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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.
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Tom Good
Tom Good
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 2:39 pm
Location: Plymouth-soon-France

Greetings

Post: # 3922Post cheap&cheerful »

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are just about to move to France where we are hoping to start a self sufficiency small holding.

Can't tell you how great it is to of found a web site and forum of people with the same interest :cheers: :cheers: ..... Family and friends have begun to discreetly yawn, when I start to talk about compost and things!!

I shall no doubt be combing the forums to learn from all your experiences.

Look forward to sharing ideas and learning others.

Jill... :flower:

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Andy Hamilton
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Post: # 3924Post Andy Hamilton »

feel free to ask away, we are all passionate about compost :lol: Well about what we do anyway! Welcome to the forum.

When is the move to france going to take place?

I often see mates glaze over when I start talking about growing stuff or making things so i know where you are comming from!
First we sow the seeds, nature grows the seeds then we eat the seeds. Neil Pye
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
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The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging

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Tom Good
Tom Good
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 2:39 pm
Location: Plymouth-soon-France

Post: # 3925Post cheap&cheerful »

Hi Andy,
We are hoping to get out to France about the begining of July. We bought the property about 2 years ago and have been working towards the final move ever since.
We are thinking of calling it Chelson Meadow (Plymouths dump) as that's where most of our stuff for it has come from! You would not believe what people throw away. We have a secure barn and everytime we go over we take a load.
We are planning to live off the grid, and have just bought 12x80watt solar panels off ebay. No doubt it will take a bit of geting used to.
We plan to have a compost loo, but for possible resale and squeamish embarrased visitors :oops: we will still put in a fosse septic. Jonh's worried that people won't come to visit if all we've got is a "strange" loo!!
So when I say compost I mean COMPOST :geek: :geek:


Jill.. :flower:

shiney
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Post: # 3930Post shiney »

Hi Jill,

Welcome to Self suffish! 8)

I'd trade Plymouth for France. My MIL lives there. It's ok but France is a better option!

Good luck with your move, where in France are you going to? My mum and my good friend and downshifter Tracey Smith live there, in the Dordogne near the Lot. A great place to live for sure.

I love my composter, it produces the most fab stuff, which makes everything spring into action when you put some on it.
If in doubt ~ use a hammer!

http://greeningup.blogspot.com/

Wombat
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Post: # 3933Post Wombat »

G'Day Jill,

Yeah, I know the feeling, too. I don't have a lot of friends who share our interest in being self sufficientish. It is good to be able to talk to like minded people! :cheers:

Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause


Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/

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Millymollymandy
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Post: # 3938Post Millymollymandy »

Hi Jill, welome to the forum.

Whereabouts in France is your house? I'm in eastern Brittany.

Compost, never can make enough of it! The more you make, the bigger the veg patch/flower beds get. Why is that? :lol:

Hope your move goes smoothly. I moved house twice last year and don't want to do it again ever!

couscous
Tom Good
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Location: East Devon

Post: # 3941Post couscous »

Hi Jill and welcome to the site.
I was interested in a compost loo after seeing an article about them. My husband was horrified at the thought. I can't even get him to pee in a bucket for me. He think's I'm bonkers.
What part of France are you moving to?
Lanie
Live better for less

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Tom Good
Tom Good
Posts: 72
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 2:39 pm
Location: Plymouth-soon-France

Post: # 3944Post cheap&cheerful »

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Moving to France and being self sufficient has been a dream of mine since I used to avidly watch The Good Life, many many years ago, when it was shown for the first time...no doubt some of you guys are watching it for the first time on Sky Gold!!

We like Plymouth and have no regrets moving down, funny enough we used to live in Surbiton..but are really looking forward to France. We are moving to a little village called Gournay, nearest city is Niort.

I've had an allotment for quite a few years, unfortunately the lease ran out and the council did not renew. Didn't effect us as we were moving, but was a shame for the old timers that had them a long time, some as long as 35years, and there was no way they were going to start again.

I've also kept chickens, ducks and rabbits at different times. In fact I used to take the chickens up the allotment with me and put them in a tractor when I needed a plot clearing..all those horrible bugs and weed seeds were a treat for them. The old timers used to look at me as if I was "off my rocks" but they got used to me and my girls in the end.

couscous,
If you are interested in a compost toilet I would recommend that you read a book called The Humanure Handbook, however if you go to
The Humanure Hilton website at http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/hilton.html you can get a general over view of it.



Jill.. :flower:

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