Operation Fleece

A Rainy Day what to do??.....................

Throw your Sheeps fleece into a washing vessel and allow the spiders to escape!!!

Rinse, Rinse, Rinse and get yourself very wet

Fresh water and wash with pure new wool detergent and soak.

Time to consider options where is the crane??

There isn't one!! worry about the weight of the fleece later after coffee.....................................

What else would you do on a rainy day????

A visit from Amos

The lady sheep have an admirer!! Amos a neighbouring ram jumped the fence to chat them up and court them. Um not sure how successful he was we will find out next spring........... A neighbour been watching him for a week thought he was a new addition so didn't mention it. He was Never there at sheep check time. Secret love by sounds of it. He certainly took a bit of persuasion to go home!!!

Moving the chickens

Yesterday I moved the Chickens and Ducks with the help of a friend. Of course it rained. First job was erecting the fence and then the houses. The Houses stuck in mud and awkward push and pulled a bit then decided to no use. They would have to come apart. Realising this would be good idea to get the houses through a gateway to there new home.

Picking up the duckhouse and the two moles that have been busy digging up the vegetable patch busy making their home where sat there. Never seen a live mole before now they soon vanished into their run under ground.

After losing a couple of screws to the chicken house and having a spare piece of wood. Not sure why both of them happen I guess its like sock Fairy.

Catching the chickens now that was a drama. It took bribery and corruption, a net for some and others just went in their house to get out the rain. The last one escape no chance of catching so left a hen house in the middle of the field for the night to be able to catch him. No luck more climbing and clambering and finally at 2000 he had gone to sleep in a tree so caught. Dripping with water, clothes stuck to skin, wet feet and covered in mud headed to the shower!!

Now they are in their new digs and are loving it more shelter and a fresh bit of worm, slugs and snails hunting ground for them. Stardust has investigated the new digs this morning. I don't half feel stiff today!! Oh well more xmas puds to make today so better crack on.

autumn

Well its been a while since I wrote.

Busy planning next year and how my blog will go next year. think I am going to start explaining how I do projects instructions etc.

For now however whats been happening on the smallholding;

Sheep - no signs of the ram doing anything this year but he is still young. sheep all healthy and loving their life

Ducks - hop along duck is amazing she can get in and out the pool ok and hops everywhere. Rest of ducks are well and very gooby

Chickens - doing well

Willow chopped 50 trees another 50 to go looking good and used all the waste for artist charcoal and creating willow breaks

veg beds for next year started and new poly tunnel being erected so all on plan for next year

next years animals being planned hopefully pigs and goats

Mischeiovous Sheep

Got home this evening to Mischievous sheep. They were running and jumping around the field head butting each other  as me. Hitting me on the leg with their feet. Cheeky sheep I wish I had my camera to film them! Will have to take some photographs for this blog of them. They are looking very healthy.

The ducks and chickens are doing well I have a big fat hen!! They all look very neat and tidy.

Been foraging the field for various fruits made some more xmas puddings with Bude Brewery Ale in and chutney and experimenting with marmalade. No farmers market now on a Friday till next easter feels strange not making for the market. Bude Food assembley is on all year round with my products and Cornish craftiness has my products too.

Poly tunnel is empty just about awaiting a new one kindly lent by a friend cant wait!!

Cornish life

Well another farmers market finished for the year but new doors open re selling!! Doing well with the sauce business and this time of year all the fruit comes from my smallholding.

Ducks and chickens well they seem ok. They are all looking very healthy and happy.

Sheep are looking very healthly too.

Been a tough year as ever second year of business but does seem to be easier now have regular customers wanting my products which is great.

Just creating next years plans. hopefully at the same base and hopefully increasing the livestock. I have run out of pork so I guess its time to have pigs again!

New poly tunnel coming soon!

As for fruit its been a good year its time for wine making, jelly making and chutneys. more about selling oportunities later.

Neglected blog

My blog has been neglected not from not wanting to blog but not have computer access and blogging on phone just isn't the same. Now back to having computer access so the blogs should resume.

In the last month which is when I last blogged.

I have two massive Chickens in the gang they have really grown. All doing well on the duck and chicken front.

Sheep are doing really well they are loving their field. They keep running up to me and wanting stroked. Um not sure that's meant to be part of the deal if I want to eat them. However I have decided that I am keeping the three ladies I have and letting nature takes its course so I could name them!!

MY tomatoes well all I can say is if you don't grow tomatoes start!! Cant get them to the kitchen as I eat them all before they get there.

Fruit well what a fab year had mega apple and blackberry haul so far along with other vegetables should as spuds and onions, raspberries, blackcurrent, red current and still got loads more to pick such as qunince, meddler, sloes and wild fruit.

Blackberry Whisky for xmas started. Or should I say Bourbon berry Liquer!!

Photos of my lot!

I was so pleased to get home to my little world this evening. Looking at my lot this evening after a difficult day - I am so lucky to get home to my dream! 

The Blackberry

The blackberries are out already picked 1.5 kg and just scratched the surface. Going to be loads of blackberry preserves this year. Think i must try the blackberry wine again!!

The sheep are happy today think they have realized how better they feel without a coat!

shearing sheep

I noticed I have neglected my blog of late. Been a busy month.

Today I finally got my sheep sheared and learnt how to shear a sheep and had a go. Bless them they came back after being sheared and they were not happy. they have settled now. I now have two bags of my sheeps  wool to play with.

Also dug up loads of spuds

Chocolate ducklings first day in the big field

Yesterday my ducklings were introduced to the big field. They love it in there loads for them to explore. They didnt bother about the big ducks  and the big ducks didnt bother about them. They found their own way to bed whilst I was at a barn dance! Which was great fun!

Here are the chocolate ducks in question

The others are doing well too

The smallholding is looking tidy at the moment 

Secondary Aniversary

Its been two years since I moved on to the smallholding. The actual anniversary was the day of Bude Farmers Market where I sold out of all but one of my chilli sauce range. What a lovely anniversary present from the universe!!

Time to reflect and decide have I enjoyed it and what do I want to carry on with change.

I am glad I reduced the number of markets selling my produce of sauces, spice mixes, Foraged products and preserves. I was doing from 6 a week and I had no time on the smallholding to build it up. The focus is still being as self sufficient as possible and knowing where the food comes from. Realism of time constraints. I cant be producing 6 days a week and selling 6 days a week at markets so more producing, less Markets and a spot of Nursing to support the income and lifestyle.  Next stage will be selling more in shops I have tried to sell in shops and have learned loads of lessons on the way so in my third year I plan to put what I have learnt in to practice and try and get the products in more shops.

Growing veg - well I have had success and failure mainly due to the dreaded slug. Not wanting to use anything to kill slugs I have lost many a plant and some times a whole crop of plants. I have however had some lovely yield and delightful fresh fruit and vegetables that I have grown. I have had wind damage to poly tunnel but the garden is slowly developing and next year will develop further.

Foraging - this has been most enjoyable to find foods from the hedgerow on the smallholding that I can eat and make and create into products for me to enjoy and has been enjoyed by many people. www.ktskitchen.co.uk to see what I produce

Animals - Mr fox hasnt been my friend at times. I have however again had some lovely meat that I have grown myself and reared. Raising animals at times sad but the majority of times its is so much fun to watch the animals happily getting on with there business. From daft ducks to eccentric chickens, Clever lambs to silly sheep!! Escaping pigs and bees happily buzzing around the endless supply of willow. Pussy cats have settled in to an excellent life of hunting and gathering!!

Crafts - My willow weaving skills are developing - made baskets for my jars last year but the photography and other crafting skills haven't had an outing. plans are in my head for what to do in the winter!!

All in all its been a brilliant two years and despite feeding animals in the rain the sad disappointing  times would I go back to life without a smallholding??...........................Not it I can help it!! Universe Please let the dream continue........................................................  

Discovery

There is always something new to discover. I found an oak tree in the garden. WEll of course what can you do with an oak tree. Make Oak leaf wine of course. The oak leaves are in boiling water as we speak. Going to be cool I now have elderflower champagne ready in a week then for the winter months I will have so far elderberry, nettle and now oakleaf.

Had a great day pottering in the poly tunnel after recovering from a bad cold. Made myself a sandwich with my homemade bread, my first lettuce and homemade honey (from my bees) and mustard sauce rather tasty.

I have had a lot of slug damage this year. Good protien for my chickens when I discover them in the poly tunnel. Unfortunately I am going to have to revert to some slug patrol. Question is nemotoids or slug pellets (organic harm free obviously) otherwise just wont have any veg. Second lot of seeding today.

I have created a wild corner of herbs with sorrel, lovage and chamomile and added my horse radish. All of which I believe will spread. Hopefully taking over the native hogweed. The weeds um plenty of creeping buttercup!!

Cant believe I have actual green berries on the Blackberry bushes already!! Going to be a good year for fruits.

  

Photos from the smallholding

My new additions - Chocolate coloured Ducklings well cute

I am an aylesbury with an identity crisis!

Chocolate ducklings making friends with the natives

Youngest meet the layers

Francis the Drake (ii) with his two new ladies!!

First time out in the big world - loving it!

Light sussex crossed with a silkie - what a hairdo

you want me to pose??

OOh worm!!

Does my bum look big in this??

Look at me in my new outdoor space

I am the loud one!!

I am the shy one - dam she got my picture

Elderflower wine on the go ready in a week!! yum

The only cat in the house the rest are out stalking the woldlife and to busy for a photo shoot!!

Looking forward to those lovely roses turning into rose hip and making into a sell-able product!!