Quote:
Originally Posted by
2Roses
I am also a fan of archery! I admit that I haven't done very much but I enjoy it immensely. I sold my compound bow as it was too small for me and I need to get another one. I've shot with a recurve too and those are fun. What a cool experience that you get to be so close to the owl. How amazing! It sounds like you have quite the working farm going on. What kind of fruit do you grow? My husband and I want to eventually have our own place (renting right now) and live as self-sufficiently as we can. We love to garden! I know all about chicken predators. We had a hawk pick off some of ours. Yes, farm work is the toughest kind, but it also very rewarding. This summer we helped on a few farms in exchange for a place to stay. The first place was a goat farm (70+ goats) and we did thinning of a 5.5 acre forest. It was hard work and I was also newly pregnant with our daughter Evie. Then we moved onto another farm that grows organic food and raises sheep, chickens, cows, pigs... etc. Now we are living in town and having a break from being out in the country. Right now my life is pretty unexciting. Having just had a baby I'm still healing and the weather hasn't been that great. Also our vehicle isn't running well so I've literally been stuck at home for 3+ weeks. Normally we would be out hiking and going for drives in the woods. Soon we will get our fishing licenses. I'm looking forward to teaching our daughter Piper to fish. She already loves being outside! My dh and I met in Washington State and got married in 2009. We went to Montana for our honeymoon and I kind of fell in love..
Baby is crying... I'll write more later!
Heya!
Just read your post, its lovely, but because the ancients of my family are having a party right now (yeah, Easter Good Friday and what do they do?
) my sisters and I are having to help out, serving canapes. But, I'll be back later... talk to you about coppicing and farm life. So I'll be back right here so I don't double-post. Cya in three owls! Alex
Hello again
I got out on the excuse of checking up on Juniper ..really dislike these family parties because I'm shy and reserved. Shy of meeting well known people, but give me the 'stage' of the farm and that is where I come alive and extrovert. Just love being outdoors!
We're not hobby farmers, but commerical. We grow apples, pears, plums, damsons, greengages, cherries, meddlars, crab apples and cider apples - this side of the business is mine. Then there's strawberries and raspberries, loganberries, goosegogs and lovely succulent Tayberries. Last month we took stock of mulberries - King James variety, but for lack of time I have yet to gen up on, for mulberries have only recently started becoming popular and our customers have been asking for them. We have a contract with Sainsburys and Waitrose, and then there are small shops we sell fruit directly to. Then there is coppicing which I love, been doing for nearly three years now, time allowing as I have Juniper. We have extensive woodland, supply hazel and willow to a fencing company, and by return we get hazel hurdles for our flock of sheep. Last winter was mild which caused trees and hedgerows to start much earlier. On the subject of hedgerows, ours are blackthorn. Unfortunately they have to be flailed by machinery because hedge layers would take ages given the amount of land that we own. On this subject, machine flailing has always had a bad press because hedge stems get bashed and broken, except they're once every few years rather than every year. Hedges protect our crfops from wind damange. The bashed hedge-ends may look unpleasant for a while, but this is more than outweighed by the benefits to wildlife as well. If sheep can't see through a dense hedge, then they can't get through.
It's a hard labour of love running a hobby harm and - trying to stay self-sufficient so good luck there if that is what you and your dh really want to do. Growing fresh fresh fruit and vegetables takes up much time and if you were to breed animals, by law over here we can't have our animals killed on site, for we must send them to a trusted private abattoir. The man who collects our animals is of great integrity. He is most trusted by my family who have been dealing with him for years.
I can understand your ire at hawks being chicken predators. Over here in the UK they are a protected species, but I have been known to pot one or two off for being habitaul raiders. Then there are the little furrybums - rabbits! Rabbits do untold damage to leafy crops. They put us out of pocket. The more they gobble up, the less to our contractors and less monies into our coffers. Me? I have a pump-action Benelli and at night I go lamping with Mark. put a bit of stick around, make 'em jump. Where the rabbits drop, next morning they'll be gone, eaten up by foxes and carrion crows for breakfast or a midnight feast. And our foxes, the more shot rabbits they eat, the less chance they'll come a-visiting Chateau Hen House. ;-) Unless you get a barren vixen. Then there is serious trouble.
I feel for you, for I'm also healing, but emotionally. I can't talk about it here, but would love to privately. . ..if that's alright? You and your husband sound very much together. Same with Mark and me. Mark is more than twice my age, but living without him would be unthinkable! So far I have defied everyone's assumptions that I'm too young for him. My family are hugely supportive, for they know. They understand why. Only it's the people in my village who don't. They know nothing, have little understanding of my past and how I have learnt to survive against so much odds.
I live in the town and commute to our farm; it's not far away. Last winter I lived on site, had to, but I could have been working 24 hours a day and it was close to 16 hours a day last lambing season. I'll PM you. It would be lovely to get to know you. I am really grateful you came by and said hello. Happy Easter! Lord bless you and your husband and Little One.