the daydream fund challenge thread

lostinrates

rozeepozee wrote: »

The boundary/fencing thing again.

The boundary is pretty well defined - except... someone's planted trees to delineate the path and the land but the trees have gone an grown and now they are a)causing the boundary to expand? and (b) tricky to get a fence post in as they have big roots (maybe I'll take a pic and post if)

If we hammer a post into the roots are we likely to damage the tree?

Ho hum. The realities of owning a smallholding...

In reality, boundary fences are often just inside a hedge. You lose a little bit of land, but otherwise, I'd not worry too much about sticking posts in near trees. Many farmers use the trees as fence posts, bashing staples in to them, poor little things. It does neither the fence nor e trees very many favours IMO. The hedge we have been removing has grown through barbed wire fencing, and I certainly wish the fence had been inset and the hedge maintained. Hedge cutters and wire are an expensive combination, but laying find the barbed wire takes ages at times.

You need to either have the fence so tight in a hedge utter can cut the hedge each year with no risk to it and the fence, or inset enough for a hedge cutter to get between hedge and fence. The latter is really, IMO, only practical if you are very very wildlife conscious, it makes brilliant wildlife corridors, or very very land rich.

Itismehonest

rozeepozee wrote: »

The boundary/fencing thing again.

The boundary is pretty well defined - except... someone's planted trees to delineate the path and the land but the trees have gone an grown and now they are a)causing the boundary to expand? and (b) tricky to get a fence post in as they have big roots (maybe I'll take a pic and post if)

If we hammer a post into the roots are we likely to damage the tree?

Ho hum. The realities of owning a smallholding...

What sort of trees are they, rozee? That may make a difference to what (& how often) you need to work on them.
For instance the local beech hedging here is cut annually - often one side one year the other the next. Elder can become scraggy whether in a mixed hedgerow or on it's own.
The more regularly you need to do maintenance the more accessible you'll need the hedge to be.
Are you going to apply for any form of Stewardship?

Davesnave

That field doesn't look too bad to me, at least where the picture was taken.

Davesnave

janiepopps wrote: »

Really not sure tbh, had Berkshires and Saddlebacks in the past, and I'm kinda erring towards Gloucester Old Spots, but still not 100%. What's everyone's preference?

I like G Old Spot, but it tends to be fatty, or the chops do at any rate. Some GOS gammon we had at Christmas was pretty good. We had Berkshire recently and I wasn't that impressed, but a certain amount has to be down to husbandry too.

I haven't enough experience really to have a firm favourite yet.

janiepopps

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

but i only like him if was dressed up as captain jack sparrow:cool::p

Ha! Me too. I think it's the eyeliner

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

remember the time you and another ssc forum member sent me eggs,and the other person's eggs hatched, ( had 2, one died not long after hatching) well we still have him...big fat white blob that he is...:rotfl:

I do vaguely remember sending some eggs but couldn't remember if they hatched or not. I do love my muscovies, and they are a brilliant table bird, but when my neighbours are willing to pay 40p per duck egg :eek: they don't lay nearly enough! I'll be getting some khaki campbells in a month or 2

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

I know a local pig breeder has been advertising in a local community mag to try and sell direct to the public so would get a far better price...

another thought is to grow herbs and see if the butchers will buy big bunches from you....rosemary etc...

I sell directly to friends and colleagues, don't think there's enough margin to sell to a retailer. Love the idea of the herbs!

What a beautiful morning down here in Cornwall, feels and looks just like spring. Wish I knew if there is going to be a cold snap, I want to get out and sowing!

Just cleaned out my mealworms, need to get the house is some sort or order today and then I can play

Have a great day all x

janiepopps

Davesnave wrote: »

I like G Old Spot, but it tends to be fatty, or the chops do at any rate. Some GOS gammon we had at Christmas was pretty good. We had Berkshire recently and I wasn't that impressed, but a certain amount has to be down to husbandry too.

I haven't enough experience really to have a firm favourite yet.

Me too Dave, out of our last lot of 4 pigs the boy was very lazy, (he would lie down to eat!) and he ended up with such a lot of fat on him it's untrue. We would have to have been very creative if we were trying to sell that meat!

I get on really well with our local abattoir owner and he also rears pigs. Next time I buy weaners, I've planned to go and see him with the pigs birthday and pencil in slaughter date.

He is so helpful and I'm hoping to at least halve my prior mistakes

x

rozeepozee

Itismehonest wrote: »

What sort of trees are they, rozee? That may make a difference to what (& how often) you need to work on them.
For instance the local beech hedging here is cut annually - often one side one year the other the next. Elder can become scraggy whether in a mixed hedgerow or on it's own.
The more regularly you need to do maintenance the more accessible you'll need the hedge to be.
Are you going to apply for any form of Stewardship?

Oh, gawd! I have no idea. They are big! :DThe boundary is in fact the edge of the woodland area so it's not just a line of trees, there's a load of them and over the years, saplings haven't been removed and grown into bloody great things in the middle of the path that's outside the boundary. I need a phota. Next time I'm up there, I'll take one.

rozeepozee

Davesnave wrote: »

That field doesn't look too bad to me, at least where the picture was taken.

The field's pretty good up at the top, It's on the right hand side from where the photo was taken (which leads into the start of the stream) and down at the bottom where the bungalow/property curtilage is where it's the boggiest.

janiepopps wrote: »

Ha! Me too. I think it's the eyeliner



I do vaguely remember sending some eggs but couldn't remember if they hatched or not. I do love my muscovies, and they are a brilliant table bird, but when my neighbours are willing to pay 40p per duck egg :eek: they don't lay nearly enough! I'll be getting some khaki campbells in a month or 2



I sell directly to friends and colleagues, don't think there's enough margin to sell to a retailer. Love the idea of the herbs!

What a beautiful morning down here in Cornwall, feels and looks just like spring. Wish I knew if there is going to be a cold snap, I want to get out and sowing!

Just cleaned out my mealworms, need to get the house is some sort or order today and then I can play

Have a great day all x

Your comments about the meat and poultry is making me drool. This is why I'm no longer a vegetarian!

annie123

rozeepozee wrote: »

Amazing - if you click on it, you get the bigger version. I can't even remember what I was planning to post now... It shows a lovely photo of our field though on a glorious day :cool:

Thanks annie for the pm.

I was starting to wonder if my instructions were carp!, but pleased you got there in the end. Lovely field by the way.

Davesnave

rozeepozee wrote: »

The field's pretty good up at the top, It's on the right hand side from where the photo was taken (which leads into the start of the stream) and down at the bottom where the bungalow/property curtilage is where it's the boggiest.

Photos can be deceptive, but if you have a natural small valley behind the house, you should be able to put in a drainage ditch on the field boundary and take some of it that way.

On the road side half there may also be some scope for drainage, but I suppose that depends on your piece of land on the other side of the property's drive (which way it slopes, what your plans are for it) and whether you want the hassle of cutting a channel through the drive when there are services buried there! :eek: