Is a country smallholding life better? (Homestead ep. 1)

[@stephenboyce6765]

Delighted to hear you promoting John Seymour's Complete Book of Self Sufficiency - the best book ever written in my opinion. I bought my copy on 22nd October 1976 and it changed my life. I have been living in the country ever since.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It's amazing how long it's been in print but it is testament to how good it is 👍

[@margaretmansfield693]

John Seymour also wrote 'The Self-Sufficient Gardener' which I have taken a lot from, but I never see anyone referencing that.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@margaretmansfield693 I agree, a fabulous book. We adopted and adapted many of the principles it contains in our vegetable garden kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHKcc3enZdGaaK8 Have you tried John's fiction? I enjoyed it. Hugh

[@christinereschly7665]

Merci pour votre chaine que je viens de rejoindre. Moi aussi comme vous j'ai trouvé mon équilibre dans la vie à la campagne en Alsace, près des Vosges (France) dans une petite maison voilà 8 ans. J'ai depuis 2 ans maintenant quelques poules sussex et des orpingtons que j'adore! Cela a changé toute ma vie. Bien à vous.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you - all good people love Orpingtons 😁🐣

[@juttley72]

Hi both, just wanted to give you some feedback. My wife and I look forward to Friday evenings just to watch your videos on our big screen tv. We cuddle up with a glass of wine and watch your latest video to see what we can learn. Yesterday when we watched this video, we watched it three times. Could not agree with your content in this video more. We moved into a small holding 13 months ago and recognise everything you said. I have built fencing (for the first time) such as the pig pen, but also replaced a 50 meter run of feather edge fence with next door. Our neighbours are great and have helped us out many times, so much so that when we sent our two lambs to freezer camp, I gave them half a lamb boxed up as a thank you. A acquired many tools over the last year, including a ride on mower, petrol auger, petrol weed whacker and a kubuto mini digger so I can put in the many French drains to deal with the clay that our land sits on. All of these need servicing and I have picked up these skills recently rather than paying service centres to do the work. Each time I save money, I buy a new or second hand tool, such as my latest tool, an air gun framing nailer. As for jobs, we have never worked so hard, but we do love it. Just a few years ago, I paid trades people to do most jobs, now I have the confidence, tools and experience to have a go myself, but I also do watch lots on KZbin if I need to do something new, plus I will then do a course to get hands on before I try it myself. SRP is great, I nearly booked a course with him for butchering pigs, but then the pandemic hit. I do have a couple of his books. I did not feel confident enough to butcher my pigs this time, but I am definitely going to get this skill over time. I need to use my canner more and I will definitely be making the soup that Fiona did later this week. Bees are coming in spring, friends of ours are keepers and have offered to give us a couple of hives as well as train us up to keep them. Cheers John

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Blimey John that's so kind of you! What you describe is exactly what we want to get across in this series. Get stuck in, have a go, learn new things & do things for yourself! Oh, and I envy you the nail gun! Hugh

[@irishgirl937]

Just stumbled across your videos, and catching up on your videos. What great videos thanks a million

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@irishgirl937 That's very kind, thank you

[@scarletpeate]

Brilliant advice for anyone starting out. I started with Seymour's book.. it was a great foundation. Love the outtakes. Brilliant.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Scarlet. The "just talking" was quite nerve racking! Hugh

[@Weeflowerofscotland]

Fantastic advice ! I have my trusty john seymore book and I’m getting the Hayes book about chicken keeping...I have a small veggie patch. All this is practice for when we ( hopefully) have our smallholding dream ❤️

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's brilliant and just what we did. The experience we gained has proved invaluable! Keep at it. Hugh

[@inbloom2006]

Love your insight, excited for the rest of the series! I'm nowhere near your level, just a suburban gardener, but I am really expanding my horizons this year and looking to take bits and pieces of inspiration from channels like yours to scale down. I may never be fully self-sufficient, but each small step is better than none!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Exactly. No-one is full self sufficient unless they mine the iron ore to make their tools, but we can all be a little more self reliant. Hugh

[@elanespencer3161]

I just found you today! Yeah for me! So excited to watch all your videos, your home and gardens are GLORIOUS! Happy 2022 may you have good health and bumper crops!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Elaine! Welcome to the channel!

[@barbsdee3831]

Hi Fiona and Huge. At the moment I live in a modern house with a postage stamp sized garden 😂 But I’m soon moving to a bungalow with a very long garden and hope to have a couple of chickens and apple trees, grow some veg albeit on a very small scale. My question is can you show us how to build a compost heap and what I can put in it please x

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Barb, that's a great idea, we'll add it to the list! I bet you are really excited?

[@selfsufficientsa6740]

Absolutely fantastic video. Great points great advice and made me laugh too.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Sarah - so glad that you enjoyed it 🙂

[@hedgecomber]

Bloody brilliant guys, looking forward to the rest of the series 😊

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Jane, we get a lot of questions on how to get started so it seemed sensible to start a series 😁

[@susanpiper4041]

Love the way the tractors, planes, cars etc added emphasis in the outtakes 😀. Good balanced introduction of things to consider whilst at the dreaming stage. We are now just starting out smallholding but made sure to consider all the aspects you mentioned before we bought our new-to-us property. What I would add is pertinent to broadband connection. Don’t rely on the online checkers to determine whether you can get broadband. We did that and got pages of offers for our post code. Once we’d actually exchanged (just a few weeks ago), I set about arranging broadband only to find we could actually only get an asdl connection with download speeds of 0.4mbps! My husband works from home and needs a decent connection. Luckily we get a good 4G signal here so arranged a mobile 4G router which works perfectly. So I would advise to ring the companies direct and check.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's excellent advice on the broadband Susan! We are ridiculously lucky here with broadband speed but it's s massive issue these days. Hugh

[@marktownley3587]

Having come across your channel your are both soo enthusiastic and passionate and I realise this is something I’ve been wanting to do for many years and not really had the opportunity to take the leap. We have a 5 year plan and get out of the rat race and start our smallholding down in Devon. We have done many courses on butchery and smallholding now and as we get older we realise that this is our dream for a better healthier lifestyle. Thanks for your aspiration.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Mark, so glad that it was useful. Once I knew what I wanted, it was a huge relief. Having a dream and a plan to get there somehow made life easier. Hugh

[@callyb54]

I'm so glad I came across your KZbin channel. I've watched mostly American self sufficiency channels which really inspire me. But I wanted to see how Homesteading works in the UK. I just wish I was younger with the technology of today. If I'd been able to watch KZbin in my 20's/30's (I'm 67yrs), my life might be different. I don't have the money to buy my own place and even if I could rent, at my age, I couldn't do subsistence and permaculture (which is what interests me most) living on my own. 😪 But I will keep watching and adapt what I learn to my small garden. I already have a few Bantams.....unfortunately...not great layers, (they prefer being broody). 😅

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Oh Cally, there is a great expression; "Youth is wasted on the young". If I knew then, what I know now, i would have waded through fire to find Fiona and then moved to Wyoming and bought a ranch. But then, she would not have been the lady that I adore, and I would not have learned the lessons that need to learn. Life is a journey, not a destination. Hugh

[@rubygray7749]

@@EnglishCountryLife You both made a very blessed choice! What a great team!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@rubygray7749 Thank you!

[@motoproductions8015]

We’re a young couple who already live in a semi rural location and have agri experience and are looking at this very thing and this series is perfect in helping us move forward with our plans

[@EnglishCountryLife]

With agri experience you know how it is, you need to be a mechanic, carpenter, fencer & welder!

[@geoffanddebshipton6797]

Such great advice. As a older couple hoping to transition to a more self reliant life and working towards having a place where we can put skills we are learning into full practice we look forward to what this series will teach us. Deb and Geoff (Aust)

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks so much! Is there any particular thing that you would like to hear about? H

[@geoffanddebshipton6797]

@@EnglishCountryLife no doubt we’ll think of other things but the first thing that comes to mind is perhaps what the minimum requirements would be, both in terms of land but also shedding. We know we’re capable of living in a smaller house and here the climate also lends itself to having an outdoor kitchen to support processing harvests etc but what should we be looking for in terms of sheds for workshop, storage etc? D&G

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@geoffanddebshipton6797 Great suggestion, we'll be sure & cover it!

[@geoffanddebshipton6797]

@@EnglishCountryLife thank you! Looking forward to this series very much.

[@totality_seeker]

Nicely presented, I have been watching permaculture material for a while but they are always set in lush tropical climates so hoping this will be an english alternative. Thankyou

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Darren!

[@seanmckeown6120]

Once again a fabulous film, you both have a gift for presentation and a clear passion for what you do. Your videos create the same responses that Out of Town did through my childhood . Thank you

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Sean, that's the highest compliment anyone can give me. Jack Hargreaves is a hero of mine. Thank you. Hugh

[@seanmckeown6120]

@@EnglishCountryLife one of too Hugh the joys of KZbin allow me to watch highlights. Your theme music also creates the same atmosphere

[@067captain]

New subscriber here! We aspire to do what you’re doing in about three years time. I have started my research so finding your channel fascinating! You mentioned in one episode that you harvest rainwater, which I am quickly realising is critical to any successful veg patch. It is my greatest challenge on my two allotments. Have you done a video outlining this and if not, please consider doing one. Thanks again.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Welcome aboard! Weirdly we have started (but not finished) recording one - it will be coming soon!

[@talghow-i2326]

Great info great realistic... Has ti subscribe

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you & welcome!

[@elainesarchet3979]

That was brilliant and you made it look almost effortless!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Elaine! I think you know as well as we do there's lots of effort. But if you love doing it, isn't really work 🙂

[@elainesarchet3979]

@@EnglishCountryLife Absolutely right.

[@ashm5206]

I love how you always make your videos interesting, informative and honest. I always appreciate how you use evidence where possible and clearly mention when you are giving opinion or anecdotal evidence. Thanks for another great video!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That means a great deal to me Ash. We do try to do thorough research & provide solid information. Hugh

[@CynCopeland-TheAnswerIsMeat]

I bought John Seymour's The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency over 30 years ago, and have carted it around with me ever since! The Good Life 'bible' ;-)

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Its a great book to cover the whole subject and so inspirational.

[@ProperHorrorshow]

This is the series we needed! We're planning to go down the smallholding route in the future and this series is just perfect for us

[@EnglishCountryLife]

So glad! Any questions, feel free to ask. Hugh

[@ProperHorrorshow]

@@EnglishCountryLife I just bought several books from your affiliate links, so I hope that's enough to have a drink on me. So much wisdom in that John Seymour tome.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@ProperHorrorshow That's really kind, thank you. It really does help to support what we do! Enjoy the books, I still love John's stuff. If you ever get curious, he once wrote a novel!

[@alanmuddypaws3865]

Top quality video! Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Alan. We're really glad you like it

[@RussellTurner]

Great video guys. Thank you!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Russell!

[@Nathan-H]

Love this video, loads of info and very well presented and im looking forward to the rest of the series.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you! Is there anything particular that you would like us to cover? Hugh

[@martinkrasovec7155]

This was a great idea! Enjoyed it.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Martin!

[@livingthegoodlifeinwales]

Fab, you too. You really should be on the TV. I think the pros and cons section was great. Made me laugh about the noise, harvest time is always fun outside our house and when they move the sheep and cattle! .... #lovewherewelive. Looking forward to part 2.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Louise! People do forget that "the countryside" is a food factory full of heavy equipment!

[@LifeonPigRow]

John Seymour! Have all his books. Fab.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Have you read his novel? I really enjoyed it. Out of print I suspect!

[@LifeonPigRow]

@@EnglishCountryLife what's the title of that one? I have his India books.

[@pedrolg]

You are both very likable, but no offence to anyone, the great communicator is Fiona. Thanks for your videos, they are very entertaining and relaxing to watch. And informative.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

No offense taken - I agree! Hugh

[@bgtrev]

Good all round advice and very balanced, we just came to this lifestyle by accident and learnt as we went along (that should read, we are still learning as we go along). Prior knowledge/learning/training would have been a helpful and welcomed asset.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Trev! I think I could have made a much better job of it with the benefit of hindsight!

[@karenseymour-howell9509]

Loved your video on canning..especially info on pressure canner cant imagine why it's so hard to get them in the uk !! I notice that canners are pressure guage and where do you get yours serviced in the uk as apparently they need servicing annually......

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Any good engineering works can pressure test a gauge. To be honest though, canners have a variable weight that relieves pressure. So if your gauge reads 10 pounds and the 10 pound weight is venting a tiny amount of steam, its working 🙂

[@sirikanpokasuwan6200]

Nice discussion, loved it..

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you so much 😊

[@pattypan2]

Love it and an excellent post as usual. Have done the Beekeeping course -then found out the Landlord will not let keep bees or indeed other livestock. When I can keep them will be a fourth generation beekeeper. My Granddad, Uncle and my Dad all kept them. I am from a smallholder family/farmer background Need to win the lottery to seal the dream. One day though, one day until then am practicing where I can. Today's offerings Damson Jam, Damson Gin, Pickled cucumbers and Pickled Beetroot. A lovely introduction. Love the outtakes as we;;. Tricia

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Tricia, practicing where you can is huge and a massive leg up. I'm sure it will pay off in the end. I LOVE pickled cucumber. Hugh

[@pattypan2]

@@EnglishCountryLife so does my OH. Also made Passionfruit gin recipe going up on my blog in a couple of days. Keep up the good work you are both excellent Tricia aka Pattypan

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@pattypan2 That sounds lovely!

[@LizZorab]

Great video with some really good points. The noise - yup, we struggle with that too. If you'd like to do a video collab, please get in touch!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Liz, would love to. We sent you an email through your website. Feel free to email us if it didn't get there via KZbin contact page.

[@matthewduffin6348]

Yet but theirs no gangs causing anti social behaviour and the peace and quiet you get can help you do more things such as putting up a Polly tunnel to grow your own crops and there's no pollution from factories and starting your own car restoration projects that's if you've got the experience

[@EnglishCountryLife]

We think the country smallholder lifestyle is better too

[@ibislife]

Before you start, how are you going to pay for it? You might have the downpayment for a smallholding or even some land, but what are you building, how much do you need to fix the place up? And run the place. How to make a living? I still work full time, and have a long commute. The fruit and vegetable garden didnt produce much this summer, due to an unusually cold and wet July. Thanks to a steady income, that doesnt affect me much, but are you willing to work outside of your home, and on the smallholding at the same time? The comment of the teenagers was a really good point. Mine are grown, with their own vehicles, but its not that easy to pop over to friends now. And the internet speed, it was really slow in the beginning, but it has become better this year. I love my home and garden, because I cant really call it a smallholding yet, would love to reduce my hours at my outside work, but in the current climate, I´m better off going to work every day.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

All good questions & ones we will try to cover. Its interesting to note that our place, when we bought it, cost about the same as a 2 bedroom flat in Southampton! Traditionally of course most smallholders had a "cash job" as well (not necessarily full time). It can be hard work.

[@georgesmith6667]

Hi Peate loved the video on dye as i requested last week but I cannot get wall nuts from here were I live in Whitby can you suggest any thing else that might easier to obtain, but maybe has the same way of making. cheers keep up good work both stay safe. Regards George

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi George, we will try to cover other materials in future, although few are quite do easy!

[@fordwayne3833]

Great video, fantastic channel. I've always wanted to spend time in the country every month, though not do all the chores. After watching this video, I wonder if I could build a home next to someone's property just to stay in whenever I wish, yet still enjoy the country working environment.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I'm sure that you could make that work. Plenty of places convert barns and stables into accomodation when they put in new steel framed buildings. It's quite possible to buy a plot with an unconverted barn and do the work yourself. Hugh

[@fordwayne3833]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you. Now you've given me a lot of hope and motvation. I am not against homestead maintenance work, I enjoy it, just not full time.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@fordwayne3833 And there's no reason why you should. Around here many farms do on farm holidays where you can help out if you want and live in a farm cottage

[@fordwayne3833]

@@EnglishCountryLife I've heard of that. That's also a possibility, thanks.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

I would have to say it is the best life that I can imagine. I'm sure those people who enjoy having almost instant access to fast food, cinema, etc. would disagree. I grew up on a farm and I learned skills that have served me well for 70 years. We harvested our own meats, families would get together to process our pigs and the elders would put the smoke house in use, we kids had the job of cutting up the fat for cooking out the lard in a huge cast iron pot over a fire. We ate our own chickens and eggs, grew our own vegetables and stored them without refrigeration. We had a corn crib where we stored the food for the animals. Fresh cows milk can't be beat! We stored our milk in gallon jugs in the well, we didn't own a fridge. The well water was never over 45% F and eleven children can drink a gallon of milk a day. Mom made butter and buttermilk and both were delicious. It was hard work and every child over 7 or 8 yrs old had chores on the farm. The good old days didn't seem that good to us children at the time, but oddly enough we all kept most of that lifestyle with the exception we all had fridges and freezers and also the husbands worked outside the home.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Yes unless you have a huge farm, an outside income is vital! We love the life, but, if you measure success by money, it doesn't make sense. We prefer to measure contentment!

[@judithporter1551]

Did you build your ground coop, The brown one with the hinged roof

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Judith - Hugh built it out of an old trailer. Good isn't it?

[@judithporter1551]

There beautiful coops 🐥.

[@scarletpeate]

Ooo great to see you've posted a video. I've just come in from walking the house cow in to milk. I'll go get a fruit tea abd watch this in a min.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks Scarlet. I'd love to hear your thoughts about where you've moved to and why. You guys are really inspirational in proving dreams can be made real!

[@scarletpeate]

@@EnglishCountryLife wow thanks. I'll have to put my thinking cap on to reply. I may even have to do a video on it. Good idea..

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@scarletpeate Yes please! Many people feel the dream is unobtainable in the UK. I'd love to hear why you chose your location, the upsides & drawbacks

[@scarletpeate]

@@EnglishCountryLife ok great. We were first self sufficient in Wales uk

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@scarletpeate Wales is a great centre for smallholding like Scotland & indeed round here. I wonder why?

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I think the crime thing is something that really drives me to move aways from London

[@EnglishCountryLife]

There is certainly strong evidence that many types of crime are less prevalent in rural areas

[@forbiddenrecallskillinguss4012]

Iv just found your channel and a great one it is. Thank you for it. Out of curiosity how many acres you living on ?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Our place is tiny - large garden, cottage, steading of barns and one small field. We would love a few more acres!

[@forbiddenrecallskillinguss4012]

@@EnglishCountryLife I’m gonna bing watch your videos till I fall asleep. I’m hoping to get out of London in the next few years. I’m born and bred Londoner but this town has become toxic. You highlighted the isolation for teenagers which is something for consideration. Iv bought the Cottage Economy book, built a large raised vegetable bed and planted strawberry’s for now. My garden is over a hundred foot long which is very good size as london gardens go. Thanks for responding back and you have a new sub 👍🏻

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@forbiddenrecallskillinguss4012 We are here for any questions, queries and thoughts that you have. Hope you enjoy the videos!

[@magicsupamoggie]

Surrounded by cabbages in the countryside? Many people in the city offices might say the same😂😂😂

[@EnglishCountryLife]

🤣

[@magicsupamoggie]

Lol “we are surrounded buy cabbages.” So are half the people in a city 🤣

[@EnglishCountryLife]

😁

[@judithporter1551]

Were did you get your ground coop

[@EnglishCountryLife]

We made it 🙂

[@tonymatthews445]

I live in north Birmingham, I see your tractor and raise you a police or ambulance 👍💪😉🤣

[@EnglishCountryLife]

😂

[@bob.fagg-bois657]

shetland was not very welcoming, we only stayed there 18mnths and then we moved to France, It`s great here in central France and CHEAP as well.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's interesting. Did you find the French locals welcoming?

[@bob.fagg-bois657]

@@EnglishCountryLife yes we did, very welcoming.