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.
Martha Tilston
Liking this song from Martha Tilston...
Why?
Someone recently said that they liked what I'm doing but couldn't work out what my motivations were. A really good question as it turns out - in responding I had to think it through.I've always been what I optimistically refer to as self employed. This has taken many...
A front door at last
With the weather on the turn, I thought it would be a good idea to fit a front door to the roundhouse, even if it ends up being temporary. The handle comes courtesy of some of the ivy growing on the neighbouring trees. It's amazingly hard stuff.
Plastering in the roundhouse
This weekend we had lots of help here at the roundhouse - Jim, Mark, Helen, Michael, Alexey, Steven and Denise did a fine job and we finished off all the lime-hemp plaster that we have, so 3 out of 5 wall panels now have a scratch coat of plaster. Michael and Mark...
Growing Connections video
I'd forgotten about this excellent video that was made about the work that goes on here on the farm as Growing Connections. Just a 2 minute clip of the larger video, but it gives you a flavour of the place.
Straw Bale Veg Growing
Courtesy of Permaculture Ideas. "Straw bales (not hay bales) are a great place to plant vegetables. Here's my start-to-finish results! The straw is an easy, loose place for the plants to spread out their roots. Also, up on the straw bale there is essentially ZERO...