which I do plan) then I may be able to show a need to live on site... and I am happy for it to have an agricultural tie and for it to be a low impact development.
Places for info are Chapter7 (www.tlio.org.uk) and the Low Impact Living Initiative (www.lowimpact.org/) ...I will be consulting them when the time comes!!
All the best for your smallholding plans... I am on my own and cannot afford to buy a ready-made smallholding so am hoping to build mine from scratch....
I do hope at some point to be able to build on the land, but at the moment I am going through the buying process. I am likely to have to apply for a change of use of the land, then go for a permitted development like a barn, and go from there. If I am keeping livestock (which I do plan) then I may be able to show a need to live on site... and I am happy for it to have an agricultural tie and for it to be a low impact development.
Places for info are Chapter7 (www.tlio.org.uk) and the Low Impact Living Initiative (www.lowimpact.org/) ...I will be consulting them when the time comes!!
All the best for your smallholding plans... I am on my own and cannot afford to buy a ready-made smallholding so am hoping to build mine from scratch....
Born too late to be a hippy...
- Thurston Garden
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Another newbie!! Wooo!
I am still in the Market Garden business, well, until tomorrow! See how not to run one on my blogAnnpan wrote:Thurston Garden is/was in the market garden business... I am sure you will see him on your travels
If I can help in anyway, just shout!
Anyhoo.... Ahoy ephemera!
Thurston Garden.
http://www.thurstongarden.wordpress.com
Greenbelt is a Tory Policy and the Labour Party intends to build on it. (John Prescott)
http://www.thurstongarden.wordpress.com
Greenbelt is a Tory Policy and the Labour Party intends to build on it. (John Prescott)