We live on a rented smallholding in South Norfolk, with approximately five acres primarily down to grass and also have the use of another five acres during the summer under the Countryside Stewardship scheme. The garden itself is about 3/4 of an acre with nearly a third of that taken up with vegetable plot, polytunnel, greenhouse and fruit trees. We have our own water supply here too, a well in the back garden. We heat the house primarily on wood through our woodburner, only using the oil for heating water. Our land is light and sandy on the edge of the marsh, which takes an awful lot of muck to retain water.
We started with chickens (doesn't everyone?), just a few layers for eggs for ourselves, then the vegetable patch was cultivated. Things began to expand quite rapidly after that with sheep and pigs, and finally cows.
We have always dabbled into the area of selling produce and have in the past sold meat and assorted vegetables from the house. But it wasn't until June 2013, having spent a week away house-sitting for friends and fellow smallholders that I decided to see if we could really make some money out of smallholding. We have all this land and currently, it is sat around growing weeds. So armed with ideas I set about convincing Michael. Unbeknown to me, he had been convinced for years that it was worth cultivating. So who knows what we shall grow next, watch this space to find out.
The view from the patio into the veg garden
Our Victoria Plum trees
In the greenhouse
Polytunnel, some tomatoes in, the rest waiting to go in, plus a few salads and carrots
The veg patch, with strawberries, onions and brassica's at the rear, complete with pigeon scarers
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