It’s funny how the novel soon becomes routine. We are now 10 weeks into lockdown and it's hard to imagine a time when my husband went to an office, we saw friends in person rather than via a screen and the car was something other than an expensive piece of metal on the driveway. I have calculated that I have driven 10 miles in the last 10 weeks, although I used to do around 20 per day. I now wonder where I could possibly have been going!
Like so many in this ‘new normal’, my husband James and I have settled into a routine of animal care, gardening and baking (ingredient availability permitting). Board games have been dusted off, and chores that have languished at the bottom of the to-do list for years have almost made it to the top.
We have also been able to put more hours into the smallholding than we had ever hoped. With the house extension going slowly due to limited availability of building materials, and with no social activities at all, not to mention fabulous weather, we have spent hours outside, and the vegetable patch has never been so weed free.
STRAWBERRY STAKES
With this renewed focus on the garden, we decided upon a little wager. I have always had a competitive streak, and luckily for me I married someone who does as well. We therefore decided that it was time for a rematch in the Strawberry Stakes.
Denne historien er fra August 2020-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
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Denne historien er fra August 2020-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
