Selfsufficientish.com

hi

I just had an offer accepted on a house with 1.7 acres in buckinghamshire.

I'm thinking chickens, veg plot, orchard, widn turbine etc. etc.

So far my experience constitutes a moderately successful allotment/greenhouse etc. brewing beer and a couple of homemade sheds.

perhaps there are some good DVD's? e.g hugh fearnley wittingwotsit?

But I'm a bit petrified!! where do I start? Should I be using any books in particular?

heelp...

Also what are the best ways of making a bit of pocket money out of ones land? The local town has a weekly market and there are regular farmers markets around about too!

I guess it depends on your situation, how much time you have and how much money you need to make. once you have an idea of what your set up is going to be, it shouldn't be difficult to find an outlet for your produce.

We sell produce at the gate and a local deli buys produce in bulk. Eggs are sold to local B & B's. We don't do a farmers market as it's easier and cheaper to build up a group of loyal customers that will take produce when it's ready on an almost daily basis, rather than once a week. Also it means that they collect from us.

Pigs are a possibility, but sheep/cattle would take up too much valuable space.

Well that's my 2p's worth I would say that the key to it all is plan carefully so that it doesn't overwhelm you and become a chore.

best of luck

Gert

Welcome Slim40 and congratulations on the house.

It sounds to me like you've been doing OK already. Don't panic and think you've got to do everything all at once. Live with it for a while to see what the land suggests to you. One place will be better for veg, another for chickens, but you won't know that immediately.

I'm not sure about books to recommend - there's Andy and Dave's Ish bible of course, and anything by John Seymour.

But just enjoy!

I can see a lot of opportunities in the town to sell to cafe's etc. I expect I could find out what they would want to buy and grow it.

on that note (its not really a hijack i don't think - its relevant to slim40 too)

does anybody know anything about regulations about selling garden produce in local shops. I'm looking at it the other way round - we've got a shop and I'd like to encourage people to bring us their gluts but the OH thinks there's prob a tonne of red tape...

Hi, welcome and congratulations

I would certainly echo the idea of not trying to do everything at once. Start off with the things you already do well. New challenges will take up a lot of your time until you get used to them so just try one new thing at a time.

Think about the plans for the land but you will probably change your mind once you move in so think about being flexible.

It's a great opportunity so good luck.

Zoe

my advice, after echoing the above, would be to E N J O Y!!!

Oh, & a running blog-ette on ISH would be good if you can squeeze it in.

MW

Mullein wrote:on that note (its not really a hijack i don't think - its relevant to slim40 too)

does anybody know anything about regulations about selling garden produce in local shops. I'm looking at it the other way round - we've got a shop and I'd like to encourage people to bring us their gluts but the OH thinks there's prob a tonne of red tape...

Not sure about this one, the deli we sell stuff to use it all in their kitchen to turn into other products. Rather than just putting a markup on it and selling it on. So I don't know if that makes a differerence. But doing it this way there doesn't seem to be a problem at all.

i've just discovered that there might be a bit of a flooding problem with water from the nearby stream regularly reaching the house in winter. I'm having to decide to go for it and try to think of a solution like a wall around the house or cry and walk away.

Depends how much water you're talking about. A wall is unlikely to work well with a lot of water (water is incredible heavy) - a drainage ditch would be better to divert encroaching water to a point lower than your house. It's worked for centuries, as long as we're not talking about major flooding.

Mike

I've been looking into it.

My architect (well father in law actually who happens to be an architect) says a retaining wall would be really easy to do, protecting the house.

The only thing left for me to conisder is how I can make use of a .5 acre field with a stream that often overflows in winter. I think trees would be okay - permaculture style. The field is very overgrown already with a lot os self seeded hawthorns etc. so I think it might work. The roots of the trees migh also help to strengthen the banks of the stream etc.

Watercress?

MW

Congrats on your purchase! I would suggest that the first order of business be talking to the neighbours. They can help you with information you didn't know about the land and the house, and they will be a fountain of information about what does and doesn't grow well there.

If I had a stream on my property, I would be thinking about microhydro.

Well done on having your offer accepted! There's been some good points made in this thread and I would echo them all.

Your half acre field could well have fruit trees on it, although if the ground is permanently wet they may never establish well. One thing to consider using it for is rotation - if you go down the hens route (which I am sure you will) it's a very good idea I think to move your hends round. Not specifically for diease etc in the ground, but they can make a h£ll of a mess of the ground especially in winter. Also if you get pigs (mmmmm pork...) you should not keep pigs on the same ground for more than two years running so again the ground could be used for animal rotation. You will quickly get a feel for when the land is likely to flood - no drowing pigs or hens please

Having embarked on a similar project a few years ago, I would thouroughly recommend at least one other source of regular(ish) income - I did a day a week constultancy for my old boss. Sorting out and setting up a holding can, if you let it, eat away at money. That's money ontop of the money for living. I saved £10k and it does not last very long - remember that there will be a good few months, perhaps even a couple of years or more until there's enough income from the holding to provide a frugal but comfartable way of living. I am back working full time but for a very different reason...

There's some great folk on here all doing their bit on varying scales so I am sure you will get loads of ideas and help from the Ishers. But as Muddy Witch said, above all enjoy it!

Could you plant willows for basketry near the water edge? They should both hold the bank, and when coppiced produce cutting stems, to sell for basketmaking or floristry, or for making your own and selling (farmgate or craft fair/farmer's market)

I agree with all above - take your time as the land will show you what is best where, and Enjoy!