Becoming self sufficient from scratch-my diary

rowsew

I've been wayyyyy busy this weekend. We've moved the big shed, built a fruit cage (and moved the chicken into it today - only been waiting 5 months to do that job!) built a huge raised bed and planted lots of seedlings from the mini greenhouse. To date I have in the garden:
lots of garlic, potatoes (mostly in shopping bags, don't laugh, it's working), onions red and white, carrots, beetroot, peas, rhubarb, strawberry plants, an apple tree, a fig tree, a blueberry bush, 2 rows of loose leaf lettuce, a cucumber, a tomato plant, 3 pumpkins and 2 courgettes. And when I checked the greenhouse at teatime, there were 4 or 5 chillies, 2 winter squash and 1 butternut squash all poking their little noses out! I think they'll have to stay there a bit longer though. What a happy day.

[Deleted User]

Hi
Would love to join in if that's ok.
Have produced approx 90% of our own food for the last 20 years, on a smallholding.
Sold it about 5 years ago and moved to a coastal village, North Island, New Zealand.
Our section is 1 acre, have an orchard, veg garden, 3 chickens, green house with hydroponics, glass house, soft fruit gardens.
We forgae in season for blackberries and wild plums.
The beach provides ample shellfish and fish.
Free firewood readily available.
Whitebait in the local river.
Store rainwater for garden and house use, and have our own septic system.
I spin (wool is available from friends sheep, barter goods for it)
All in all its a busy, but very satisfying lifestyle.

Sazbo

kiwiblue - just wanted to say, as I sit here in a London office looking out at the dull grey and wet "view" - I really envy your life! But at the same time it fills me with hope to realise such a life is possible :T

thanks,
Sazzy x

Sazbo

Hi all :hello: Just as I was dashing out to work this morning - I noticed that my garlic has sprouted! :j I know it's a bit late to be starting garlic now, but hey ho, worse-case scenario I can use the shoots like chives if I don't get much from them in the ways of cloves, but to be honest, as a first-time gardener I'm so excited by anything that just grows at all lol! Also got a couple of dwarf bean seeds sprouting too, so all's good atm:)

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope the weather's good.

Much love,
Sazzy xxxx

[Deleted User]

Hi Sazzy thnaks for you kind words. The down side of this lifestyle is that I am very much a 'voice in the wilderness', everyone else here seems to be very consumer driven, so this forum will be great for me to catch up with like minded people.

I have also served my time in the big cities, but my journey started with reading a book called '2 acre Eden' by Gene logson?sp, it really opened my eyes to what was possible.

Cheers
jennie

Sazbo

kiwiblue wrote: »

Hi Sazzy thnaks for you kind words. The down side of this lifestyle is that I am very much a 'voice in the wilderness', everyone else here seems to be very consumer driven, so this forum will be great for me to catch up with like minded people.

I have also served my time in the big cities, but my journey started with reading a book called '2 acre Eden' by Gene logson?sp, it really opened my eyes to what was possible.

Cheers
jennie

Well please keep posting on here and keep us inspired:) I will definitely look for that book:)

Sx

rchrisp

rowsew wrote: »

potatoes (mostly in shopping bags, don't laugh, it's working),

how does that work? what do you need to do?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

kiwiblue wrote: »

Hi Sazzy thnaks for you kind words. The down side of this lifestyle is that I am very much a 'voice in the wilderness', everyone else here seems to be very consumer driven, so this forum will be great for me to catch up with like minded people.

I have also served my time in the big cities, but my journey started with reading a book called '2 acre Eden' by Gene logson?sp, it really opened my eyes to what was possible.

Cheers
jennie

that book sounds very interesting, so i had a search on amazon uk for it...wow its expensive...lol....

does anyone know where i could get a copy at a reasonable priced?

at the moment i am reading 'fat of the land' again by john seymour its book about how they started farming etc... very interesting read,

ALIBOBSY

Loving the weather at the mo, just had another weekend out in the garden. Looking better and better, raised beds almost all done and actually have seedlings and some seeds started off. Had to go and do a cover up last night tho due to possible low temps, glad i did because there was a little frost on the car when we got up.
Just debating the green house, do we go for cheap norfolk type or spend a little more. Not sure if there is anything between the cheapo ones and really expensive ones. We would be able to go to about £400 ish but would prefer to spend less if we could and with 3 kids need plastic not glass, any ideas?

Also was thinking of chickies (oh is V.keen), I worried about neighbour complaints and noise, but was encouraged as next door but one has a pigeon loft and 3 others have dogs so thought we would probably be ok. Found out today neighbour behind us on the small block we live on has chickens as well. Never heard a thing lol.

ali x

[Deleted User]

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

that book sounds very interesting, so i had a search on amazon uk for it...wow its expensive...lol....

does anyone know where i could get a copy at a reasonable priced?

at the moment i am reading 'fat of the land' again by john seymour its book about how they started farming etc... very interesting read,

Hi
for me it was a jolt that made me examine the way I was living, but I would not pay big dollars for it.

I have found 'fat of the land' to be more useful, but think that John Seymour's "complete guide to self sufficiency" is probably the best around. If i was to only buy one book, that would be it.
I also keep an eye on the following websites:
https://www.motherearthnews.com and
https://www.backwoodshome.com - particularly the columns by Jackie Clay. Hope this
helps.
Alibobsy, chickens should not cause a noise problem, as long as you don't run a rooster with them. If you do, I would imagine there would very quickly be neighbour problems
Cheers
Jennie