My project to achieve a self-sufficient "farm-garden"

mrbadexample

mrbadexample wrote: »

hunting & gathering meat & wild food.

Oh, and if you eat only rabbits, you'll die.

Lotus-eater

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

So.....you want to run a self-sufficient plot and have no idea what animals actually eat; and get all shirty when people suggest that you might want to try and learn stuff to assist you in your endeavours.

Hmm.......

Hey, he's at university and has experience of running a window box. I expect all the rabbits, chickens, goats, unknown chicken food and fruit/nuts will behave themselves when he tells them not to answer back.

It's actually an interesting prospect, I mean, all the ideas are a bit off the wall and mostly hopelessly impractical, but in the middle of it all is a grain of reality.

Like Valk I've looked into closed loop systems a bit, not as much as her by the sound of it, but it's very interesting. Designing one, needs the right land in the right place and an awful lot of knowledge about lots of different things.

Lotus-eater

mrbadexample wrote: »

Oh, and if you eat only rabbits, you'll die.

True, you'd be better off eating the rats

mrbadexample

Lotus-eater wrote: »

and an awful lot of knowledge about lots of different things.

Plus the practical ability to make them happen. I know about lots of things that I can't actually do.

Lotus-eater

mrbadexample wrote: »

Plus the practical ability to make them happen. I know about lots of things that I can't actually do.

That's alright, I usually end up doing loads of things I know nothing about.

In all honesty that's not really true, I know a little bit about everything, just not very good at one thing...... Mind you, I'm not bad at tomatoes. just wish SN wasn't better at them :A

cootambear

lots of people around the world do this

they are called peasants.

they work 12 hours a day in back breaking toil, have no choice in the matter, and can`t run to tescos when the crop fails

still, their life is `idyllic`

Lotus-eater

cootambear wrote: »

lots of people around the world do this

they are called peasants.

they work 12 hours a day in back breaking toil, have no choice in the matter, and can`t run to tescos when the crop fails

still, their life is `idyllic`

We have loads of those round here, the rich blokes shoot them when they get bored.

orchidpepper

Hi Simmer,

I'm a small scale vegetable gardener, I started with a greenhouse for tomatoes, then the year after added cucumbers and spring onions. Year after that I dug a small plot for myself in the garden and planted potatoes etc, I've built it up over the years and still ask loads of questions.

I think if I were to throw myself into it large scale I would have daunted myself and maybe thrown in the towel. Could you maybe start small scale this year with maybe potatoes in a sack or an outdoor tomato plant?

i admire you for planning on keeping chickens, massive commitment and i'd fret about them (im a big softy)

I wish you the best of luck and hope you have lots of fun :-)

Gx

annie123

simmed wrote: »

At the moment, virtually no space, unless you count my window-sill
In a few months, maybe a small-ish garden (about 15mx15m, idk).
In a few years, maybe a big 50x30 garden (which is more like having "land" than a garden)

As this plan of yours is a few years away, then make use of the ideas on here to get some practical experience.

I can't remember who by someone suggested woofing, this would be an excellent start for you.

Get yourself some good books from the library to learn the information that you want, then join some specialist forums, but make sure you at least know something about homesteading.
The people you will be asking advice from have put many many years into learning, and you won't be respected if you're not prepared to do the same.

50' x 30' is not a big garden, its way bigger than mine but smaller than my sons, so I do know what a 50' x30 patch looks like.

Measure out the distance in a local park so you can see how much space that really is.
You will then be able to work out , just as an example, how much of that area you would need to use to grow corn if you were to keep chickens feed by home grown corn only. maybe only a section of it would be suitable due to neighbours trees?

I feel like a mum who's kid has asked them to do their homework for them, when the best way to learn a subject that they know nothing about is to make them do their own research by reading and practical experience.

The old saying comes to mind:
'happy to help someone is who is prepared to help themselves

Sambucus_Nigra

Lotus-eater wrote: »

In all honesty that's not really true, I know a little bit about everything, just not very good at one thing...... Mind you, I'm not bad at tomatoes. just wish SN wasn't better at them :A

I have a new system....but the pics are on faceache and we know you don't 'do' faceache.