Hello from Mid-Devon!

[BlackBerryLaneUK]

Val and I have been here for 30 years and it was the idea of being (nearly) self-sufficient that brought us here from the edge of London all those years ago. We have just under 4 acres and have kept goats and pigs in the past (but not now) and moved to small-scale market gardening in 1998 when I (Dave) was given (very) early retirement. The fruit and veg growing continues and back in 2004 an online business was born selling garden tools.
After 6 years away, travelling on a narrowboat, we returned here in January 2013 and have been fighting an uphill battle against the weed infestation kindly left by our tenants!! Making some (slow) progress; just about enough to be able to offer some veg for sale again, gradually expanding the range each year . . .

[Flo]

Hi Dave - good to meet you. It sounds as if you have lived an exciting retirement life. Do take the time to tell us more about the veg growing. Are any of the weeds edible? Mind - from experience, once they get a hold it can be a game getting rid. Weeds seem to be so much more hardy than things us gardeners and growers want to cultivate.

[Odsox]

Hi Dave, welcome to the forum.
You are among like minded people here, as I also took "early retirement" in 1994 and moved here to become as self sufficient as I can.

[Green Aura]

Welcome to Ish, Dave and Val.

Another early retiree here, after 30+ years in the NHS I moved, with family, to the north of Scotland.

I'm not sure why we call it retirement though. I never worked so hard as a nurse as I do at this Ish stuff.

[Weedo]

Hi and welcome dave and val
I am the odd one out here - not Ishish yet but working on it slowly. Retirement in about 18 months I hope and then get serious about it.

Don't let the weeds get you down - just try to get the removal rate higher than the recruitment rate, manage any pathways for any more coming in and you will eventually win.