Hi from Cheshire

[Chickpea]

Hi everyone. Great site, I'm impressed at the range of really workable ideas on it. I found it because it tops the Google list when you type "self-sufficient"

We're in north Cheshire, and we've a plan to move to a smalholding in 4 years' time. In the meantime we're acquiring the skills we need to make it work, such as working an allotment and keeping chickens in our back garden. I wonder if the administrators of the board would include our blog in your links section? We'd reciprocate with a link back to this site, of course. The address is www.bean-sprouts.blogspot.com

See you around the forums.

[Andy Hamilton]

thanks for the praises of the site 8)

In the links, links and more links section there is a bit about linking to blogs that you might want to read.

Chickpea, have you ever grown chickpeas? I am thinking about trying them next year, not sure if they will work in our cliamate though.

Welcome to the forum,.

[Millymollymandy]

Hi Chickpea and welcome to the site!

[Shirley]

Hi Chickpea

Enjoyed reading your blog!! Welcome to the site

[Wombat]

G'Day Chickpea,

Wel ome to the site!

Nev

[Chickpea]

Thanks everyone for your friendly welcome.

No I haven't grown chickpeas in the UK, I don't think it is the climate for them but you couldn try - with global warming we may seen be growing all sorts of things here that wouldn't grow before.

I picked the handle years ago because chickpeas are small, round and vegetarian. I'm not strictly vegetarian anymore but I'm still small and round.

[Shirley]

LOVE it!!!!!

[Andy Hamilton]

Just did a bit of a google search for growing chickpeas and it seems that some are growing them over here. Could be worth a go next year

[ina]

Hi Chickpea, and welcome to the site!

I picked the handle years ago because chickpeas are small, round and vegetarian. I'm not strictly vegetarian anymore but I'm still small and round.

Are there large, round and vegetarian chickpeas - or other peas? That'd be me, then... 8) Nice background for a name, though.

So a smallhoding in 4 years time. Does that mean you started out with a 5-year plan? Mine never seem to work out, at least not within those time limits...

[Chickpea]

No there wasn't a 5-year plan, it's a brand-new 4-year plan.

I've dreamed idly about living off the land all my life, since I was a small child. I chose O'levels and A'levels and did 2 bachelors degrees and a masters degree with the aim of becoming a scientist, but I didn't dream about being a scientist, I dreamed about living off the land.

A few months ago I admitted this to my husband for the first time ever, and he seized on the idea and started doing research and making plans and making the dream happen. In the meantime I got an allotment and some chickens and started learning how you actually do it.

It's all very exciting and I feel a fool that I didn't talk about it years ago instead of wasting time in unfulfilling jobs, but at least we're making it happen now.

[Shirley]

Just did a bit of a google search for growing chickpeas and it seems that some are growing them over here. Could be worth a go next year

I've got this in my bookmarks.... http://www.hauntedfish.co.uk/~food/vege ... ickpea.htm

Chickpea - your DH sounds like a lovely man - how wonderful of him to help make your dream a reality. Best of luck with it all.

[Kirstykbart]

hi chickpea,

had a quick read of your blog the other day and really enjoyed it. You seem to be coming along really well.

I'm a newbie too but welcome to the site!

Kirsty

[Andy Hamilton]

and welcome to you too kirsty (have I already said that?)

[Chickpea]

Hi Kirsty, and thanks for your nice comments about my blog. We can be newbies together. Race you to see who gets to Jerry Ledbetter first.