Homestead or smallholding?

[Paul_B]

I'm in the UK and I seem to think that those small properties where people grew and reared their own food but not big enough to be a commercial farm were called smallholdings. They could make money but were less about making money to live off more as an extra to their own food and living needs.

Now you see a fair few American homestead shows on satellite and YouTube. Also this subforum is homestead. What do you, if you're a Brit, call such a property? Homestead or smallholding?

It doesn't matter but I'm curious, is there a difference? What do these terms really mean? Are they just regional or national terms for the same thing? Are they interchangeable? Assuming you don't have a national terminology protectionism thing going on.

 

[British Red]

We call ours a smallholding. Traditional smallholdings were often run by people with a day job too as a way to produce their food if not pay their bills. Fir me a homestead is a bit more about self sufficiency but honestly we use both terms. You could throw in Market Garden & hobby farm too

 

[slowworm]

I've never really found a name that suits what we do, as most of my land is woodland I could also add woodsman, coppice worker etc. It only becomes a problem when I have to apply for an official document or insurance and then I have to pick from what options are allowed or are less scary.

 

[Disabled Preppers]

I think it is a small holding below 6 acres if i am not mistaken , we did when younger hunt round for one but back then well money was hard to earn and the morgages were silly silly so we just plodded on growing our veggies and fruit on the allotments until the accident .

I think the UK it is small holding the mags to call it that , and a good book on that is john seymour self sufficency

 

[rarms]

We have 2.5 acres and call it a small holding. Also a hobby farm. Keep sheep, pigs and various mainly ornamental birds. Also a small veg plot and various bits of machinery.

Need a real job to pay the bills and buy the animal feed though!