We sold our small house in Brighton, bought ten and a half acres of wood and grass, and are in the very earliest stages of becoming smallholders (specifically, waiting for planning permission to live on our land in yurts, and set up a very small, very low-carbon yurt campsite).
Only found this site yesterday, through blogger Hedgewizard. Loads of questions to come (we've been allotters in the past, but nothing on this scale - probably cultivate about an acre here), but here's one for starters:
Tractor or horse?
Our current thinking:
Tractors are expensive, noisy, dangerous and ultimately unsustainable. So we're leaning towards horse - the French Comtois seems to fit the bill. If you read this intro and have something to say, we'd love to hear it.
Alex
Hello from the Dordogne
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devolutionary
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
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red
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Hi Alex welcome
that's quite a plan you have there! - can't help you with your tractor/horse question - guess I would prefer horse - but dont know anything about them - would start with trying to find out how many acres you would need to keep a horse, and how much you would have to buy in in the way of food, and compare that with tractor costs. Also it would help if you actually like horses! have you seen this threadon horsepower?
let us know what you decide!
that's quite a plan you have there! - can't help you with your tractor/horse question - guess I would prefer horse - but dont know anything about them - would start with trying to find out how many acres you would need to keep a horse, and how much you would have to buy in in the way of food, and compare that with tractor costs. Also it would help if you actually like horses! have you seen this threadon horsepower?
let us know what you decide!
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
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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
G'Day Mate!
Why cultivate? It's lousy for the soil struture. Have a go at permaculture principlesa nd let the ckooks and worms do it for you.
Oh! and wlecome to the site!
Nev
Why cultivate? It's lousy for the soil struture. Have a go at permaculture principlesa nd let the ckooks and worms do it for you.
Oh! and wlecome to the site!
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
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Shirley
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Hello Alex
Welcome to the site. Looking forward to hearing more about your place in the Dordogne.
Welcome to the site. Looking forward to hearing more about your place in the Dordogne.
Shirley
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site
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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/
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devolutionary
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
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Thanks for the welcome
G'day Wombat. Or maybe, g'night.
Maybe cultivation is the wrong word. What we did on our large-ish allotment in Brighton was organic raised beds which we rotated each year. Very soon, the soil got really easy to work, and the beds that had our own kitchen compost were doing brilliantly.
We don't know enough about permaculture. But I love the sound of mulching. I've never been big on weeding. But before we can put our beds in, we'll have to landscape the steeply sloping clay and stony soil in that part of our site. Then buy in soil. So we won't have well-established brambles and bind-weed to start with.
Which is a bonus.
Alex
Maybe cultivation is the wrong word. What we did on our large-ish allotment in Brighton was organic raised beds which we rotated each year. Very soon, the soil got really easy to work, and the beds that had our own kitchen compost were doing brilliantly.
We don't know enough about permaculture. But I love the sound of mulching. I've never been big on weeding. But before we can put our beds in, we'll have to landscape the steeply sloping clay and stony soil in that part of our site. Then buy in soil. So we won't have well-established brambles and bind-weed to start with.
Which is a bonus.
Alex