The principal of the programme is that the presenter, Monty Don, tries to help folk who want to 'get back to the land' put solid business ideas together for the farm or smallholding that they own. I've often thought that this could be a successful commercial venture, in fact, or even better, a free service to be offered by Agricultural Colleges! Unless you inherit an existing farm business, or are an exceptionally focussed entrepreneur, trying to work out what is actually going to pay the bills from the land is daunting.
Monty Don is obviously of the 'do it now and think about the problems later' school which comes of having experience and confidence. Most of the participants have neither and he becomes frustrated with their reticence. It's easy to say "get some cows", but if you are strapped for cash, how are you to pay for them, how are you going to make your fences stock-proof, will they have a roof over their heads, and how are you going to round them up and restrain them for essential maintenance?
Despite this, he's right - it is the right attitude to have, because problem anticipation = paralysis = energy drain.
It's all relevant at the moment. Jane is currently working full-time for MTRI (www.merseytobeatic.ca) and I'm torn between building my web business back up, or concentrating on making the farm pay. Practically, I'm going to have to do both!
So, Farm Plan 2010:
- double (at least) the number of laying hens, need more mobile houses built
- cost out producing meat birds for other people, in addition to our own
- new greenhouse to go up, first concentrate on transplants for sale in spring
- garlic crop went in the ground last fall, research adding value
- ordered a dozen fruit trees to create a new orchard in fall 2010
- need at least one beef creetur for Cam's 4H project
- looking for a jersey / guernsey house cow for ourselves, but there is also an obvious market for smallholder cows - breeding stock?
- more pigs - loved the pigs last year - consider upping the numbers to 4? Breeding sow?
- veg sales - farmers market again, but also develop farm gate sales and CSA
- we have a lovely south facing slope, perfect for grapes or hops - need to research the market
- make the woodland work for us, mushrooms, ginseng, rustic furniture making? Plus our own firewood needs of course.
- acre of barley, for brewing, feed, and straw. Hope for a hay crop too.
- put a system of managed intensive grazing in place to improve pasture. Needs fencing!
That's not everything, but it's quite a lot to be getting on with! Must go and have a lie down...
