the daydream fund challenge thread

mama67

I'm 43, Dh is 46 and we have 2 teenage sons.

We don't want to go the whole hog with a smallholding but would like some more land but not necessarily a bigger house.

I have gradually over the last few years got more into jam making etc; have always cooked from scratch, but would like to be able to provide more from our own land.

A few years ago when we visited the Scottish Highlands (we were 70 miles from John O' Groats) we would see a lone little house and say "wouldn't it be lovely to live there" then you start thinking about the practicalities of jobs and schools etc and your dreams alter slightly.

It will always be a dream to have a more rural house than we have now, but it will definitely have to wait until the boys have left home.

pink_numbers

Davesnave, those photos look fantastic! So professional looking, as others have said, you put our DIY efforts to shame!

Would love to have something like that on a smaller scale one day

lostinrates

DH and I are 31. He has a high stress, high income job that will keep the roof over our heads, if I can keep the roof over he chickens' heads'. Skills.....well....I'm of farming stock (not my parents though, they hate the idea of farms and ran as far from them as they could) and went to ag college. I'm very rusty though.

JayneC

Hi all,

Not been around for a bit (just not got round to it really - no good excuse!!). Just read up the past couple of pages so not sure of all the news but things seem to be progressing well with everyone.

Re ages I'm 43 have 3 kids at home DD2 is 19 in just over a week, DD3 is 17, DS2 is 11 plus DGS who is 2(belongs to DD2!) Have just separated from OH (of nearly 25 years so a bit wierd but getting better).

I had decided to put on hold plans of moving to a smallholding but then thought again and was plotting my escape but then talked to kids about it and DS hates the idea and wouldn't speak to me for days until I assured him that I'd wait until he leaves home!! So now it's on the back burner - however I've thought about maybe just buying a plot of land and not living there - living in town and travelling out to work on it. It's not as mad as it sounds as buying just land is sooo much cheaper than with a house and we live near to countryside so wouldn't have to travel far and could have a caravan to stay in occasionally! I could then maybe rent somewhere in town or buy a smaller house in town when older girls move out (they both planning uni next year) anyway just still weighing up options at the mo!

In the meantime my tiny garden is growing well (having to compete with slugs though) I've had salad leaves and radish up to now but have lots of stuff growing - quite amazing how much can fit in such a small space! I've dug up the tarmac that was the front garden and am now growing out there too but it's north facing so hardly any sun. I have planted rhubarb, blackcurrant, 2 x gooseberry bushes out there as they're supposed to tolerate shade and some herbs and a few strawberry plants which seem to be doing ok. In the back I have 2 apple trees, 1 pear tree, raspberries, strwaberries, tomatooes, cucumber courgette, lettuce and other salad leaves, shallots, spring onions, red onions, new potatoes, carrots celery, radish, several varieties of peas and beans, kale, broccoli, leeks, loganberry( I think) and lots of herbs/edible flowers.

Well better go and make some tea. Will try to pop in more often! xx

pink_numbers

I'm 30 and OH is 46 (yeah I know I know) with 13 year and 10 year old cats.

We're planning for OH to pay off the mortgage (I've already paid my half) for this house in 5 years. We feel that 5 years is a really good amount of time to learn the basics of growing food.

Once that is done, we're looking to buy a house of a similar size, but larger (south facing) garden, so that we can grow more than enough food so that we have some to preserve for the winter time. Not saying we want to be 100% self sufficient, but some summery treats in the winter without paying through the nose would be nice. I would love some chickens and OH would love to keep bees, but those are bonuses (i.e. if we win the lottery to buy a house big enough!)

Butterflymind

Hello all

I've been really working hard at the garden (and my neighbours), and being so unfit too knackered to post!

Update: We have now, finally, created 4 raised veg beds in our garden, complete with bark paths (from a cheapo nursery). Also, finished a patio (only took us 10 years to get there), raised alpine/flower/herb beds, steps up to the back part of the garden, paths up the garden and round back of garage, (slabs from skips for free), hacked back the 'shrubbery', re-potted 2 blueberry bushes, 1 bay tree, planted out 2 blackcurrants, rhubarb, 3 gooseberries (moved), planted up beds with summer squash, courgettes, spinach beet, lavenders & rosemary (for edging) - still room for more. Strawberries in a strawberry pot, tomatoes and chilli pepper, herbs (tarragon, lemon basil, thyme, sage, parsley), green and purple grapes, and patio peach in conservatory.

Planted up neighbours with: turnips, red onions, beetroots, carrots, lettuce, radish, brussels, spring cabbage, kale, rainbow chard, more spinach beet, marigolds & nasturtiums, chives, runner & broad beans, sugar snap peas, toms, peppers & q in greenhouse, a redcurrant and blackcurrant bush, to add to 2 apples trees we planted 2 years ago, lavender & foxgloves, poppies (for pollination), and about 12 compost sacks for the potatoes, (now topped up), shifted about 4 tons of soil, filled a skip with help from neighbours adding their stuff too! Set up 2 rain barrels from garage roof, built potting shed partly from skip salvaged wood, and maintained, pruned and weeded ours and neighbours gardens. Oh, and also mulched all fruit with compost from our wormery. It's really satisfying to see something for all our hard work. And now rain has stopped play...

I have been popping in occassionally to see how you are all doing (all working hard I see) - and it's great to see new people on here too.

CTC - I was this close to persuading hubby to get a couple of hens, (sigh). Still working on him, but BIL is threatening to buy some as a pressie if he doesn't cave soon.

BTW I am 47 & DH is 52. Maybe we are getting a bit old for this.... Lost one of my part-time jobs, and the other isn't looking too secure, so I'm really glad we are following MSE ways, paid off debts, and growing our own. Am looking forward to eating stuff if slugs don't get there first, chutneys, jams, the 'good life'.... Other BIL has a big garden with his GF, and they've installed chickens and bee-hives - so it must be catching....

Keep getting diggy with it!

BM

Winged_one

Hiya, I'm back (I get busy at work and then can't check t'internet for a while).

I am 35, OH is 38 and DD is 4. OH and I both have high stress office jobs, but both are country reared (neither specifically farming, but both have farming close to our backgrounds). In the meantime, I have my allotment, preserving, and lots of crafting to save and even make money when I can. And the long term plans get dusted off and talked through to ensure that when we CAN make those moves back to the country, we will be ready for them.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Hi all:j,

well sad news one of the turkeys have died... so left with 2 which are coming on nicely....

Ebay is doing ok.

and been dribbling over properties in the area

found this one

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-25370605.html

now i am flipping dreaming...lol...:rotfl:


very nice though:D

we bought another nre incubator last week, its a huge cabinet type one which can hold up to 380 eggs:eek:( flipping expensive, but my excuse is it is something we WILL need when we move;))

We have also booked some ducks into the next auction.... we got to be realistic.... even though i will miss them loads... we need to selct our breeds that we keep, and have no room, and cant afford to feed x breeds.

so i we are 'hardeing' ourselves up to be smallholders...

dont know waht we got planned for the weekend, but i do know i have loads of runner bean plants i need to plant up, otherwise the plants will go to waste ( planted a load of runner and broad beans with the aim to sell them in the bootsales and farm auctions but havent been to any, so bust with work)

hope everyone is ok, and making hte most of the dry weather....

COOLTRIKERCHICK

went to a poultry auction and then ontoa poultry sale... flip this particular auction:eek: wouldnt buy anything there, as half the chickens looks as though they were fit to drop....

the sale was great...nice and clean birds.... and it was the breeders/owners selling them, might even book a table there myself next month..as i have got some youngsters to sell.

Davesnave.....found this for sale..

http://thesmallholdingcentre.co.uk/Penrhiw-drych-fach%205802/Penrhiw-drych-fach%205802.html

i thought you might be the guy to ask:D, how can they get away with planning permission for this? as i know people get hounded when they even put a static caravan on site, is it because there is allready a foundation there, because of the old cottage?



Anyway back to the chickens...... Hubby has really got the chicken bug.... we ended up buying a 2 lovely partridge silkie poults... ...I think he will make a great smallholder....;):rotfl:

Poppycat1

Hi, not posted for a while. I am 38, 39 on Tuesday. I have dreamed of being self sufficient for a while but have decided I will have to wait a lot longer than I first thought. I have two sons, ages 8 and 3 and have decided that they need to stay at the same school as their friends until at least both are 16. So that's 13 years left. I will have to stick it out here until then with my allottment and my small garden. I have started to sell a few eggs though.