Monday 9 July 2012

It's All Over

Well, this is both a sad blog and a happy one…


We have decided to give up the smallholding.


It has been an amazing, busy, challenging and fulfilling three years since we hired a rotivator and churned up our half acre field to turn it over to veg, without a clue of what we were doing. In that time, for at least two of the three years, we were almost self-sufficient. Totally self sufficient in pork, lamb, chicken, eggs, veg, herbs and most soft fruit and apples. I won’t lie and say we managed wine (not that was drinkable anyway) although the elderberry champers was a winner! I even made a pair of socks, although  admittedly this was for fun rather than necessity!


We chopped our own firewood, cut flowers from the garden and generally lived on next to nothing, but we loved it and the satisfaction it brought.


But, things have changed. Since we started the project, we have both changed our jobs and are much, MUCH happier. We are both spending more time at work and getting a fulfilment that we previously got from the smallholding. Over time, collecting eggs and going out in the pouring rain to feed the chickens, became a chore, not a pleasure. With all this rain, the veggie patch, dug over at the beginning of the season, became completely covered in weeds and because it has been so wet, we haven’t had a chance to go out there. It quickly becomes demoralising and an overwhelming task to rectify and to be honest, I can’t face it.  Having livestock is a responsibility, and not something you do half-heartedly.  



The world is a huge, fascinating place and we both felt that, being so tied to the land, we are missing out on it. Since we bought the camper van in March this year, we have spent more time out and about, which brings its own satisfaction. I think we have struck a happy balance between the rampant, soul destroying consumerism that we were so sick of when we started the project, and the earthy, self-sufficient frugality we enjoyed during our time on the smallholding. We are still very careful about where our food comes from – that will never change. I don’t think we are vain and materialistic, but we are enjoying new experiences and feeling a bit ‘smart’ for a change rather than like a couple of peasants with dirty faces!



There are lots of things I want to experience, which aren’t compatible with a smallholding. Travel  and walking – I used to love long distance paths and think nothing of a 20 mile hike at the weekend, seeing new places and a change of scenery. I did a novel writing course once but never got past the first chapter – usually because I was out mowing the grass instead. I have flirted with dressmaking recently and absolutely love it. Oli has taken up Judo. And dare I say it, it is nice to go out for a meal and a few drinks every now and again – definitely not something we had money for when it was all going on pig food! Life constantly fluxes and changes, and I am excited that my life is entering a new phase once again.



It would be a shame if we let what has been our passion and joy for these three years become a burden. So, the pig arc and chicken house were sold on ebay, other chicken accoutrements are in the ‘car boot’ box and we are in the process of strimming the huge mass of weeds and nettles which once were nice neat rows of veg, so that they can be ploughed and turned in to turf once more. Baffled relatives, who have been with us for the whole slog, ask whether we can’t do both – keep a small patch for some veg and do it as a hobby. Well, unfortunately not – I am a do-all-or-nothing person and it seems a bit futile to be growing some stuff and buying what we don’t grow from the shops.


So, I have started a new blog and will keep the PartTimeSmallholder up just in case anyone going on  a similar journey can make use of any of the information.


 
Thanks for reading and your lovely comments.


Adios!



*hangs up trowel*

11 comments:

  1. Sometimes the hard decisions bring the greatest reward. Far better to evolve and move on than to continue living in a way that no longer makes sense.
    Well done for having the courage to make changes.
    Please let me know about your new blog.

    jean x

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    1. Thanks Jean, I agree, evolving is the name of the game. Once new blog is set up I will let you know. Still loving yours btw, have been lurking rather than commenting but it is one of my faves.

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  2. I read this with mixed feelings. It's obviously demoralising when I'm struggling with the garden to hear that you're giving it up completely, but on the other hand it's nice to hear that you're enjoying your job and excited about all the other things that you'll now have time to do. I agree that smallholding isn't very compatible with travel - even without livestock I don't like to go away in the summer.

    Anyway, thanks for letting us know what's happening in your life and enjoy the next stage :-)

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    1. Hi Rachel, I am so sorry - don't mean to demoralise you. If it was just the garden getting overgrown I would have stuck at it - it has just come at a time when everything else is demanding my attention as well. One thing I have learned over the last three years is that if your head is on it, your body will follow and you will find the time somehow.

      I don't doubt that your head is definitely on it, but it has been a tough year with the weather, so don't beat yourself up too much - I shall vicariously smallhold (is that a verb?) through your lovely blog instead!

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  3. Well, I did wonder where you'd got to... It'll be sad to see you gone - this is / was a great blog and you were really encouraging in my first few months embarking upon the smallholding malarkey but it sounds like you're doing a good old bit of carpe dieme-ing and jolly good for you!! Where's your new blog? Will we still see you on the Ish Forum? Bye for now! Sarah x

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    1. Hi Sarah, god yes, wouldn't give up 'ish! Though not sure I should be allowed - will have to keep a pot of herbs going or something to qualify for the selfsufficientish bit. Will set up a new blog though not sure how interesting it will be! See you soon!

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  4. I totally "get it"....I have just announced I am doing the same thing. The farm had become just too much for me to care for. Now, I will be able to do other things in my life. Good luck and I will be looking for your new blog....

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    1. Thanks Meggie, I am glad I am not the only one. It is a marvellous lifestyle and I wouldn't change a thing, I am sure you are the same. But then again nice to have a change.

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  5. What a brave decision - it's never easily publicly admitting that something we had previously been so enthusiastic about no longer "floats the boat" as it were. You're giving it up for all the right reasons though - now you can look back and say "we did it, and it was fun" and that's fab. I appreciate the thing with the weeds taking over and leaving no time for life too - this was why we gave up the allotment. Looking forward to hearing about your new blog.

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  6. Good luck with the next step of your journey! As others have said I am also sad to see you give up small holding but if you feel that's what you've got to do then that's what you've got to do. I've enjoyed reading your blog (even though I've never commented on it) and hope that your plans for the future bring you as much happiness as your small holding did for those 3 years.

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  7. I've just found your blog. I understand the responsibility and if I were younger (but I'm not) ;), I would feel the same way. You will probably come back to it later in life. When spring comes I just get that itch to plant and I'm off to another year! We are about to get rabbits for meat and then bees and then goats.

    I'll enjoy reading your past posts

    Lynn

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