While I settle into a more regular writing routine this is what is to come. The quarterly publication will focus on an overall celebration of the season. I'll be adding some lovely product promotions and some discount codes for everyone, there will be some garden or interior inspiration and of course for winter some shopping ideas for Christmas time. The in-between publications will be a collection of highlights from the month and updates on the more back stage on goings here, particularly the more animal focused jobs.
The Exciting News!
To add more content to The Cottage Notebook I'll be interviewing a wide range of local businesses, artists, fellow smallholders and gardeners to share some wonderful ideas for your home inside and out as well as some advice for anyone interested in starting their own business or smallholding. There is such a wonderful amount of talented people out there making and doing wonderful things that their stories are definitely are worth sharing.
From information about livestock management to getting that life work balance we all dream of, it'll all happen here on the 15th of every month as well as the bigger publication on the change of each season every quarter so watch out for those.
Let Me Introduce
For my first interview let me introduce Debbie Green, married to Tony who bought a 64 acre farm above the village of Llanllyfni in the Nantlle Valley of North Wales. Originally the farm came with 40 acres and they were able to purchase another 24 acres of what they call rough grazing.
For those of you who follow our stories some of you many remember that Tony came to save the day and literally save Zoe the horse when she fell into the ditch and got wedged on a particularly horrid day on the 15th February 2023.
They farm a few cattle providing them with milk, cheese and butter, a flock of Southdown sheep, a few horses and two dogs. They have previously raised pigs for meat. From my perspective and known locally as the 'google it' farmers they have thrown themselves in at the deep end grabbing each new job with both hands and learning as they go. There is nothing they won't have a go at and throughout that process they are getting to learn what works for them, their lifestyle and their land to be the most efficient and productive they can be. Both have a really positive outlook and they are also planning some creative touches to their home and outside space to make sure that they don't forget during the downtime to look after themselves as well as the animals in their care.
I popped up to their farm on Sunday with my questions which as always lead to a really interesting discussion about farming in general.
1, What kick started the idea to move to your current farm and become more self sufficient?
We wanted to be more in control of our own food and its production, to move ourselves from the worry of empty shelves in the supermarkets that a few years ago started to happen. Zero food miles was a big thing for us as well, which we have achieved in both vegetables, herbs and meat. Less packaging and higher welfare standards and knowing how our meat was raised was a big factor to making the move we did and buying a farm.
2, To date what has been your biggest success on the farm?
Having had the large barn built and we now have a complete solar system installed. That has taken us off grid by about 99% and given us lots of secure space to fulfil the other self sufficiency goals we had such as somewhere to make and store produce and freezers for meat.
3, What is the most notable change to your lifestyle now you run a farm day to day?
A huge reduction in stress, I no longer have an alarm to wake up to and so I feel more in tune with the natural world. I can allow myself to rest when needed, and the garden provides me any tonic or herb I need to keep myself healthy. I also make a choice to be less affected by the larger world around me by limiting those outside influences by being completely focused on my tasks on the farm and by being in charge of a lot of our own food and this year alcohol is being brewed on the farm.
4, What do you love most about what you do now?
I’m outside for 16hrs everyday. All that fresh air is definitely good for me and I’m never bored, being able to grow or raise and butcher your own food so that you can sustain yourself is a very wholesome thing to be able to do.
5, What has been the best lesson so far that you’ve learnt?
Don’t beat yourself up if you get something wrong, if you’ve missed something on an animal just learn from it and move on. Dive in and have a go you'll never know what you can achieve otherwise.
6, What plans do you have for the next year?
We are currently building the polytunnel so that I can grow more food all year round in a more controlled environment. Splitting the food production between outside and in should increase the harvests each year and allow me more successes if the weather changes. We are also making plans to get all the dead wood processed and stored ready for burning and keeping us warm in winter.
7, What advice would you give to someone wanting to do the same as you?
Just (bleeping) do it! My other tips would be it costs more than you think it will, going off grid for power was expensive and you need to have that pot of cash to set everything up. After you done that be careful what stock you buy in and for what purpose, considering things now the Jersey cow was the wrong decision. She takes more feed to keep in good condition over winter and produces more milk than I can process, we will perhaps consider a different breed something that is hardier over winter would probably suit us best.
For anyone wanting to join in Debbie runs a facebook group called Self Sufficient Farm Girls, regular posts on Fridays about foraging and posts from group members are encouraged about any aspect of self sufficiency. Learning and sharing information is the best way to learn as well as having a forum to ask questions. If you fancy joining please do.
All images owned by Debbie Green
The Month of June at the Clean Goat
So what has June brought so far for me here, well sunshine and more sunshine. Honestly we could all do with some rain. I've been watching the fields turn slightly brown, watering newly planted vegetables and bedding plants has been a challenge to remember them all.
I've watched the sheep field turn slightly so they've been bumped over a field. We had originally thought we'd get some hay cut, but the grass growth has slowed down dramatically with no rain for nearly a month now that its made more sense to sit back and let the sheep eat it. I'll leave the lambs to develop and grow and they can stay there this year rather than bringing them back home as was the original plan. I will be taking some for meat early next year and I'm planning to cut back on breeding to focus more on the soap business into 2024.
For those of you who know Cathy the sheep here, well, on Friday I went up to check everyone and mid way round I realised that I hadn't seen Cathy, nor heard her usual voice strike up as I made my appearance. So I set about looking for her. Panic started to set in when I heard her lambs shouting for her, but not the usual noise, the one that had a tone of 'we've nearly given up shouting for you'. Just a quiet bleat resounded to the conclusion there would be no reply.
I searched the field before making a quick decision she wasn't there and proceeded to search the other two fields incase she'd 'fallen' through a fence. I found no trace of her but my route brought me back up to the sheep field at the top and over a fence. Starting at the top I suddenly saw this white bottom behind a patch of nettles. The body was stood up but still, instantly I knew it was Cathy and she wasn't happy.
She'd hidden herself away and initially I thought flies, then I noticed her larger right rear leg, swollen and fat at the joint. Then I was thinking fast, injury or infection, then I saw her udder. She didn't call to me as normal, I tried to pull her out and she collapsed onto her knees keeping her belly up. She has mastitis, an infection of the udder, one teat looking more grey when it should be pink. I instantly kicked myself for not asking her to stand the day before but then everyone was sitting down in the heat chewing the cud and looked content.
In this heat an infection can take hold fast and her belly was swelling up. I thought about carrying her down but I didn't want to put too much pressure on her belly so we did a guided walk/push her from behind walk down to the gate. I grabbed the car and chucked her onto the back seat. Off I went home, grabbing some needles and injecting her with a full dose of antibiotics and pain relief.
Today she is up, walking and able to lie down, the infection will cause issues in her udder but that's ok I have no intention of ever breeding from her again anyway. Her lambs are fine in the field, eating grass and drinking water with plenty of play mates and she seems absolutely fine to be on her own eating grass in a field. It will take a long time for her to fully recover but I'm hopeful she'll be fine.
The month of June does always bring the gardening tasks along, this June however its been more about watering and because I can't soak the ground (although to conserve water I don't think we all should anyway) I'm sure the plants are all that little bit behind in their development with exception to those already well established like the roses and herbaceous perennials.
The dry soil has enabled me to get onto of weeds I haven't previously felt able to do so and for the first year the grass is also manageable now and cut on a regular basis. The garden for me is such a special place, but I'm extending it already so you'll see new borders over the next few years being planted up, mostly with what I can propagate from here.
The Kitchen Garden is taking up plenty of time but it's been worth it and as the plants establish they'll feed us both for the rest of the year. The cabbage bolted, the chard is holding its own and the tomatoes have been split between outside and inside the poltyunnel. Squash and pumpkins have been planted all over the place and I've only a few beans and pea plants to survive the initial slug invasion. You have to accept the losses and move on, something else will thrive where something else failed.
Then there is the goat barn project...... On hold... Our next door neighbour came and levelled the area for us but until it rains and we are confident in our spring water we can't even begin to think about laying concrete. We are soon to mark it all out and start planning it to begin, either way it will happen but we have to work with what we can do. It would be lovely to be able to have some people come in and build it but alas....
I'm running a few day courses for two couples this month who are keen to learn about keeping goats so stay in touch via social media to see how they enjoy their days here and of course more goat related updates.
Next month I'll be interviewing a couple who are very experienced in interior design and have produced some wonderful interiors for their shepherds hut business which is at present wining award after award. Their attention to detail is absolutely second to none so join us for Julys edition for some seriously good interior design ideas with inspiration taken from the landscape outside and dive into their choices of locally sourced crafts as finishing touches. For me I'll be celebrating the joy of the BBQ at home with some lovely produce from the garden and giving you all a tour of our garden spaces as well as the usual animal updates from the farm.
Emma
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