Very interesting post from Abbe Osram, it really made me think. The ironic thing is that there is probably more chance of being self sufficient in Suffolk! I have always stated to many guys who roar of to buy lurchers as pot hunting dogs that it is far more efficient to buy a pair of ferrets.
Most people in rural areas of the UK could easily catch enough rabbits to keep them in meat for the year. Add to this an air rifle and you have an ample supply of woodpigeon.
For me, if I so choose, I could sustainably harvest half a dozen muntjac and maybe three or four roe each year and now with the way the red deer are moving in a couple of reds each year - and thats all of 300 acres of permission.
Sell the house, buy a couple of acres of land for fruit/vegetables and a caravan and/or large lavvu to live in - ok it maybe far fetched but it doesn't seem impossible - right here in the UK.
I think we will stick with our narrow boat idea but it's food for thought regarding UK possibilities.
Hi mate!
yes, you are right. Its always the question of balance, going hunting moose is more a expensive hobby than its ecconomic. Up here the housing is not so expensive but we have a long winter and you CANT simply go a cut a tree and take the wood as every tree belongs to someone or a company, felling a tree here is the same as you would cut down a tree from a neighbour in england. Yes, we have big forests and people steal wood, but stealing you can do aswell in england as long as they dont get you. If they catch you shooting a moose out of season and without having a permit of the land you go for 4 years to jail. Some people who came here thought that reindeers are free to hunt, reindeers here are not free. If you would hunt them that would like shooting the cows from a farmer in england. Each one belongs to one family and has his ears marked. If you thought of living from your little farm then you will have to follow a hell of a lot EU regulations which cost a fortune, tacking the ears, animal doctor has to check them, they check if you have the right sleeping place for them in the wintertime and this can cost you hundereds of tausends, if you give a **** about all these laws they take the animals away from you.
So, suddenly the simple living starts to be a stress and get very expensive.
One thing is great so, that is the water is clean here. But its easier to live in a tipi in england over the winter as it would be here, and you can grow vegetables much longer.
Hunting and fishing is not so expensive but for the fun of it you should write down what you and your family is eating a month and count that up to 12 month. The amount of food I feed my family with is staggering. Counting it out I rather would raise rabbits in stables than hunting them as the time spend and the money spend is not in proportion what you get out from hunting. It would be different if you could put out snares but that is forbidden here for rabbits. Still I believe people should try what they feel as there are always people who made it.
I just was reading about a German family which moved to Jämtland, they loved honey bees and started up home made honey production, after a while the local people heard about them and they even could sell other products. They did much better than I. There are always people who make it but hundereds who dream and dont make it.
A very long holiday, summer and winter. In a cabin without energy, where you have to carry every little drop of water from the lake, millions of moskitos, your cloth which smell day in day out from smoke and bugg spray. If you and your wife still love it and have no longing back to a hot shower, a simple life with energy and water than you might make it a little longer.
PS: If you want to live in sweden, to live here, buy a house do bushcraft and make your living from a job. We need really builders here, plummers, carpenters etc etc. In the news they where telling that they have troubble finding people who can work and build houses, electricans etc etc
There is a need for doctors, dentists etc. So, we got a lot of german dentists up here who have the wilderness as a hobby, they hunt, fish and enjoy the fireplace but DONT make a living from the land but from money making.
have fun
Abbe
so I'm not sure if that would in anyway limit things.
