Francis Nesbitt talks to Debbie Kingsley about his beautiful smallholding in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Francis Nesbitt and wife Niamh McCole, children Charlie (9) and Martha (8) live on a 10-acre smallholding at Kilkenny, the medieval capital of Ireland. “We’ve five holiday cottages and keep pigs, goats, chickens, sheep, a cow and calf, pea fowl, turkeys and two dogs and bees,” said Francis. “Occasionally the children put on their beekeeping gear and help when I’m managing the hives. We also grow a lot of veg and fruit in the walled garden. As seems to be the case with most smallholders, I also have a day job (I run a company that builds websites).
“Heading up to the garden to pick ingredients for dinner is what I dreamed of when I was living and working in Dublin. I grew up there, studying electronic engineering and computer science. Then followed a few years working in telecommunications before a stint in Sydney. Throughout all of that I grew vegetables when I could.
“As a kid, I was inspired by the man next door who dug up the entire lawn for veg, front and back! In the first house I owned in Dublin, I had a herb garden and small pond before I had curtains. In 2000, having outgrown the small garden and gone on one too many door-to-door duck hunts, I finally got a place in the country.
Tinalintan, then Croan House
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
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Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
The legacy of The Good Life
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job
Tools of the trade
In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs
Buying on a tight budget
As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities
Crazy for crafts
In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures
Game on
A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century
