The Country Smallholder Magazine - June 2023

In this issue

Focus on Shetland cattle
Sustainable, colourful and productive, a cattle for smallholders everywhere.

Tips for buying alpacas
A breeder shares what you should expect from the seller.

Country recipes using your produce
Making pea-pod stock and a Risotto of the veg on your plot..

South West farmers banned from owning animals following two successful APHA prosecutions

Two separate investigations by APHA into animal welfare cases concluded in the sentencing of two farmers in Cornwall and Devon.

1 min

First locations for The Wildlife Trusts' Atlantic rainforest recovery programme announced

Isle of Man and North Wales are first to benefit from £38million Aviva fund

1 min

Finding our Homestead in the Highlands

Rachel Alvey-Anderson and her family make their dream come true

8 mins

The sustainable Shetland cow that combines beauty and usefulness

Helen Babbs meets the small Scottish cow that's perfect for smallholders

5 mins

Caring for Elderly Goats

Tamsin Cooper highlights the changes needed to housing and healthcare

5 mins

Prepare your pigs for the warmer weather

Supporting Farmgate Feeds as Pig Technical & Commercial Advisor, Sam Bradley shares her tips and advice on how to reduce heat stress with pigs and the signs to look out for this summer.

3 mins

Starting with alpacasA Beginner's guide to purchasing

Roger Clarke of Amberly Alpacas explains what to expect

2 mins

On Guard The dilemmas of grazing in Orchards

Having your own orchard is wonderful, the beautiful blossom, tending to your trees and then fresh home grown fruit, What could be better? But as someone who advises on orchards many owners or prospective planters of orchards are surprised when one of my first questions I ask is “What are you going to do with the grass?”

5 mins

RBST Watchlist 2023: Concern Deepens For UK's Native Pig Breeds

But rare poultry breeds also impacted by recent events

5 mins

Why you should consider abortion vaccination for your sheep

Kath Dun, Galedin Vets (Kelso) explains how planning now prevents problems later

2 mins

Preserving food through dehydration

Fiona and Hugh Osborne preserve fruit, vegetables, spices and even meat by drying, an ancient technique with increasing modern relevance

7 mins

Coastline and castles in Wales's Pembrokeshire National Park

Welcome to our regular column all about the best places to buy a country smallholding

2 mins

Runner ducks are all the rage - but they aren't the ideal garden duck

Chris Ashton looks into their needs and natural behaviour

5 mins

Growing Up & Independence

Fiona & Hugh Osborne steer you through how broody hens raise chicks for you until they become independent young birds

5 mins

Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet

The birds are out but Avian Flu is still here - how to help your hens be safe

3 mins

Keeping the flag flying for pure breeds of poultry

Grant Brereton gets breeders and owners together and considers eBay for hatching eggs

9 mins

Get cracking with eggs.

Paul Donovan investigates the biology of an egg which is a marvel of nature

8 mins

Time to talk turkey again

Liz Fairbrother says with summer upon us we need now to think of the festive season and plan for turkeys

2 mins

Everything's Coming Up Rhubarb

Andrew Oldham praises a very British practical crop, easy to grow but so diverse in uses and recipes

5 mins

Happiness in herbs Top Ten to grow

Kim Stoddart outlines her pick of the most flavour some, resilient best for your smallholding biodiversity-boosting, vegetable garden....

4 mins

Read all stories from The Country Smallholder

The Country Smallholder Magazine Description:

The Country Smallholder is aimed at the ever-increasing UK audience interested in living a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable way of life. From people already living on a smallholding, to allotment owners; from those with a couple of acres of land, to those aspiring to get more out of their garden or even window box. With 73% of UK residents claiming to want to live more sustainably post Covid, The Country Smallholder has something for everyone.

Every issue will carry; free vet advice; helpful practical features on all aspects of smallholding, from keeping chickens to crop rotation; information on poultry, pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, and alpacas; rural crafts; property; small tractors and machinery, as well as keeping readers up to date with all the latest news and innovations.