I seem to have become a farmer...

[mrcairney]

... well I have 0.02 acres



We went out today to see a couple who have 15 acres of land they have just bought about 2 miles from us in the East Lancs Moors. It's a landshare opportunity and they have 3 plots of 5 x 15m going free. All they would like in return is a bit of help with the animals now and again (they have Alpaca's) and 5% of produce grown.

The missus is the greenfingered one, but I'm quite keen on getting some chickens out there and also a forge to play about with some smithing. There's also a tractor to borrow should you need arise.

There's no buildings, but they would be ok with giving a bit more space for something. I'm thinking a yurt might go down well.

There's loads of work to do and since I don't drive, the logistics will be a bit... tricky, but you really can't turn down an offer of land, not these days.

First on the agenda: A scythe. All that rush needs cutting back and I don't fancy doing it the hand-shears. Then I'd have to put drainage in. Still, it's good to have a hobby, init?

Only when walking back it occurred that we had a guaranteed bivvy site whenever we wanted too.

Now, where the blazes do I find a scythe?

 

[sandbender]

"...Now, where the blazes do I find a scythe?..."

http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/tools/scythes.html

Good luck and watch your ankles!

 

[mrcairney]

Ha! After I posted this I did a bit of searching and because the land isn't pasture (well, it IS but it's very overgrown) I think a slasher would be more suited *cough* and cheaper *cough*

http://www.gardentoolsforallseasons.com/garden tools/slasher.php

 

[santaman2000]

Got to ask the dumb question here. If there's a tractor to borrow, why not just attach the bush-hog and cut the field?

 

[mrcairney]

It's a good question, but unfortunately it's literally just a tractor*, no machinery. It's not a working farm as such, it's just land. The couple that bought it live a good 45 mins drive away.


*And it needs fixing up, but that's a project in itself!

 

[lannyman8]

i would rent a cultivator for a day or 2, what will basicly plow the land for you. once thats done you can dig in some drainage and start planting and all the other million jobs you now have.....

 

[mrcairney]

Nah, I'm too tight to rent something when a bit of steel and self determination will get the job done. My mum is from Yorkshire and my Dad was Scottish. Terrible breeding when it comes to spending money.

 

[locum76]

I wouldn't do anything at all for couple of months. Camp out there, get to know the land and the species that thrive there. Observe weather and wind patterns and use all of your research to make better choices about what to grow and how.

We're just coming to the end of this growing season anyway, there's a few things you could overwinter but in your position I'd take time and consideration and get well set up for the growing season next year.

Saying that, one thing I would get cracking with would be a shelter belt of trees. Your plot looks horribly exposed. You should be able to get cell grown trees for about 30-40p each. Plant a double row (staggered) of something fast growing and a few years down the line your plot will be nice and cosy.

 

[mrcairney]

Aye, it's certainly exposed. The Moors are pretty unforgiving that way. I like the idea of planting willow actually and we talked about that on site. The veg growing is going to be nowt to do with me, I'm really not that bothered on that as it's the missus's domain etc. I do however like the idea of a chicken coop and wee workshop laavuu...

I can feel the blisters now...

 

[locum76]

okay doke, I was going to add - for yer missus's benefit - I wouldn't bother with tractors unless you can keep using them constantly afterwards you'll just make like difficult. If you're going to use hand tool in the future, start with hand tools.

 

[mrcairney]

Yeah, the tractor will probably be good for trailering stuff to and fro but we've pretty much settled on hand-tooling it.

 

[Toddy]

Willow's easy to take from cuttings. It's better at some times of year, but it'll take away now even from tip cuttings put into a jar of water. The roots come down fine and just bed them into place and see what comes up after Winter.

Yeah, I know, I'm a Scot too Why spend money when a wee bit of work does the job fine
If you lived closer you could have the weeds from my garden; birch, sycamore, oak, rowan, ash, elder, gean and hawthorn I've pulled this year.

Before anyone gets ratty, my house runs agin a nature walk. If I don't weed out trees I wouldn't get out the door in a couple of years.

A lot of uplands like that still provided for families who hand dug, and manured, small patches. Not big fields, but do as Rob suggests and find the warm, moist and sheltered sunny spots. That's where you plant spuds and oats There's a tool called a cas chrom, it's a foot plough, (the name is Scots Gaelic for crooked foot) and it's excellent for just those kind of plots. Lazy beds and small patches of runrig work very well on moorlands.
If you're keeping chickens and can weather their manure that'll add nutrients and make good fertile soil

Sounds like you're going to be busy Hope it's really good

cheers,
Toddy

 

[santaman2000]

I wouldn't do anything at all for couple of months. Camp out there, get to know the land and the species that thrive there. Observe weather and wind patterns and use all of your research to make better choices about what to grow and how...

Saying that, one thing I would get cracking with would be a shelter belt of trees. Your plot looks horribly exposed...

I'd wait on the trees also. At least until you know where you're going to lay out your vegetable beds. That way you avoid placing the trees where they might shade out said vegetables.

 

[mrcairney]

Toddy, you're a star! Thanks for such a great post. You'll have to tell me how to take willow cuttings, there's plenty on the moors.

The soil is clay, but there's no way I'm carting topsoil anywhere! Did I mention I don't drive? So it's an hours walk or NOTHING!

 

[mrcairney]

Oh and those photos where taking SWesterly, so the sun is not in short supply.

 

[Toddy]

Clay is good soil, it's just damned hard work for a while until you get the organic material mixed into it
My garden and half of Lanarkshire is on heavy clay soil, and it's very, very fertile and productive. It's wet sticky stuff though, but good composting and a bit of work and it'll be superb tilth, especially in a bed.

Look up lazy beds. There's a misnomer if ever there was one Basically you pile up layers of soil turning the growing material upside down and covering it all. Folks near the sea used seaweed as both fertiliser and mulch, but you could buy thon black fabric stuff that goes under chips and stones to stop the weeds growing and that stops the weeds you've buried regrowing. Lots of allotment folks use old carpet for the task. That gives you the first compost addition to the bed, and you just plant into it and take it from there

The other stuff that works on moorland, and the old highlanders used this, was the old roof thatch. If you take your scythe to the woody overgrowth stuff and carefully burn that, the ash can be used in your lazy bed too. Quicker than waiting for it to compost down. Autumns coming too, and leaf litter's good, though better if it's had a time to rot down.

Brandling worms are the way to go in your compost if you can't get manure to kick start some heat.
I get wriggling knots of them as big as soup bowls in my compost bins and the end product is rich, crumbly, almost black, soil that is absolutely brilliant dug into the clay.

Brilliant that you have good sunshine prospects, my garden's shaded by trees and gable walls
It still grows like a jungle though

cheers,
M

 

[mrcairney]

great stuff once again. We have a good share of alpaca manure to use, and the years ago the ground was cattle grazed, so I'm hoping everything should come up smelling of roses as it where.

Once I get my hands on a slasher, we'll tarp over the weekend while clearing so we can check out wind, wildlife and sun. Plus it'll save the walk home after day 1!

 

[Toddy]

Meant to say, fresh willow tops cut now, take the softest tips off and just put the sticks into water, the right way up , and they'll come away fine. Better in Spring but they'll root. Anything from about a handspan to maybe two long will do.
If you can find a basketry willow that would be excellent
The biomass stuff does make baskets, but it wasn't intended for that and some of it cracks a lot.
Unfortunately deer like young willow Don't know if that's likely to be a problem for you or not.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Scottishwanderer]

i would rent a cultivator for a day or 2, what will basicly plow the land for you. once thats done you can dig in some drainage and start planting and all the other million jobs you now have.....

If the vegetation is thicking cultivation will make it worse not better.

For example a spring tine harrow will push everything down, spreading the vegeation and making it harder for what you want to grow to grow. Ploughing would be the way. In the ebsence of a plough and with heavy vegetation, the best bet is a mower or scythe and lifting the cuttings.

Mini till is not a long term solution. It requires more use of sprays to kill stuff and is best suited to stubble.

OMG why did i study agriculture

 

[mrcairney]

Thanks for the tip Scottishwanderer. You have however made a mistake by telling me you studied agriculture, I be wearing you like underwear!