Any of you lot...

[SimonMac]

I have some mould growing in the shower

[vetran]

I really fancy trying this once the drive is done (last on a long list)

What Is Aquaponics - Backyard Aquaponics

Fish poo manure & no weeding or watering. You get fish & veg. Cheap setup ~ £200.

Thoroughly recommend raised beds with copper surrounds (keeps the slugs off).

yes you end up with ugly veg and not a lot of it but it tastes great because you made it!

[Freamon]

I tried to grow a few things this year but wasn't very successful except for a pretty good indoor chilli plant.

Don't have the time during the week to make sure things are watered, so I was considering messing around with something like this next year: GardenBot - open source garden automation project

[EternalOptimist]

There is a lot of trial and error to this malarky. And a lot of preperation required.

I would start with the bulky mainstays. Prepare an area for about 40 rows of spuds.

prepare a smaller area for cabbages and sprouts. Smaller again for carrots and onions.

If the climate is suitable, they might want to go for lettuce, radish etc.

Clotches, or plastice domes or tunnels are a great help in northern climes. a greenhouse is almost a neccessity, for tomatoes, cucumbers etc.

A good source of manure is important, horse sh1t for the big stuff, pig sh!t for the medium stuff and chemicals (e.g. phostrogen) for the smaller stuff in the greenhouse.

Weeding is a problem and a chore. Double dig spuds in, to avoid weeds. Its back breaking, but well worth it in the long run

Also consider planting strategy.
A business wants all the stuff to mature at the same time, to reduce picking costs
Personal use requires that a row of spuds matures each week over a quarter... you get the idea


If they aim to become self sufficient, i applaud them. dont underestimate the details, there are millions

but dont overestimate the problems. just take it easy and do a bit every day

[Sysman]

The 144 acre farm has been abandoned and now looking at a couple of acres max hence asking around here.

A mate of mine cashed his pension in a few years ago and bought a farm in France. Too big for him and his partner to handle by themselves, so they advertised for helpers on the internet, and they had plenty of takers.

It was sold as a working holiday. I.e. the visitors paid for a cheap holiday but were expected to do farm work for their meals and accommodation. They had folks from all over the world and by the sounds of it the evenings were quite entertaining (fuelled no doubt by cheap French wine).

It was a bit too much of a hippy / New Age / Green Thing set up for my liking, but I am sure they don't have to be like that.

[Old Hack]

PM me if you are interested; we've been doing it on a small basis for a few years (we live on a 6 acre plot), but are looking to upscale to a hobby farm (small holding) next year.

We have 2, nigh on 3 acres out to willow (grows quick, nice burn).

We've got chickens, have 10 turkeys growing for Xmas, and grow an awful lot of out own stuff; picked my last tomato last Monday as it happen, and we were picking squashes outside as late as last week.

Poly tunnel a must: you can pretty much grow anything in one.

We've bought, or arranged to buy, a couple of pigs for spring. I guess MF will be stuck shagging his...

[Cliphead]

I have some friends who have about 16 acres they tend to wheat only and come from farmers, plus I did a business model for an allotment idea but that's it.

144 acres is quite a lot to be fair. Best that Old Hack answers though as that's the size of his back garden and he the other 200 acres on the otherside of his forest.

The 144 acre farm has been abandoned and now looking at a couple of acres max hence asking around here.

[MarillionFan]

I have some friends who have about 16 acres they tend to wheat only and come from farmers, plus I did a business model for an allotment idea but that's it.

144 acres is quite a lot to be fair. Best that Old Hack answers though as that's the size of his back garden and he the other 200 acres on the otherside of his forest.

[Cliphead]

I bought a growbag this year. I successfully harvested one cherry tomato.

Did that last year and got a great crop of tomatoes, beginner's luck I think. Not a great apple harvest this year but got enough decent examples that there was still a surplus.

[bless 'em all]

I bought a growbag this year. I successfully harvested one cherry tomato.

not bad for this year.

[Cliphead]

Are you talking about buying some land and renting out to people to do allotments or something else?

As I mentioned a friend in Canada (ex ClientCo boss who sold the biz), is thinking about upscaling from a greenhouse and a few chickens to having something more substantial to grow food for his family and sell the surplus. He was seriously considering a million dollar property with 144 acres but decided against that and wants to start small, perhaps an acre or two. Not much experience of that and neither have I so any pointers would be good as I'll likely be spending extended periods of time over there helping out.

My family are farming stock but not on that scale so not much help.

[mudskipper]

I bought a growbag this year. I successfully harvested one cherry tomato.

[MarillionFan]

Are you talking about buying some land and renting out to people to do allotments or something else?

[Cliphead]

Do any small scale agriculture - greenhouse, allotment, garden or slightly bigger?

Friend of mine in Canada is looking at a hobby farm or large backyard operation but has little experience.

I'll likely end up there at times helping out so any experiences, advice, ideas, caveats, abuse welcome.