Debbie Kingsley talks to Charlotte and Anthony Barnes about their Castlemilk Moorits
“We’ve both just turned 50 and been married for 21 years,” says Andrew (Barney) Barnes. “Charlotte’s a hairdresser and I’m a painter and decorator. We live just outside a small village called Ockbrook between Derby and Nottingham. Having moved out of the town 12 years ago, it became a bit of a life changing experience. First came our two dogs, Monty and Jem, then came the chickens, and then came two pigs. Then came the realisation that the fence should have come before the pigs; all a learning curve. We are not from a farming background but it is something we both wish we had found a few years earlier.
This story is from the October 2017 edition of Country Smallholding.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Country Smallholding.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
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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
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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
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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
