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.
Harvest time
Managing the vegetables has been hard going whilst keeping a tiny Lyra happy, but today we all headed out and harvested my favourite crops - garlic and onions. The garlic has its roots trimmed off, and the muddy outer skin removed, and after a few days drying in our...
Abundance
In this, our first year of growing here at Lackan Cottage Farm, we have been blessed with great abundance. Indeed so great has been the harvest of some produce that we are able to share it with others. Elaine and John from the Turnip House came to visit, and we...
An unexpected find
One of the best things about living where we do, is that Turleys hardware store is nearby. Turleys is one of those places that sell everything. Well, almost. I have yet to be disappointed by them, and occasionally they really come up trumps. Back in the late...
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.