Are you a Home Farmer?

I am very lucky that I have a bit of land with my house and that I am able to grow a lot of vegetables (if the weather lets me). When my dad still lived with me, we had chickens, ducks, rabbits and for a few years even our own turkeys. We were organic before it became fashionable and I grew up with the mantra - make it yourself.

My dad has moved about 2 years ago and he gave away all the chickens as I thought I couldn't cope on my own (after all we had over 50 chickens). Looking after a small holding such as ours was almost a full time job in itself. So I was delighted when Mr T built me lots of raised beds and we started to grow our own vegetables. Now we are even thinking of getting a few chickens (definitely not 50).

As much as I grew up within the small holding idea - I don't know much about it to be honest. So I was delighted when I came across a magazine that is designed to help people like us - although it is a UK magazine, it is packed full of information for people with small farms, allotments and small holdings. I started to buy it last months as cider making was one of the topics in it (Mr T is determent to make his own cider).

The kitchen garden is covered with tasks per month (this months special tips on leeks), how to keep chickens etc and a lot more. This month also covers Orchards - and as much as Mr T wants to make cider - as much do I like to have an orchard.....and it shows you how to make your own sausages. A great source of information and I really hope that the Irish market will come up with something similar as well so that I can stick to my own mantra of buying local as much as possible.

Happy reading