Birch Cottage has a new website of its own
Visit the Birch Cottage website to bookWelcome to Lackan Cottage Farm
We’re Steve and Claire Golemboski-Byrne, we live here off grid with our daughter, our dog, cats and horses. We make all our own energy using wind and solar, grow as much of our own food as we can (it varies widely) and have used permaculture design principles to help us create a great place to live.
Here on the website you’ll find stories about the projects we’ve undertaken – what works, what doesn’t. You can come stay in our guest cottage – Birch Cottage and we will show you round, or maybe you just want to find out how to do some of this stuff. Either way, welcome.
The truck house gets a makeover
Finally. Just 10 years after putting a coat of primer on the truck, it is painted. Not the best day for painting anything, let alone a lorry, but it had to be done. The transformation is remarkable (thankfully) and after three coats of paint, my arms are falling off, but the old girl does look magnificent.
Permaculture workshop 28-29 September 2013
We will be hosting our first Permaculture Workshop, over the weekend of 28th and 29th September, with tutor Hannah Mole. A practical introduction to permaculture, involving aspects of nature awareness, human connection, design, challenges, forest gardens, animals,...
Introducing Harriet the horsebox
We’re into the final stages of readying Harriet the horsebox to welcome visitors, and it is always those last details that take forever to complete. Our truck house was home for so long, and in it’s new incarnation, refitted with reclaimed materials and things that we have collected along the way, it is a really lovely place to spend time in.
Summer harvest
The runner beans are now so tall that we are picking them with a ladder, although they are dwarfed by the winter squash, which still threatens to take over the entire west end of the polytunnel. Courgettes are featuring heavily on the menu too, and we are discovering...
Electric Daisies strike again
The humble Electric Daisy strikes again. John decided to give them a go, and his expression says a lot about the effects that this most enervating little flower can have - Step 1 - Yes, I can feel something is happening.... Step 2 - Yes, definitely something unusual...
Small solar PV
One of the most common questions people ask when they see our little PV setup is 'what will it power?', and the answer is always a bit vague, because I know people are hoping that those little panels might be what they need to disconnect from the grid and live a life...