Hello Cmiddleton

Townie · Hello Cmiddleton

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Neeps

cmiddleton · Very Experimental

Hello all - Someone from Neeps said hello when I joined self-sufficientish the other day, so thought it would make sense to join here.

I've been growing at home on small scale for 6 years, but with so many young uns (4) I've been limited to mainly researching for a couple of years now, mainly tools and techniques; including some really old victorian and edwardian farming books. Its amazing what you can find online and with Google Books!

I am now in the process of experimenting on a 200m2 plot before I try to fulfil an objective in the next few years - be able to feed a family of 6 on 1/4 to 1/2 acre, with only 1/2 a day a week, in Aberdeenshire, without a horse or tractor. Its certainly not going to be easy up here with a cooler climate, but surprisingly there are some crops that grow better up here than down south.

Smooth Hound

good luck

its surprising how much food you can grow on a half acre

Ina

Hiya, and welcome! I'll be following your progress with interest... Would love to be able to at least feed myself! Do you keep - or intend to keep - any livestock as well?

cmiddleton

Thanks Smooth Hound

The 1/2 acre is aspirational at this point. Have around 400m2 ploughed up by pigs just now, planting apple and cobnut trees, propogating raspberry, current, rhubarb, asparagus, sunchoke and comfrey. So rotation area might be quite small, relying on perennials a lot. Still possible?

cmiddleton

Thanks Ina

6 hens (layers) at home. Had for 3 years. Have also raised some from eggs. Have kept the best; 2 buff sussex and a crest cream legbar from a very good keeper called Faith, up north somewhere, 3 layers from Farmlay in Fraserburgh.

Couple of Berkshires on my scrap of land, from Stonehead in Insch. Been keeping 2 years. They have turned over around 400m2. Put one to slaughter 1.5 years ago, got a replacement. Not a big meat eater, so have just kept 2 pigs as pets/tractors since. They have ploughed in 7 round bales of straw into that area, for soil improvement. They have their uses!

kimmie

Hi and welcome from me too

...any hobbies?

cmiddleton

Hi Kimmie

Somehow I find the time to research old farming books and the web for tools and techniques. I've been quite interested in looking back to see if I can develop a mix of old and new, with a view to producing a maximum with minimum effort. I'm not a seasoned smallholder and do a lot of experimenting.

Are there many members that are largely self sufficient?

I built my own extension, although thats more necessary than hobby!

Ina

cmiddleton

Ina

Than sounds interesting, what is the title? I think I've come across something similar on Google Books from the 1800's, not sure it was aberdeenshire, but need to tidy up my PC, as very disorganised.

Some good photos on www.antiquefarmtools.info

Ina

Ergh - I've got it at home, but it's from the library. Published 1811, I think.

cmiddleton

I'm interested to find out if it is possible to be self-sufficient part-time without having to return to entirely subsistance living.

Recently been studying mouldboard design, as I want to see if it is possible to successfully apply the soil inversion principle to a tool that can be made at home. A bit nutty really!

Ina

Well, you know Stoney - I think he's the one who's gone furthest down that route I know.

And I think it's perfectly sane ot look at the desing of tools - I think a lot could be improved that way. Everybody knows (or should!) what difference the use of the right tool for each job is; different soils require different tools etc...

Maria

to Neeps - sounds like you're doing wonderful things. Perennial veggies - another permaculture fan perhaps?

cmiddleton

Thanks

Yes, only met Stoney a couple of times when buying pigs, but he and his 'other half' always seem up for a chat on self sufficiency. Lovely, genuine people.

As for perennials, yes, its the future, well part of it! The sunchokes seem to crop quite well for the small effort in growing them. Rhubarb, currents and berries I have no problem with. Asparagus and comfrey are new to me. Maybe someone can kindly advise:

Asparagus - last year was 2nd year I attempted to grow asparagus from seed. They grow fine 1st year, but never emerge 2nd year. Last year they were flooded a bit. This year, there is still no sign of them, should I be worried yet?

Comfrey - have harvested laots of roots from 4 existing plants (now replanted). Harvested roots are on average 4 inches / 8cm long, no sign of budding yet, normal? I don't know?

Maria

Sounds like you'll be right at home in the gardening section. Might be worth posing these questions there?

Lovely to have you around

wildgarlic · Re: Very Experimental

cmiddleton

thank you.

Hello Cmiddleton

Very Experimental

Re: Very Experimental