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Azz
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Location: South Wales, UK
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21-02-2010, 06:36 PM
Lol I wish it was that simple it's only in the hot hot summer I actually begin to feel 'warm'
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wolfdogowner
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21-02-2010, 07:26 PM
Originally Posted by Azz View Post
I think Scotland is beautiful... but just so cold

Ideally I would want to live as further south as possible maybe even southern France or Spain
You will manage something cheaper in France or Spain but check your broadband availability first!
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Azz
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21-02-2010, 08:09 PM
Lol yeah that's the thing - I can't work without broadband.

How are you finding it there? (Maybe post a thread about your experiences/hints/tips? Think a few people may be interested
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Moobli
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21-02-2010, 08:42 PM
Originally Posted by Losos View Post
A lot of small farmers are chucking it in 'cos they can't make a living so there will be places come on the market but you need 'inside' information 'cos the property developers and estate agents will be in there before anyone not 'in the trade' can get a look in and with a quick bit of decoration and such it will go to a mug punter for x2 or even x3 what they paid the poor farmer.

To be honest Azz it might be worth investing in a classified ad in Farmers Weekly or some similar magazine, run it for at least 12 months and make sure you're ready to move quickly when something that suits you comes up.
That is so true Losos. All the hill farms we have even half looked at have been up for big money and sold to property developers or rich horsey folk Our plan is to stay employed for as long as possible, but then to hopefully buy a small hill farm in Scotland (probably up North) and run it alongside the regular shepherding job. Well, that's the plan anyway!
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wolfdogowner
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21-02-2010, 08:43 PM
Originally Posted by Azz View Post
Lol yeah that's the thing - I can't work without broadband.

How are you finding it there? (Maybe post a thread about your experiences/hints/tips? Think a few people may be interested
I am told we won't be getting broadband as 'only old people live down our lane' (thanks!) so we have super slow dial-up. Even though fibre optic is going in 10 mins down the road! The annoying thing is that BB came to our old house just before we sold it.

Its also impossible to earn a living here but we were able to buy our 14 acres of woodland cheap and get a house thrown in for free (even if it didn't have a roof). The dogs love it, which is of course why we do these things!
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Lucky Star
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21-02-2010, 08:44 PM
I have family in Spain and they love it. It's so hot in the summer that they stay outside for most of the day and dip in and out of the pool to keep cool.
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Moobli
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21-02-2010, 08:47 PM
Originally Posted by Azz View Post
Lol yeah that's the thing - I can't work without broadband.

How are you finding it there? (Maybe post a thread about your experiences/hints/tips? Think a few people may be interested
You couldn't live here then Azz! It is often cold, we don't have mobile reception or broadband!
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Lucky Star
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21-02-2010, 08:54 PM
Originally Posted by Moobli View Post
You couldn't live here then Azz! It is often cold, we don't have mobile reception or broadband!
Now I would see that bit about the lack of mobile reception as a bonus!
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New2Dogz
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07-03-2010, 07:59 PM
Wow - that's a beautiful picture Wolfdogowner! Your dogs are literally in their element with your woodland.

I just wanted to echo what some of the other posters have been saying that it's very hard to make a living from being a small-time farmer. My family have been in farming as far back as we can trace (the 1500s) - although in each generation there are fewer and fewer who stay in farming. Some of my relatives are still making 'proper' Cheddar cheese in Somerset, however, I'm not married to a farmer and we live on the edge of Swindon for affordability reasons . . . I'd love to be back in the country though . . . one day!

Have you been watching Monty Don's Channel 4 programme about people starting new farming enterprises? Some of them have had good ideas: the flower sellers only rented a small plot of land with one outbuilding and established their business that way - Blooming Green in Kent. Some like the girl with the alpacas really belonged back in the town to be honest!
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/m...guide/series-1

I think the secret is to have a really good niche marketing idea for something that you can develop from a smallholding upwards - goat's milk fudge and ice cream perhaps? (Just that I've made fudge for the children this afternoon . . .)

I say good luck to anyone who tries to get into farming these days - it will be a hard slog!

PS My 4-year-old always tells anyone who asks what she wants to be when she grows up that she is going to be a 'lady farmer'!!!
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wolfdogowner
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07-03-2010, 08:56 PM
Thanks; the dogs truly love it and every morning have to re-mark all their territory after the fox has passed by.

Its great living in the country: a couple of days ago I went to buy a secondhand heater from a local farm and was greeted by Lamas on arrival!
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