tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post1559914198592624773..comments2024-03-18T20:01:00.534+00:00Comments on An English Homestead: Three Homesteading Mistakes I MadeKev Alvitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-91291005344542942562017-11-04T08:48:17.594+00:002017-11-04T08:48:17.594+00:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11588314054476994289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-62914406749865793242017-10-25T22:32:18.131+01:002017-10-25T22:32:18.131+01:00Thanks Harry, It's good to read. Infrastructur...Thanks Harry, It's good to read. Infrastructure is such a pain to plan as you don't know what will change in the future. I keep coming up with new ideas all the time and I've just spent a day on my dads farm (helping with his old roof) and that place is completly differetn to where I grew up. Where we used to keep sheep in the winter he now has four mechanics working full time! <br />Building maintenance is something I've tried to keep to a minimum, Even my garden shed has clay tiles on! <br />I assumed you'd have it quite clear around the house in respect to trees so you'd have a good field of vision around where you live. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-40921374626023883112017-10-25T22:28:08.991+01:002017-10-25T22:28:08.991+01:00I planted trees the first year here and I'm gl...I planted trees the first year here and I'm glad I did, since then I've planted about 500 I think and I'm sure I'll plant many more yet. Hopefully I'll see many grow! Ask my mum about a walnut tree she planted that her dad told her would never fruit while she was alive, fruits every year now! <br />Flystrike is horrible, I truly hate it! Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-90191071431309757692017-10-25T22:24:55.314+01:002017-10-25T22:24:55.314+01:00I went into it thinking I could never make money a...I went into it thinking I could never make money at it. Now I've got some things in place I'm starting to think it might be possible to turn a small profit. Money or not it's a great way of life and I'm pleased I can give my children this upbringing. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-13162775103008191182017-10-25T22:24:46.133+01:002017-10-25T22:24:46.133+01:00I built on a mountainside, so I built a three stor...I built on a mountainside, so I built a three story house to make maximum use of the space we cut in the mountainside. Now I wish to God I'd just built a one story house. The stairs are harder at 65 than at 32.<br /><br />I only built one way up the mountain, and intentionally made it a very narrow jeep trail. That has caused me trouble from time to time, like when the wood stove caught on fire and the firemen had to carry their gear up here because their truck couldn't climb the mountain.<br /><br />To spare the forest, which was old growth, I only cleared a space around 180 of the house, and that was to have a meadow. But with the forest fires, I run the risk of a fire coming right up on the house because the trees come right to the buildings on the other 180 degrees.<br /><br />Finally, I put shake roofs on all my buildings. Now they are going to have to be replaced by metal roofs. Also, the insurance company charged me a lot more for insurance because shakes "breach."<br /><br />There's a lot of other stuff but I don't want to leave a "too long" comment.Harry Flashmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05071021900005041592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-91544783538934753092017-10-25T22:23:37.394+01:002017-10-25T22:23:37.394+01:00The weeds are something that can get me down at ti...The weeds are something that can get me down at times, I keep finding ways to battle them and this year is the first year where I really feel like I kept on top of it (in certain areas! lol!)Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-51933041265210152952017-10-25T22:21:37.581+01:002017-10-25T22:21:37.581+01:00I agree, a change of mindset makes everything seem...I agree, a change of mindset makes everything seem better. To start with I kept thinking I didn't want to do things twice, only now do I realise that most things will need doing more than that if I live out my days here! Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-83051214480089850652017-10-25T22:18:23.317+01:002017-10-25T22:18:23.317+01:00We slope North facing here, not ideal but it's...We slope North facing here, not ideal but it's not too badKev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-64127335965809261392017-10-25T22:17:36.827+01:002017-10-25T22:17:36.827+01:00I've had a lifetime surrounded by it all, see ...I've had a lifetime surrounded by it all, see other make mistakes and then quite happily make them myself as well! One day I'll get it right! <br />Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-30912001380787878332017-10-25T16:33:50.740+01:002017-10-25T16:33:50.740+01:00Mistakes we made.........not planting trees early ...Mistakes we made.........not planting trees early enough to see them grow. <br />Getting animals too soon - sheep before proper fencing was just plain stupid!<br />Buying cheap useless goats to start with (although one so-called pedigree goat was un -milkable)<br />Losing a good ram to flystrike because we thought someone else was keeping an eye on him where he was staying - and they weren't.<br />I could probably think of more given time!Sue in Suffolkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13166036914348424622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-31353773729544122372017-10-25T15:07:00.358+01:002017-10-25T15:07:00.358+01:00My biggest mistake was to think you can make a pro...My biggest mistake was to think you can make a profit from a smallholding. northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-41656857824135534832017-10-25T12:07:35.915+01:002017-10-25T12:07:35.915+01:00There are very few one off tasks. Most smallholdin...There are very few one off tasks. Most smallholding activities, I find are recurrent but vary in frequency. Keeping on top of the weeds is relatively high frequency. So, as Leigh points out, it's all a work in progress. Philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13415361156288825232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-73372982206200360472017-10-25T10:56:27.220+01:002017-10-25T10:56:27.220+01:00Excellent advice, I can relate! I think one of the...Excellent advice, I can relate! I think one of the biggest things we've had to learn is that everything is a work in progress. We used to become so discouraged if an idea didn't work out or had problems. Or when something didn't last as long we we hoped before it needed maintenance and repair. When we switched our thinking to, "this is an experiment, we'll see how this goes and work from there," everything got better. We homesteaders are trying to relearn so many skills and revive a lot of nearly lost knowledge. It takes time to learn how to not react with a modern mindset but to take it all in stride and press on. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-37878527395318583442017-10-25T04:59:07.840+01:002017-10-25T04:59:07.840+01:00My first farm had too much sloping land!My first farm had too much sloping land!Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-68078212786570959032017-10-25T04:05:52.629+01:002017-10-25T04:05:52.629+01:00Bravo for you Kev! There are no failures in homest...Bravo for you Kev! There are no failures in homesteading, just lessons to be learned. Hubbie and I have been raising livestock, growing our own food for 24 years and we are PROUD to say: we still screw up. Keep on keeping on.Donna OShaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266654110280149719noreply@blogger.com