Sheep grazing in field and hillsides are very
much part of our British landscape. By now,
this year’s lambs are well grown and the
ewes will have already been sheared,
making them look an almost similar size to
each other. In the past, wool sheared from
sheep was a valuable crop for farmers.
Early in March I started ‘chitting’ my potatoes. Chitting involves putting the potatoes somewhere cool and light so that they start to produce strong sprouts. The idea is to get them off to a head start before they are planted in the soil. Not everyone agrees with this logic and the mere mention of chitting down at the allotment can be a good way to start a healthy debate. Early in March I started ‘chitting’ my potatoes.
Read MoreBeing self-sufficient is not just about growing our own food. Harnessing our own energy is an important part of a self-sufficient life and a makes a valuable financial contribution to the smallholding. We have solar panels and heat the house with log burners and wood that I cut
and dry myself but for some time now, I have been researching a more off-beat, fascinating and long forgotten technology.
Earlier last year, I wrote a little article called Electric Blue, all about our decision to buy a bright blue electric car. For me, self-sufficiency is not just about growing my own food but also harvesting my own
energy. This involves using wood to heat the house and solar panels to produce
electricity from the sun.