This website and blog is intended to be a record of my progress which I can use in future years to remind me of my starting point (3 small-ish vegetable beds). Read the regular blog updates to get the latest information on any successes or failures
Past experience tells me that at some point in the future when I’ve forgotten what I did or why I did it this may prove to be useful to me. If this provides some benefit to others as well that would be a nice bonus
In the past I’ve not been especially interested in gardening but was always intruiged with planting seeds and seeing the plants develop. I now realise that I have also picked up a few things over the years mostly from my parents or through trial and error.
Around 2011 I decided that I was ready to take it more seriously and even try to get a bigger crop of edible food from my vegetable growing efforts. This led via a tortuous process to selling our suburban semi-detached house and moving to a 15 acre property in the North Pennines!
We finally completed the move at the end of May 2013 and had big plans to take on a variety of new things while continuing with many of the previous successes.
There are so many ideas for the future (it would be too grand to call them plans just yet) and slowly things will come together as shown on the blog. However we will continue to take stock of what we have, watch to see what does well and decide what needs to be changed in future
Please let me know if anything I’ve covered here has been of some help to you and if you see that I have made any mistakes (either gardening or blogging) then drop me a line to help me improve both.
Thanks for reading!
Richard
Hi Richard
Best of luck in your endeavours. We have been smallholding and gardening for some years now, but only this year have decided to do it more ‘business like’. I have set a blog to record my findings, which you might like to read – http://smallholdingpleasureorprofit.blogspot.co.uk/
Here’s to a productive season
Why not come to Alston and District Flower and Produce Show on Saturday 12th September at Samuel King’s School, Alston: open to the public at 2 p.m.
Hi, Do you have an email address i can contact you at? I have started offering Sheep Handling courses for smallholders, and i was wondering if you could include a link on your Learning page?
Richard. I wonder can you help. I’m looking a a video review of an ‘automatic chicken coop door opener’. Its called ChickenGuard see http://www.chickenguard.co.uk. We have lots of good reviews but we need some video reviews from some independent chicken owners ‘warts and all’. Chickenguard will send you a FREE product. There is no comittment and no cost (apart from your time). The review need only be a cameraphone quality. If you are interested please e-mail me or pnone and we can have a chat.
Love your blog / website Richard. I would like to link to your page on smallholder societies throughout the UK from my website http://www.smallholding-uk.co.uk – if that’s OK with you? I would be delighted if you’d consider posting a link in return, but of course it’s not essential 😉
I’ve recently moved from west Sussex to Buckinghamshire ( Near High Wycombe) and am struggling to find a shearer for my small flock of sheep. Any info/ contacts appreciated
If you are on Facebook then try asking in the Celebrating Smallholding UK group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/129977664297634/ )
Alternatively try the asking in the forum on the Accidental Smallholder website ( https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php )
Hope this helps!
Came back a week and a half ago from staying at the cottage, had a fantastic week. Absolutely stunning self-catering accommodation, definitely recommended.
I live on the Welsh/ Herefordshire border ( nearly) and have a few small holding items for sale – rotorvator, plastic milk churns, stainless steel bucket, a milk machine ( to give away as I don’t know if it still works as it has been stored for many years).
Do you know of any small holder clubs please?
Gwynneth
My list shows all the smallholder groups I’ve come across so far, see:
http://smallplotbigideas.co.uk/reference-information/smallholding-societies/
Alternatively look on Facebook for your local agricultural buying/selling group?
Hope this helps
Hello,
I’m a drystone waller from near Hexham. Currently a team of 2 but looking to expand next year. We’ve got a solid amount of work coming into to be able to employ someone else but we would like to consolidate our workload and be more secure over the next couple years. Do you have any work/drystone walling grants available in the next year or 2 or do you know anyone in the area who might?
Many thanks,
John
Sorry, we don’t have anything like this coming up and we don’t currently get any grants/subsidies anyway