tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.comments2024-03-18T20:01:00.534+00:00An English HomesteadKev Alvitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comBlogger20524125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-64508674877952609682024-03-18T15:47:05.094+00:002024-03-18T15:47:05.094+00:00I built my greenhouse more like a small house with...I built my greenhouse more like a small house with lots of windows so there hasn't been an issue of parts breaking. My biggest concert is the roof which is made of specialized clear panels with hollow channels through the middle. We do get hail storms in the spring and I'm worried as they age and get brittle, one good hail storm might make quick work of them and I have no spare panels. I would have to use a tarp until I got some spares ordered and installed.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-62730523583558170042024-03-18T15:43:47.646+00:002024-03-18T15:43:47.646+00:00I discovered a step counter on my phone while in G...I discovered a step counter on my phone while in Greece. I had several days at or above 20,000 steps, far above my daily average leading up to the trip.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-70485159673249313052024-03-18T15:38:24.228+00:002024-03-18T15:38:24.228+00:00As you know, I have a similar story to yours excep...As you know, I have a similar story to yours except that I was an engineer before becoming a stay at home dad. It definitely can me a bit emasculating at times but I see the benefits it has had on our children versus how they were when we both held down jobs. For me, that alone is worth the price of doing it this way and fortunately, I was born with fairly thick skin which helps. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-19890906098976828162024-03-16T10:02:50.164+00:002024-03-16T10:02:50.164+00:00Hubby and I swap roles, he loves to cook and do la...Hubby and I swap roles, he loves to cook and do laundry, I clean and I'm happiest outside in the garden, having said that we mix things up. My daughters grew up as this being 'normal', youngest daughter married, her husband comes from a home, where traditional role modes are strongly followed, so for ages, he did nothing in the home. He still can't cook very well, and often gets a takeaway or his mum pops over on evenings when daughter is not there to cook Poppypatchworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12749159567150084975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-23957348623072701372024-03-14T13:27:56.788+00:002024-03-14T13:27:56.788+00:00Unfortunately their conditions in the third world ...Unfortunately their conditions in the third world hand pollinating seeds is pretty terrible, expected to work long days for very little money in terrible conditions, with no shade. Also taking them from education at a young age and reducing their chances later at life, but needing to do it so they can eat. It's not like helping on the family farm, which is for the great good of the family, it's working on terrible wages so huge corporations can make massive profits. The farmers get told each plant is a number so they have no idea the final value of the crop. They pollinate the seed then get paid a couple of hundred per kilo at best. The big seed companies then sell this seed for hundreds of thousands per kilo, in one example it was $400,000 per kilo, while the farmer got $200 and then they wouldn't have enough to pay staff (although I'm sure they could pay more as well. <br />I'll do a post and share the documentary. It's well worth a watch. It's not just EV mining (or any battery) that has dubious labour practices, but also that we don't stop these companies making huge profits at the expense of the people doing the work. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-41859182327638565782024-03-14T13:04:42.708+00:002024-03-14T13:04:42.708+00:00It's been said poor land and a good farmer the...It's been said poor land and a good farmer the land improves. With good land and poor famers, the land becomes poor. <br /><br />It's the extra work like hand pollenating, crop rotations and composting everything you can that makes the difference.<br /><br />Children working in 3rd world is real life. Now HOW they are TREATED is the concern, not that they work. EV batteries expose African children to toxic materials to get those all so "Clean" EV batteries. Seed hand pollinating maybe not so much?Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05329176313885665469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-47155328237598323202024-03-13T13:20:23.386+00:002024-03-13T13:20:23.386+00:00I watched a bit of a harrowing documentary the oth...I watched a bit of a harrowing documentary the other day about how much F1 seed is produced around the world and how it has b=to be done by hand. Much of it in third world countries where labour is cheap, and some of it with child labour. Made me want to redouble my efforts to know where all my seed comes from, not just my food! <br />Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-11732877594205454652024-03-13T11:30:06.054+00:002024-03-13T11:30:06.054+00:00Apparently in China hand pollination across vast e...Apparently in China hand pollination across vast expanses of orchards is necessary and the fruit that sets so precious they encase each in its own paper bag as it ripens to keep birds off and ensure no sunburn.Tigger's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15829665785202495073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-65742836813558474472024-03-11T14:18:10.099+00:002024-03-11T14:18:10.099+00:00Looks like a great time Kev, thanks for the pictur...Looks like a great time Kev, thanks for the pictures. The British countryside always looks enchanting, at least to an American that has very different vistas.<br /><br />On the bright side, the upcoming relocation will put us well within the range of many lovely hikes with actual nice scenery, so hopefully more hiking coming this Summer.Toirdhealbheach Beucailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872794169534403463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-14774354898085940542024-03-11T12:33:00.743+00:002024-03-11T12:33:00.743+00:00Our blogs remind us of great times with our famili...Our blogs remind us of great times with our families. I love walking.northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-61779446899089159842024-03-11T09:18:06.572+00:002024-03-11T09:18:06.572+00:00I can agree with your last Scouts statement, I fel...I can agree with your last Scouts statement, I felt the same back in 80's as a guide leader. Our walks are almost always much, much shorter and on flat ground.Poppypatchworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12749159567150084975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-24011282821499523372024-03-10T18:17:11.306+00:002024-03-10T18:17:11.306+00:00Yeah, Iike to do the same. the key thing is being ...Yeah, Iike to do the same. the key thing is being able to find all the spares I've got for things. I'm good with some, like the bulbs for the cars which are all kept in one place. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-62147094474849950472024-03-10T18:16:19.693+00:002024-03-10T18:16:19.693+00:00The "new" one I have has the W spring cl...The "new" one I have has the W spring clips. I'm looking forward to getting it in place. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-89848472147390526092024-03-10T18:15:41.508+00:002024-03-10T18:15:41.508+00:00I had to take some pots to the tip the other day. ...I had to take some pots to the tip the other day. I never buy them but somehow have just hundreds and some were split and ruined. I couldn't believe how many were here, maybe thy'd been breeding. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-70489932913589858972024-03-09T10:23:12.310+00:002024-03-09T10:23:12.310+00:00I have hundreds of plant pots and hundreds of pere...I have hundreds of plant pots and hundreds of perennials.northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-7130923379398182512024-03-09T09:38:58.370+00:002024-03-09T09:38:58.370+00:00It's not just greenhouses, keeping spares is e...It's not just greenhouses, keeping spares is essential for many things. For example, we have four toilets in our house, installed when it was built 20 years ago. The manufacturer alledgedly still supplies spares, but we have discovered that they changed to internal design some years ago, so that trying to source spare washers was a nightmare. Fortunately our local branch of Plumb Centre had some hidden away that they gave us, as they could no longer put them through the till as the barcode came up with a totally different product.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06715674477635617592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-69188314059301243842024-03-09T09:30:47.020+00:002024-03-09T09:30:47.020+00:00We have the modern clips on my greenhouse but it&#...We have the modern clips on my greenhouse but it's only 8 years old, I do clean inside and out each year, to keep in good condition. Poppypatchworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12749159567150084975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-88702994834198043172024-03-07T15:22:20.754+00:002024-03-07T15:22:20.754+00:00Makes me excited for you Kev! And sad for me, as ...Makes me excited for you Kev! And sad for me, as due to this year's relocation I will not be able to have a much of a garden (if any - hoping for at least a window box at the new place).Toirdhealbheach Beucailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872794169534403463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-41056553366280773082024-03-06T14:48:55.511+00:002024-03-06T14:48:55.511+00:00We direct sowed some radishes, two kinds of lettuc...We direct sowed some radishes, two kinds of lettuce and two types of peas. I would have done some more but we are off tomorrow on a vacation and didn't want to have to worry about watering, (we are still extremely dry here) so the rest will have to wait until we get back. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-72825385245731399022024-03-06T09:06:10.689+00:002024-03-06T09:06:10.689+00:00Still holding back with sowing here, as you say th...Still holding back with sowing here, as you say the ground is just to wet for seeds or seedlings. Poppypatchworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12749159567150084975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-35208246921353796822024-03-06T08:00:10.064+00:002024-03-06T08:00:10.064+00:00I think you can beat the weather if you start seed...I think you can beat the weather if you start seeds and onions and potatoes indoors. My onion sets are planted in compost filled plastic modules in the polytunnel and they have a lovely white root sock in a few weeks. It's far better than planting them directly outside in cold and very wet soil. I like the 1930s zinc cloche. It reminds me of zinc baby baths and dolly tubs. I have grown veg in those.northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-23886962407926554592024-03-06T00:36:59.884+00:002024-03-06T00:36:59.884+00:00Even if early sown seeds germinate they do not alw...Even if early sown seeds germinate they do not always resch harvest any earlier. Daylight length is crifical for the maturity, flowering etc of many plants.Tigger's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15829665785202495073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-45169445760071405252024-03-04T14:31:07.258+00:002024-03-04T14:31:07.258+00:00Kev, we had a typical Langstroth hive: two deeps ...Kev, we had a typical Langstroth hive: two deeps for the brood, usual not more than two shallow deeps for the honey. We kept them for four or five years. We never had truly "great" honey yields, but enough that it made it fun.<br /><br />I truly enjoy watching bees enter and leave the hive. I could watch them for hours.Toirdhealbheach Beucailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872794169534403463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-83633382910895101912024-03-03T21:43:46.507+00:002024-03-03T21:43:46.507+00:00I've been on about it for years, but this time...I've been on about it for years, but this time I decided I needed to book myself on something and make the time to make it happen! <br />What types of hive did you have?Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-68775416897309935142024-03-03T16:33:25.103+00:002024-03-03T16:33:25.103+00:00Another string to your bow. You could make bee hi...Another string to your bow. You could make bee hives and sell them? northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.com