Books » Small Plot, Big Ideas

Thoughts of a first time writer

Apr 082013

Home Farmer – May 2013

It may not seem like much to some people but my first ever published article appeared in the May 2013 edition of Home Farmer magazine. It was a fairly low-key start but still something that I’m irrationally proud of and if I can come up with some more ideas there maybe there will be more to follow!

Having read through the published article, I am coming to terms with the many improvements I think I could have made. I’m sure that this is quite common though and I plan to use this as motivation if / when I write anything else in the future.

It is definitely better to spend a little more time writing it in the first place and not agonising over what might have been done differently after publication!

The single best tip for beginners like me seems to be “write about what you know” and that’s why my article was about the decisions and dilemmas of downsizing and buying a smallholding. The whole subject is still very fresh in my mind and we have learned so much just getting to this stage.

It is all too easy to believe that you have nothing to contribute or that everyone else knows more than you. After spending the last couple of years hunting for a property with land to buy I still can’t claim to be a complete property expert but I feel that I have something to say which may help other in the same predicament as me.

Time has moved on since I wrote that article though and we expect to complete our move to a property with lots of land in the next 5-6 weeks. As a result I think my next article might be on topics like “coping with panic attacks” or “natural remedies for insomniacs”.

If anyone has any tips along these lines I would be most grateful…

Reviewing: A Farmers Life for Me – Jimmy Doherty

Books No Responses »

Jul 052012

A Farmer’s Life for Me: How to live sustainably, Jimmy’s way (from Amazon)

This book caught my eye in the local library while I was looking for something about chickens or pigs. Needless to say there wasn’t much in a small suburban library that suited my original needs but I decided to give this book a try anyway.

My first reaction was that this would be just another one of “those” books that just skim the surface of the subject without giving enough detail. Despite this it seemed a good idea to give it a go because the recent TV programs showed that his approach and opinions are not so far from my own.

In some ways this does skim the surface exactly as expected because it just isn’t possible to cover the range of topics in detail without producing a multi-volume epic.

However this book also manages to give better information (or perhaps the same information in a better way) so that I felt I was getting more out of it. As a result this has turned out to be one of the few books that I am able to reread and get more out each time.

There is a wealth of useful information on both growing produce and rearing livestock but the inclusion of the recipes add a little something extra which I think helps to tie the whole book together.

This will certainly be purchased in the near future so that I have it available for future reference at all times. It will be placed up on the book shelf next to the other smallholding books I’ve gathered so far – the obvious book by John Seymour plus one by Dick / James Strawbridge (as discussed elsewhere) and the Haynes Smallholding Manual which is the most recent addition.

Each of these books contribute something to my overall knowledge and together they will hopefully ease my passage while preventing any costly or painful mistakes!

Who knew that rocks could be so fascinating?

Books No Responses »

Apr 092012

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers an area of almost 2000km² and includes parts of Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria. It is a lovely part of the world and one of my favourite destinations for a day of exploring.

Earlier this year the North Pennines AONB Partnership published some books aimed at helping visitors and local people appreciate, understand and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

One of these books is Reading The Rocks which is particularly fascinating and attempts to cover the history of this stunning landscape from the beginnings almost 500 million years ago (the Ordovician and Silurian periods) right through to the present day.

That is quite a range of history to cover but this book manages it well without becoming too caught up in the numbers, facts and terminology.

All this information is presented in a clear and concise way with helpful pictures and diagrams to explain the origins of the various rock formations. This is accompanied by some extremely useful sidebars giving map references for locations where they can be seen.

It is obvious that a good deal of effort has gone into making this a readable book rather than a dry, geological reference. As a result this book is an ideal way for both young and old alike to gain an understanding of how the North Pennines landscape was formed.

The subject is explained clearly so that even a geology novice like me can understand which means I can take that knowledge with me when I next go exploring the wonderfully rugged landscape of the North Pennines.

Back from the short break and so much to do

Books, Plans / Preparation, Seeds / Plants No Responses »

Apr 062012

Finally we’re back home after a few days away in Devon and in particular a very informative visit to Hidden Valley Pigs – a great smallholding introduction course despite the worst the Exmoor weather could throw at us. The whole area is such a lovely part of the country but it’s just so far away from the North East of England.

Amazingly it seems that the chickens and all seedlings have survived both my absence and the slightly limited supervision of No3 daughter. Even the garlic I planted only two weeks ago is already starting to make an appearance above ground, no doubt greatly encouraged by the recent good weather and the persistent drizzle which now greets us on our arrival back home.

It was a pleasant surprise to find my copy of Reading The Rocks had already come in the post courtesy of North Pennines AONB. It looks to be a fascinating read and loaded with interesting facts but I’ll post a full update on the book after I’ve had a chance to read it properly.

The weekend has all the makings of a damp one but hopefully that won’t hold me back as there are so many tasks I need to get on with. Things like planting out the first early potatoes (under cloches maybe?), installing a second water butt, some minor adjustments to the chicken setup, possibly planting some leek and carrot seedlings out then of course some more seeds can get planted in seed trays if I can make some space… All that plus there are a few of our own fresh eggs to get eaten along with the tasty sausages and bacon we made while at Hidden Valley Pigs!

High street vs Online

Books 1 Response »

Feb 152012

I saw a few great books in a bookshop recently and almost bought this one in particular but a small voice told me to hold off and check on the web. I didn’t need the book immediately and you always seem to get a better price on the web.

Practical Self Sufficiency by Dick and James Strawbridge

Sure enough as soon as I got home, I checked on Amazon and found that the same book was available for only £12.70 (plus p+p) instead of the £20 that the high street bookshop wanted from me!

You do the maths but it’s clear why the high street chains are suffering especially given the great service I’ve always found from Amazon. Needless to say I will be buying this book online later this year and certainly making use of the associated Practical Self Sufficiency website.

Follow Small Plot, Big Ideas