Welcome to our corner of the Internet, where we have been bringing you advice and information on everything Selfsufficientish and self sufficient for over seven years.
If this is the first time you have been here then a big Hello and a warm welcome. You’ll find packed into the pages of this website information for anyone wanting to be a little more self-sufficient… …ish, from home-brewing and sheep rearing to wild food and natural remedies. We like to think of ourselves a one of the leading resources for anyone who wants to explore the world urban homesteading, self-sufficiency or even just those who want to do a little to leave the stresses and strains of modern life.
From those who want to just dip their toes into the deep waters of self-sufficiency, to those who want to have a full on underwater dive we’ve got it all. To find out more of what being self-sufficientish means to us, please take a look at our philosophy.
There a lot of people tirelessly working behind the scenes at Self-sufficientish, a quick look around the forum and the main-site (where you are at the moment) and you might see signs of them. We would like to take this opportunity to give them a big thanks, as without them we would have folded years ago.
Self-sufficientish was created by identical twins brother Dave and Andy Hamilton.
To get in contact with press enquiries, private foraging walks and any other offers of work please email in the first instance.
Andy Hamilton sat down one afternoon and thought, “I love foraging, gardening, homebrewing and well… drinking”. That moment was the conception of Booze for Free; the home brew and soft drink recipe book, ”book-of-the year contender“ and full of ”So many mouthwateringly delicious ideas and recipes“! At present Andy is helping Plume to develop an Americanized version of Booze for Free which will be on sale in Spring 2013. Other language versions are also in the pipeline.
Booze for Free builds on the success of the highly critically acclaimed book, The Selfsufficientish Bible. A mighty tome of a book whose birth and orginal concept are a direct result of this site. It covers everything from growing fruit, herbs and vegetables, brewing your own alcohol, keeping livestock, wild food, ethical shopping, saving energy and water, making clothes and even ‘green’ holidays.
Andy’s almost vertical garden gives him a panoramic view of Bristol down to his foraging areas and where he has been a resident since 2005. It was through his foraging walks in Bristol that BBC Autumnwatch found him, giving him the prestigious title of Autumnwatch forager. He also makes regular appearances on national and international TV and Radio, highlights include BBC Country file, RTE’s Baz’s culture clash, BBC Politics show, Alan Titchmarsh Show, R4 Today program, R4 Farming today, Arte’s Global Mag, and R2 Simon Mayo’s Drivetime.
His writing career started here, on this hugely popular website, which he co-founded (with Dave) back in 2004.
Andy currently writes for Home Farmer Magazine and The Guardian and has also contributed to BBC countryfile, The Ecologist, Wired, Daily Mail, Towpath talk, and various other publications. He loves all things living and is happiest when outdoors, whatever the weather.
To get in contact with press enquiries, private foraging walks and any other offers of work please email in the first instance..
For quite some time food has been Dave Hamilton’s passion. He began baking cakes as soon as he could pick up a spoon to stir the mixture. At the age of 10 he become a vegetarian and by the time he was 15 he was cooking all his own meals.
A few years on, he now holds a degree in Nutrition (BSc not pill popping nonsense), he is a professional forager, a food writer, a garden writer, a vegetable grower and he occasionally appears on TV. He now lives in Devon where he is following another of his passions, that of plants, by training to be a sustainable horticulturalist at the Dutchy College run course at the Schumacher College in Dartington.
Dave is co-founder and creator of Self-sufficientish.com and co-wrote ‘The Selfsufficientish Bible’ along with his brother Andy.
Not wanting to get stereotyped Dave is writing a psychedelic fantasy horror book, he performs in a German Techno Band, makes short films, performs comedy and writes for a number of diverse publications including –
‘Grow it’ a magazine for those wishing to grow their own fruit and vegetables
‘Country Small Holder Magazine‘ billed as ‘the essential tool for small holders’ (there’s stuff in there for both urban and rural small holders)
and ‘Dodgem Logic’ billed as the 21st century’s first underground magazine, created by living comic book legend and fellow Northamptonian, Alan Moore.
Despite all this he still needs to pay the rent and is open to offers of work from anyone willing to pay him. Contact by email
