I live a rural lifestyle insofar as hubby is a shepherd (which is fast becoming a dying trade too unfortunately). However, we only keep hens for their eggs, but I couldn't kill and eat them. We have often talked about having a house cow, and may do at some point. Hubby has also kept pigs for meat in the past, and has also spoken about having another couple - but I just think I would get far too
attached.

I would love to have a veg plot - but don't want all the hard work that goes with it! lol

I think the problem is, as has been said, busier lifestyles, cheaper and more convenient food in supermarkets, more intolerant neighbours, less space and more people crammed together, all play a part in people moving away from growing their own food and keeping their own animals.

I have a plot, I spend about an hour or two per week on it from March to October; October to March it's covered in plastic.

I keep it simple so I mostly weed - garlic, onions, lettuce, strawberries, beetroot, french beans (all can be grown on mass and stored over winter)

Might not be as much work as you think

We keep chickens for eggs mainly but eat our spares and rear turkeys for Christmas. We also have ducks for eggs and have eaten the spares in the past. We are also hoping to get a couple of lambs this year to rear for meat. Main reason is to help graze the paddock as Dusty is prone to laminitis though. If that goes well, in so far I can send them to slaughter, we may get some pigs.

We are also hoping to get bees this year, which is looking promising.

We also have a fairly large veg plot and a soft fruit area with redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, gooseberrys and white currants, as well as plum, apple and pear tree.

We also have dabbled in making our own wine.

Along with that, we also shoot game for the pot as well so I think we are fairly on the way to self sufficiency.

Kirsty, you were going to try and grow some tomatoes - has that gone out of the window? I actually find digging quite relaxing, especially when joined by dogs and chickens lol.

Helen

I can see both sides. We live on a farm here, we grow our own vegetables, have egg laying hens, will keep livestock in the future when all the building work is finished.

But, the need for industrial scale farming will never change, in fact in will increase as the population only increases more and more. It's simply not feasible to feed the population on smaller scale operations, if we tried the price of food would go through the roof

But that is an hour or two of dog walking/training I could be doing Seriously though, I am definitely going to think about it, and have a look around to see if there is a suitable plot for it.

I wouldn't say "gone out the window" so much as just been put on the back burner, along with loads of other jobs that need doing but aren't imperative iykwim

Well I'm either dog walking. training or gardening
We grow early and mid pots, beetroot, onions, shallots , garlic,runner beans, french beans, parsnip,toms, cucumbers, courgette,aubergine,blueberries, gooseberries, damson, plums, trying to grow nectarines and various brassicae,we also have a free source of fresh game and eggs from friends....... and manage to fit in housework

know exactly what you mean and have a few projects like that!

I'm lucky in that Rob enjoys the veg garden so I don't need to do too much there, although I do enjoy gardening.

Helen

Ha Ha love they answer they gave the townie's, I live in a tourist area, and find it also so annoying when th tourists come and moan about horse muck and cow muck on the roads etc.

We have a nice large veggie patch ,although limited because of the altitude I live at (around 5000ft ) so have a short growing season, but what we grow keps us going in veggie's for the winter,with freezing as well as making jams, chutneys etc and collecting wild fruits, hazelnuts chestnuts etc from the mountains. my dream would be to be as self sufficient as possible.

What concerns me most is the younger generation, with all of the tchnology etc I think a majority of kids don't have enough opportunity to have contact with nature and the land, kids get told nowadays not to get dirty, not to play in the mud, not to go out in the rain, jump in puddles etc and just don't get taught any respect for nature. Heck I've met heaps of kids that don't know where milk comes from , this is very sad I think and makes me wonder for the future.
But I think on a whole the majority are losing contact with the land.

I read several years ago that a couple complained about the cows nearby to them mooo'ing too loudly.


With regards to Lukes bit.Many people simply choose to buy their food ready washed,graded,packaged and barcoded for convenience.Even more so where meat is concerned as it removes themselves mentally from the actual slaughter process and they dont suffer guilt.

This i feel is just evolution of the shopper because 40 years ago lots of people for example kept poultry for both eggs and meat,but that gradually reduced due to cheap battery/broiler hens,but last 15 years its been seen as socially unacceptable and quite rightly so.

HFW has done great things with his River cottage series showing how easy it can be to grow,raise and eat better quality food and has succedeeded in making it a popular pastime.He was the one who started the 'chicken out' campaign to stop the battery hen industry and he's a good man for doing this.

I keep chickens for their eggs and would have no qualms with raising them for the table too if it wasnt for the fact i'd need to keep a rooster to make it acceptable money wise.