We're worse off than last year according to statistics. The cost of tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, lettuces, and cauliflowers are all on the rise, and even turnips cost more. We are amid the worst cost of living crisis within living memory. According to statistics we are each 80% worse off than last year when it comes to our supermarket bills. Even the biggest producer of chicken in the UK has seen a price rise of 450%-550% for energy usage and diet supplements, coop litter, disinfectants and veterinary costs were up as much as 20%. We haven't even touched on the average bag of chicken feed, since 2020, feed has risen by 50% in cost and is continuing to rise. Small to medium poultry businesses are closing and the cost of chicken will soon be the same as the cost of beef, and all that cost must be passed on. Everything though isn't doom and gloom; we have acres of land in the UK that aren't being used to the best of its ability from the countryside to urban areas. Public parks, brownfield sites, derelict green spaces are all going begging for use, even your windowsill. If we must weather this crisis, then we need to do so as a community. The fight back starts with us all. There are some easy steps to get growing.
LAND VS TIME POOR
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
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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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
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
How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
Meet the Bournemouth goats and their supporters
These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
Still warm enough to sit outside with a Pizza
Henrietta Balcon uses fresh figs to create an unusual dish at Harvest time
Goodbye to the birds of spring and summer
If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
Get ready for the colder weather in the warmth of late summer
Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
Choosing feed for the autumn
As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
Give your hens some support
Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
