We love hearing from you, so here is your chance. Introduce yourself and tell us what makes you selfsufficient 'ish'. Go on don't be shy, we welcome one and all. You can also tell us how you heard about us if you like.
hello, I just discovered this site via a link from the aberdeenshire freecycle community. It looks great, I am interested in almost all the topics but at the moment especially the small scale wind power debate as I am about to apply for planning permission for a small house extension and will probably apply for permission for a wind turbine at same time.
I grow a fair amount of veg to supplement those I get from local organic box scheme, and also soft fruit. I grow a lot of my own herbs and am very near the end of a 4 year BSc in Herbal Medicine and hope to set up in practice by the end of the year.
I also keep 16 free range organically fed chickens and supply a few friends and relatives with eggs.
My other passion is for fairtrade and organically produced clothing and household goods.
Love the cat picture! Looking forward to hearing all about your chooks... we've just had two new additions this morning.. the broody now has two yellow balls of fluff following her about.
I'd be interested to know where you source your poultry feed from - perhaps we could have a natter about that on the livestock section
And yes, I'm another one from Aberdeenshire... Don't you get the impression we are taking over?
Hm, herbal remedies: Any tips for my blasting headache? And no, I wasn't drinking last night... Rather I'd overdone it workwise, and my hips/legs also hurt like hell again. So any remedy that solves both top and bottom problems would be welcome
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
It goes in waves, doesn't it. There was a time when there were a lot more from France on regularly - and then you get a "Swedish phase" - and at the moment it seems to be Aberdeenshire!
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
I think that fairtrade clothes are one of the less talked about consumer items. Although I do get most of my clothes from charity shops, I do buy items that are perhaps not the most ethical as can be. The thing is where to buy ethical clothes and also do they look good??
People tree... is just one name that springs to mind... I've had a few things from there and they are great!! Also Namaste has a fab range... my very favourite patchwork skirt is a namaste fairtrade skirt...
Anyway - perhaps we should start a new thread on the fairtrade clothing to get some more ideas...
Greenfibres, Bishopston... I'm sure there's more about once you start looking. Not the cheapest, but also by now no more expensive than "ordinary" decent quality clothing (and bedding, towels etc).
Anyway, MMM: Aberdeenshire has a name for being "cheap" if you want to buy a smallholding, so there's lots of people here who moved up north from England with that in mind. I don't know whether it really is that much cheaper than other parts of Scotland; maybe the soil/climate is more suitable (the west is far wetter). It's definitely cheaper than all or most of England! The problem is, with that many folk after a few properties, it won't stay cheap for long. And there are still too many rich people around who work in oil (or anything else that pays well), and then want a little place to keep their three 4x4s and two horses. Nothing against horses as such, but it seems to be the only type of livestock left in some areas, with disastrous results for the fields - you can always tell a "horsey" property. Unfortunately a lot of the horse owners don't seem to know anything about how to care for the land.
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
Not from Aberdeenshire but my best friend lived in Kincardine O'Neil before she died at Christmas 2001. I visited her earlier in the year - she had great big icicles dangling from her roof!
