A (soon to be) Self Sufficient newbie!

[GuardianCroft]

Hey Guys

Enjoying the site and forum very much, and I'm glad I can soon 'officially' join the 'club'. 

I'm embarking on a complete life change, giving up a 25 year career and moving 500 miles from everything I know. All to try and live a more sustainable, less impactful, simpler and more fulfilling life.

It would be great to receive any help, advice, encouragement and support from you all. I'm sure, once I'm in the full throws of it all, I'll be posting questions pleading for advice on all sorts of things, ranging from growing vegetables, through livestock (chickens and goats at first I think), to making cider (a very important part of the adventure!).


Dale

[Bulworthyproject]

Good luck
Sounds like a lot of fun.
I'm sure folks here will be happy to give a bit of advice if they can.

[diggernotdreamer]

welcome to Ish. We look forward to your posts

[GuardianCroft]

Thanks Bulworthyproject

And sorry to diggernotdreamer, for initially putting a link to my blog on the post, without realising I wasn't allowed. I was going to reply directly to the message on that, but I didn't seem to be able to...

As the blog had all the info, I thought people would be interested in reading about, here's some details here instead:

I'm taking over a 6 acre croft in North West Scotland, on the remote peninsula of Scoraig. The croft is called Guardian Croft. There's no road in to the peninsula (where about 80 people live and croft); you either have to walk about 3 miles, or take a boat across the sea-loch (about a mile). There is no mains electricity or water, so its Wind, Water and Sun for power and a beautifully clean stream for water.

So, not only is the plan to be self-sufficient in food etc. but also in energy generation - there's no choice... Forcing us to consider each and every decision we make, concerning how we use and utilise our surroundings, resources and the 'earth'. The most extreme change I could find, from being a Graphic Designing, Techie consumer!

[tosca]

Hello and welcome. We did something similar last year, but a bit further.

[GuardianCroft]

Hey Tosca

Just checked out your blog. I contemplated Bulgaria myself, along with a couple of other places, such as Portugal and Spain.

But decided they'd have too much nice weather; so opted for wind, rain and snow!

[diggernotdreamer]

Not a bother, you can't send private messages either until you have a few more posts under your belt.

I live in North West Ireland, which is a bit of a shock after the relative comfort and normality of Berkshire. We have very boggy land and it rains a lot and the wind blows in ways I never knew it could, which puts an awful strain on gates and doors, so we are always (I say we, I mean the OH) doing running repairs. Drainage is a huge problem and we have plans to put in lots of drains. I was told when I came here that 1. I wouldn't be able to grow anything here 2. My polytunnels would blow over. Well, I can grow anything I like (except maybe olives) and to date even in 120 plus kph gales, they are still standing. And in summer something very weird happens, it doesn't get dark, well about 11.00pm it gets dull but you can still see the light in the west and then by 3am it is bright again, so we find it really difficult to get any sleep, it is like having two days in one as you keep working away and suddenly 9.00 comes round and you haven't had any dinner. But good luck with what you are doing.

[GuardianCroft]

Thanks for all that.

Sounds like a similar scenario. Although drainage isn't too much of a problem as the land slopes (not too steeply) down to the loch shore. And there's already some infrastructure in place - big greenhouse and the like.

Yes, think there's on average an extra hour of daylight there (during summer), compared to here down south (Cambridgeshire). Have also been told the Northern Lights can sometimes be spotted.

Gonna be hard work, especially at first, but that's what I'm looking forward to, the challenge! (He say naively).

[doofaloofa]

Hi

Good luck

Sounds great

I always fancied an island

you could just walk about naked

In the summer, obviously

No car tax

Plenty of fish

The wife's not up for it though

[diggernotdreamer]

The wife's not up for it though

what you walking around naked

[GuardianCroft]

Hi Doofaloofa

Thanks for the reply.

It's not actually an island, although it does feel like one. It's a thin peninsula, with no roads in - hence having to walk in, or use a boat from the bigger mainland outcrop below it.

And there are around 80 other people living there, spread along the peninsula. The land is secluded(ish), but I don't want to scare the neighbours!

I'll still have a car (so sadly still need car tax), which will be parked in one of the two car parks (at the end of the path or across the loch at a jetty). I'll need this to go get supplies now and then.

There are definitely plenty of fish in the loch though. Loving the idea of catching mackerel and smoking them... Excellent breakfast.

Don't think the wife would worry about the nakedness too much, a working toilet is what's needed more at the moment, to make her "up for it"!

[doofaloofa]

Islands are better for a zombie appocalypse though, you have to agree

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhuiwbjE ... SR&index=2

[GuardianCroft]

Yes, I'd agree with that.

[doofaloofa]

Great

[GuardianCroft]

Thanks again to everyone for their help and support - especially Doofaloofa!

If anyone is interested, I've just put up my latest Blog post - all about managing to stay 'online', whilst 'offgrid'.

Might be interesting to some and opinions welcome on it... :)