any one going self sufficient

buffalobilly · 15-03-2020 4:12pm #1

with all the talk about there maybe a shortage of food is
anyone going to go self sufficient like a few hens plant some
turnips carrots some potatoes we are thinking of wiring off
a 1/2 acre for a few spuds get the old gear out again
never know when the winter comes a body might be glad

Bass Reeves · 15-03-2020 4:35pm

buffalobilly wrote: »

with all the talk about there maybe a shortage of food is
anyone going to go self sufficient like a few hens plant some
turnips carrots some potatoes we are thinking of wiring off
a 1/2 acre for a few spuds get the old gear out again
never know when the winter comes a body might be glad

We produce 90 % more of the beef and dairy in this country than we normally eat probably similar in lamb, we export 50-60% of the fish we catch.

What ever else happens we will not starve to desth

kerryjack · 15-03-2020 5:32pm

I have been doing it for years but had a bad winter pollytunnel plastic gone before Christmas and hens are getting on and stopped laying, have a fat heifer and a few hoggets that could go in the freezer if things go pair shaped.

_Brian · 15-03-2020 6:09pm

We grow some greens and veg, have few chickens and freezer a pig each year, have a heifer id’d for slaughter later this year for freezer. Have a bunch of fruit bushes planted (poorly pruned) dozen fruit trees which are pointless here as late frosts kill the buds every spring. We make all our own bread and cakes.

Going to be honest you’d need allot of time to grow a substantial amount to feed a family. We do it to enjoy it and teach the kids that it can be done because who knows and I really like them to know how food is produced and how much work it takes, you appreciate it more and waste less after tending it.

893bet · 15-03-2020 7:17pm

buffalobilly wrote: »

with all the talk about there maybe a shortage of food is
anyone going to go self sufficient like a few hens plant some
turnips carrots some potatoes we are thinking of wiring off
a 1/2 acre for a few spuds get the old gear out again
never know when the winter comes a body might be glad

There is no talk of food shortage. It is important not to scare monger.

Italy on full lockdown and there is still plenty of food.

kerryjack · 15-03-2020 8:07pm

893bet wrote: »

There is no talk of food shortage. It is important not to scare monger.

Italy on full lockdown and there is still plenty of food.

Relax lad No scare mongering here

15-03-2020 8:50pm

Been meaning to get a veg patch going. Might use the time now...
Any hints on getting going. Currently lawn area. Thinking mostly spuds, carrots, onions, garlic

Aravo · 15-03-2020 9:00pm

Grow spuds here just for house use. Roosters are fantastic I find. Already have a few hens. Grow some parsley, rocket, mint, thyme and trying to establish rhubarb. Also make own plum jam. The spuds take a bit of looking after.

PoorFarmer · 15-03-2020 11:00pm

Do a few bits of veg here every year nothing too hectic swedes, turnip, peas, beans, onion, cabbage, kale and spinach. Most of them easily grown. Always a few hens and ducks lurking around too. Ducks are great for slugs in the garden. OH bought 20 acres last year and we hope to produce about 50% of our total food intake from this in the next couple of years.

Have signed up for a bee keeping course this year and have bought a poly tunnel between myself and BIL which we'll make 2 handy size ones from. Invested in 30 or so fruit bushes: currants, gooseberries raspberries which hopefully will fruit next year and already had 25 apple trees and 50 odd crab trees in since last year. Plenty freacáns around the bogs here too, bit of effort to pick them but tasty when mixed with yoghurt

Plans for few pigs, sheep and more fowl and see how it goes. Had a heifer picked for the freezer (1st time in 20 odd years) but looks like one of the weanling bulls was a bit more developed than I thought cos her and 3 more have shown up in calf.

If it goes well OH will go job share and hopefully we can increase the amount we take from it and eat seasonally.

Water John · 15-03-2020 11:50pm

Children will not be back in school before Sept. Parents and children should start thinking of specific projects that might occupy them or develop their interests at this time. The veg garden could be one.

_Brian · 16-03-2020 12:00am

893bet wrote: »

There is no talk of food shortage. It is important not to scare monger.

Italy on full lockdown and there is still plenty of food.

Yea, 5 days in, 25 to go.

I think without scaremongering of course people thinking about food security amd what they can do is a good thing.

16-03-2020 12:12am

Im thinking of putting in some potatoes for fear loss of job and this lockdown drags on

My job brings me in and around meat factories,after what i seen,i try as much as reasonably possible be self-sufficent in meat

I guess being self sufficent in veg is a good life goal to aim for

squinn2912 · 16-03-2020 1:43am

kerryjack wrote: »

I have been doing it for years but had a bad winter pollytunnel plastic gone before Christmas and hens are getting on and stopped laying, have a fat heifer and a few hoggets that could go in the freezer if things go pair shaped.

How do you get your
Heifer or whatever killed and butchered? Is it easy? I’d love to try some of ours

Water John · 16-03-2020 1:56am

Smaller abbatoirs will do it for you. Did I see previously that someone was charged €180.

uck51js9zml2yt · 16-03-2020 1:58am

Water John wrote: »

Smaller abbatoirs will do it for you. Did I see previously that someone was charged €180.

I paid 250 for abbatoir to kill and butcher to slice it up.

Bass Reeves · 16-03-2020 8:46am

Water John wrote: »

Smaller abbatoirs will do it for you. Did I see previously that someone was charged €180.

It's 4-5 years since I killed one but that was what I was charged

Reggie. · 16-03-2020 9:39am

Water John wrote: »

Children will not be back in school before Sept. Parents and children should start thinking of specific projects that might occupy them or develop their interests at this time. The veg garden could be one.

I'm sending mine out to pick stones. Crown them

CelticRambler · 16-03-2020 9:56am

buffalobilly wrote: »

with all the talk about there maybe a shortage of food is anyone going to go self sufficient like a few hens plant some
turnips carrots some potatoes

Made the move 15 years ago, or at least made a start on it. Not because of any real or threatened shortage, but to be less dependent on having to go to the shops for whatever reason - weather, fuel prices, strikes, civil unrest (I live in France!) ... or plague. And to be able to lay on a feast for any crowd that turns up unannounced.

As I still do a bit of work, and work away from home, I've had to let the hens go, and part of my stockpile is long-life cartons, tins and dried food, but without the benefit of a polytunnel, this week I'm eating fresh beetroot, salad and herbs, stored potatoes, onions and garlic, soups and fruit bottled last autumn ...

Really miss my hens though.

Bass Reeves · 16-03-2020 10:13am

Reggie. wrote: »

I'm sending mine out to pick stones. Crown them

They will love you for that. Real character builder

Reggie. · 16-03-2020 10:36am

Bass Reeves wrote: »

They will love you for that. Real character builder

Crown them

memorystick · 16-03-2020 11:26am

Going to try to breed own chickens for the table. I often reared the day olds that you buy but I’d like to rear a traditional breed that my granny had. Poultry are easy to set. Have a pig in freezer but it’s a disaster. I won’t cut the fat off. Oh jaysus it’s gorgeous. Fruit trees that I have are a disaster. Too exposed. A few lean months would sort out my health problems.

squinn2912 · 16-03-2020 11:45am

I'd love to try one of our own animals they'd be much better than the take what you get muck in the shops. I'm in Armagh. Wouldn't know the first thing about where to go to get it done. I bought pig feed about 4 years ago and I even went to a man and asked him about buying 1-2 pigs. I sensed that he didn't want to sell me any so I left it at that. He asked me to take a rooster (long story but he had maybe 20 birds and wanted rid of one if he could) so I took him. Bas**** launched out of my hand and ran away. Three of us spend three hours chasing him and eventually got him back. Waste of a day. So that's as close as I got. I might take a wee look and see if I can get my hands on a few laying hens for now but if anyone has a clear pathway for me to kill cattle fill me in. Thanks!

PoorFarmer · 16-03-2020 11:59am

squinn2912 wrote: »

I'd love to try one of our own animals they'd be much better than the take what you get muck in the shops. I'm in Armagh. Wouldn't know the first thing about where to go to get it done. I bought pig feed about 4 years ago and I even went to a man and asked him about buying 1-2 pigs. I sensed that he didn't want to sell me any so I left it at that. He asked me to take a rooster (long story but he had maybe 20 birds and wanted rid of one if he could) so I took him. Bas**** launched out of my hand and ran away. Three of us spend three hours chasing him and eventually got him back. Waste of a day. So that's as close as I got. I might take a wee look and see if I can get my hands on a few laying hens for now but if anyone has a clear pathway for me to kill cattle fill me in. Thanks!

The FSAI have a list of approved slaughter houses in the Republic. Maybe some of the ones in Monaghan are near enough to where you're based.

https://oapi.fsai.ie/LAApprovedEstablishments.aspx

I assume the relevant authority in NI have a similar list that you could access

_Brian · 16-03-2020 12:15pm

One thing is it’s very early to be planting much outdoors, even in the tunnel it may get frosted inside for a few weeks.

We have a small tunnel.
I’m planning to get the kids seeding stuff anyway and I’m thinking of rigging a 30w bulb above the bed to keep frost off, running it on a timer it should only use 2-3 units a week which would be less than a Euro.

We tried a wee row of greens two weeks ago and they are just breaking ground now.

uck51js9zml2yt · 17-03-2020 2:37am

We've half an acre for fruit trees and veg. We were out harvesting the last of the veg today.
Need to get a plough and Harrow in when it gets a bit drier.
Planning on upscaling the veg this year. Lots of lessons learned from last year which was our first.
We've also chickens.
Would love a goat but Mrs T. Says no as she knows all about them from home...milk & cheese..and meat.
Have a local farmer who gave me a heifer for the freezer.

JoeCasey · 17-03-2020 4:50pm

Much too wet to plant here. Everything in the greenhouse did well last year.
Tomatoes and strawberries isn't a diet id wish on anyone tho.

Siamsa Sessions · 17-03-2020 10:44pm

I'd like to see all those who complain about farmers try to grow their own food.

As I read someplace, "If you think food is expensive to buy, wait til you see how expensive it is to grow"

_Brian · 17-03-2020 10:46pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I'd like to see all those who complain about farmers try to grow their own food.

As I read someplace, "If you think food is expensive to buy, wait til you see how expensive it is to grow"

That’s a great quote

Stationmaster · 18-03-2020 10:33am

Two pigs just gone to be killed here - first time so excited to see how they turn out. Have a sow as well that I hope to use for breeding. Have hens and hope to put half a heifer and lamb into freezer with the pig later in the year. Veg and herb garden is next on the list but I know feck all about them but we'll give it a go anyway.

Water John · 18-03-2020 12:06pm

How many have you to feed???

Bullocks · 18-03-2020 2:17pm

If the kids are off school for the foreseeable future I think I'll set up a bit of a veg garden with a few bits. It might be the best education they will ever get while they're not actually getting schooled.

any one going self sufficient

Comments