the daydream fund challenge thread

COOLTRIKERCHICK

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm not sure if anyone other than Davesnave will remember me, but I moved in to our ''daydream'' in July and have been off line since about then. It feels amazing to have internet connection again!

We already have a small income from the land, but are finding it hard t make progress with important things. For example, where we hope to put our vegetable garden in is still hip high in grass, unfenced to the road (so we can't get the animals to graze it off). This week the woodburner was declared dangerous by the chimney sweep: that was our hope for heating this winter! It very frustrating as fairly recently installed by previous owners. DH is steadily chainsawing his way throught the macracarpa trees which block all west light from the garden. Progress feels a little two steps forwards three steps back, but its fun.

YES YES YES......I remember you,

it is sooooooo nice that you are back on -line, and posting again...

it will be great to now have 2 mse'rs posting about the trials of having a smallholding:rotfl:

today i have been busy washing things for the vintage fair, and boil washing and starching vintage cotton pillowcases and tablecloths for the antique stall.

a place with 8 acres local to us came on the market a few weeks ago, no one really stays there for long... and the buyers are never locals...

we went to go and have a look at the land, which is very low grade, and very boggy in places, there is a natural pond which has formed due to the water...:rotfl:

after only a few weeks they have dropped the price by 30k to 210k, and to be honest i dont even think its worth that...

here it is

http://www.ruralscene.co.uk/look/frame.asp

we had to laugh when they said the land is gently sloping:rotfl:

plus there is no planning permission for the outbuildings

If we are ever in a position to move to somewhere with land, we would have to stay fairly local, because of the kids, as they are at the teenage time where they need their friends... etc..

lostinrates

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

YES YES YES......I remember you,

it is sooooooo nice that you are back on -line, and posting again...

it will be great to now have 2 mse'rs posting about the trials of having a smallholding:rotfl:

today i have been busy washing things for the vintage fair, and boil washing and starching vintage cotton pillowcases and tablecloths for the antique stall.

a place with 8 acres local to us came on the market a few weeks ago, no one really stays there for long... and the buyers are never locals...

we went to go and have a look at the land, which is very low grade, and very boggy in places, there is a natural pond which has formed due to the water...:rotfl:

after only a few weeks they have dropped the price by 30k to 210k, and to be honest i dont even think its worth that...

here it is

http://www.ruralscene.co.uk/look/frame.asp

we had to laugh when they said the land is gently sloping:rotfl:

plus there is no planning permission for the outbuildings

If we are ever in a position to move to somewhere with land, we would have to stay fairly local, because of the kids, as they are at the teenage time where they need their friends... etc..

we found rural scene frustrating agents. I had a bit of a contretemps with one of their agents over a property and he was obviously ''close to the edge'.

re wet land, depending how/where why it can be drained....even simple ditches at top of the slope can help a lot. Digging ditches...I just shuddered. Our ''wet'' issue atm is self made. We have to deal with two bodies of slurry. One is actually clean water, but needs better separating from the remaining muck heap. So needs to be drained. Our drought riden naighbours love us! Its been a good summer to have this particular problem. We're planning to restore it to be a pond we can swim in and use as a water resevoir for summer watering of garden and if need be fields (with clean water from our soon to be installed sewage treatment centre.)

alfie_1

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

YES YES YES......I remember you,

it is sooooooo nice that you are back on -line, and posting again...

it will be great to now have 2 mse'rs posting about the trials of having a smallholding:rotfl:

today i have been busy washing things for the vintage fair, and boil washing and starching vintage cotton pillowcases and tablecloths for the antique stall.

a place with 8 acres local to us came on the market a few weeks ago, no one really stays there for long... and the buyers are never locals...

we went to go and have a look at the land, which is very low grade, and very boggy in places, there is a natural pond which has formed due to the water...:rotfl:

after only a few weeks they have dropped the price by 30k to 210k, and to be honest i dont even think its worth that...

here it is

http://www.ruralscene.co.uk/look/frame.asp

we had to laugh when they said the land is gently sloping:rotfl:

plus there is no planning permission for the outbuildings

If we are ever in a position to move to somewhere with land, we would have to stay fairly local, because of the kids, as they are at the teenage time where they need their friends... etc..

just a quick note. you can get whats known as "roller" field shelters/stables which do [well didnt] need planning because they are not a permenant building. often a LOT cheaper if you buy EX DISPLAY stock. if ever you are wanting a work shed buy a stable! much more solidly built, taller, bigger for your money. i bought ex display stock one 18'x12'. [a 12x12 and a "tack room" 12x6 connected] for £1100. sounds a lot but they put it up for you. i had to put a base down. still a shed because its "removable".

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

just a quick note. you can get whats known as "roller" field shelters/stables which do [well didnt] need planning because they are not a permenant building. often a LOT cheaper if you buy EX DISPLAY stock. if ever you are wanting a work shed buy a stable! much more solidly built, taller, bigger for your money. i bought ex display stock one 18'x12'. [a 12x12 and a "tack room" 12x6 connected] for £1100. sounds a lot but they put it up for you. i had to put a base down. still a shed because its "removable".

Some areas do require planning for field shelters on skids. Its very area dependent. Its a good point about head height/strength of stables versus sheds, one I hadn't thought of.

lostinrates

Since the last post I've noticed stables in my area being used by both small flock sheep keepers and goats!

Water removal on hold ATM...desperate to get it finished, reckon it could only be another fortnight-month depending on the weather, then we see what we really have there. Annoyingly we are going to miss spraying for weeds on the banks there this growing season, and can't spray while there is water (the water is being used on agri land) so not really sure where we are going there....strimming? Its a HUGE area all steeply banked...but hopefully as well as being our reservoir and nature friendly its going to be an attractive water garden too...I just can't imagine it now! If the brambles are gone we'll be able to get to the damsons on the banks next year too. Its a Davesnave sized project really.

While definitely the thing we are most excited about ATM its not the most pressing. Fencing is pressing for winter, This year I think we'll be replacing internal barbed wire with semi permanent electric....the posts are a bit ropey in patches, so we don't want to try and rail them yet. We've only got about 12 metres left of boundary left not secured. we want to hedge it....but that won't stock proof it.... Also this weekend, more trees. we've got a chipper coming for a week, and I'm hoping our chippings will be enough to make reasonable a barn floor for animals this winter. while not ideal long term, chippings are a reasonable compromise in my opinion for a surface that animals have free access too if we keep it cleared from muck. Logs can be dealt with as and when I hope.

Finally I have an egg glut. I suppose I should be baking with it. Awkward amounts, not enough to sell regularly ...8 one day, two the next...inside anyway, which are the only ones that can be reliably fresh for sale (NB must make ''eggs for sale'' sign!) but too many for home use ATM. Still got three roosters too. No problems yet, obviously have enough space. Both this years (both called ''Supper'') are bigger than their Daddy now, and very handsome, but also crossed with a heavy breed, unlike egg-breed Papa, and their destiny is ultimately the freezer (to join an injured sister )

Davesnave

CTC, your link only went to Rural Scene itself, but I'm guessing you were talking about the house in Gnoll Road, which was on the market some time back and now seems to have had a partial makeover. It might be OK to buy a house that needs a bit of TLC, but not when the land is wrong too. There will be some bargains about next year, I think, for those are able to take advantage of them. Most will have to sell theirs first though; something I know all about!

Lir, it sounds as if you mean business! Looking at our land this week, it was satisfying to see how much better it looked compared with a year ago, and I'm sure you'll be feeling that way too next autumn. With rain forecast, I was out yesterday, zapping the surviving docks and thistles, but I'm hoping to hand over to the sheep quite soon, as the fencing is, at last, going in. Using a knapsack, instead of a tractor-mounted sprayer, means application rates are only 1/4 of what they'd be otherwise.

I don’t seem to have made much other progress, what with ferret re-housing last week etc, but one more polytunnel hole has been dug and I made a wind deflector for the chicken house pop-hole, plus shelving for inside. I’ve also Creocoted the small chicken house, ready for next season’s chicks.

DW has been processing tomatoes and plums as fast as she can go, and she also picked over 6kg of Kent cobs from just 3 trees. No squirrels here!:D

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

DW has been processing tomatoes and plums as fast as she can go, and she also picked over 6kg of Kent cobs from just 3 trees. No squirrels here!:D

Hilariously our crop (from one hedge hazel) was......6 nuts.

rhiwfield

Too many squirrels round here to get a hazel crop. Havent had to process many toms as we get a large handful ripening each day, plenty to use but no real surplus. Our tom plants look very strange, all leaves removed up to 5' to beat a blight attack, but with a crown of new clean foliage above that, sort of punk like!

Still neglecting the garden while we try to establish another income source, I'm finally happy that my leather goods make a half-decent display to go with DW's handknits, test will be at a craft fair this Saturday :eek:. Good news is that Google and Bing now recognise our website, bad news is that a test sale on Ebay failed; may try Etsy or Folksy.

Rain hammering down atm, really must sort out the hens winter quarters, next week maybe?

lostinrates

rhiwfield wrote: »

my leather goods

what kind of leather goods do you make?

rhiwfield

lostinrates wrote: »

what kind of leather goods do you make?

Lir, mainly variations on drawstring bags, so children's bags with 3 and 4 strand braids, pencil cases, glasses cases (with and without drawstring), gamer's purses for dice etc, mobile phone covers, crystal and gem neck pouches. Nothing too expensive, cheapest £3, most expensive £6. I'm exploring other things to make but these will form the stock for Saturday.

Piccy link