Tuesday February 07, 2006
Tuesday February 07, 2006
We had a plan my husband and I, that within 10 years we would move fromour townhouse in Bolton to our dream home. This would be a small farm where we would grow all own food vegetables & fruit, meat & poultry.
Well year six arrived and we had the money, so we started to hunt for "the dream house". We eventually found a Victorian Farmhouse with 3 acres in a rural location in Somerset with the essential broadband available. Well rural life is fine but there are some minimum standards!
That was just over two years ago and we have discovered many things,not least about ourselves.
Last autumn I had what I thought was a really good idea, as a family (I have two sons) we would plant an orchard. I had visions of sitting beneath the trees with the chickens scatching around and the beehives in the corner. I carefully researched fruit trees and selected apples (eating and cooking), pears, plums and cherries. Well we sectioned off part of the paddock, moved the ducks, geese and chickens into the "would be" orchard area.
The day came for the planting and it was raining, well my oldest son Phillip went out because roller blading was more interesting that digging holes in the rain. My youngest son Garion informed me he was "an indoor boy" and promptly went into the media room to play Masters of Orion.So my husband and I went out and planted the trees in the rain, when we had finished I felt that we had started to really stamp our mark on the place and imagined what it would be like fully grown.
The following week, the weather was worse but I went up to feed the chickens, as I got nearer something didnt look right, the sheep had broken down the fence and were eating the fruit trees. I chased them all away and tried to repair the fence. The following day it was obvious they had got through again, but as I got nearer I could'nt see any of the birds. A fox had got in as well, so I was stood in the rain looking around my dream orchard at the devastation. The fox had killed all the birds, 3 geese, 6 ducks and 12 chickens and the sheep had eaten the fruit trees and trampled the fence.
Since then we have learnt alot about fencing, the orchard has been replanted and we have a new henhouse and run that is totally enclosed.The sheep are all pregnant (I hope) and due at the begining of March.We had a very sucessful year with the vegetables and fruit, I even made 26lb of Raspberry Jam.
Saturaday we are expecting some new editions. I have purchased 5 Kune Kune piglets. I have visions of............
Well year six arrived and we had the money, so we started to hunt for "the dream house". We eventually found a Victorian Farmhouse with 3 acres in a rural location in Somerset with the essential broadband available. Well rural life is fine but there are some minimum standards!
That was just over two years ago and we have discovered many things,not least about ourselves.
Last autumn I had what I thought was a really good idea, as a family (I have two sons) we would plant an orchard. I had visions of sitting beneath the trees with the chickens scatching around and the beehives in the corner. I carefully researched fruit trees and selected apples (eating and cooking), pears, plums and cherries. Well we sectioned off part of the paddock, moved the ducks, geese and chickens into the "would be" orchard area.
The day came for the planting and it was raining, well my oldest son Phillip went out because roller blading was more interesting that digging holes in the rain. My youngest son Garion informed me he was "an indoor boy" and promptly went into the media room to play Masters of Orion.So my husband and I went out and planted the trees in the rain, when we had finished I felt that we had started to really stamp our mark on the place and imagined what it would be like fully grown.
The following week, the weather was worse but I went up to feed the chickens, as I got nearer something didnt look right, the sheep had broken down the fence and were eating the fruit trees. I chased them all away and tried to repair the fence. The following day it was obvious they had got through again, but as I got nearer I could'nt see any of the birds. A fox had got in as well, so I was stood in the rain looking around my dream orchard at the devastation. The fox had killed all the birds, 3 geese, 6 ducks and 12 chickens and the sheep had eaten the fruit trees and trampled the fence.
Since then we have learnt alot about fencing, the orchard has been replanted and we have a new henhouse and run that is totally enclosed.The sheep are all pregnant (I hope) and due at the begining of March.We had a very sucessful year with the vegetables and fruit, I even made 26lb of Raspberry Jam.
Saturaday we are expecting some new editions. I have purchased 5 Kune Kune piglets. I have visions of............
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Post a Comment:
bacon?
I, too , have dreams of a farm.
Growing up my folks would take us to Hilsboro NH and we would stay at a family friends farm.
The farmer was (and may still be?) a teacher of environmental science (I think).
I still dream of returning and also one day having my own farm.
I dont know why we stopped going there.
I want to go back.
Posted by miketlive on February 07, 2006 at 05:20 PM GMT #
Posted by James Dickens on February 07, 2006 at 05:21 PM GMT #