Usually we take great pride in our ability to dig, shift, lift and cart large amounts of stuff using only human power, and it’s very satisfying. However, the mess that was our old extension contained lumps of concrete so large that it was time to resort to...
Following the midwinter break, we’ve emerged from a brief hibernation to begin the process of preparing the ground for growing our veg, fruit, trees and flowers. Although the hens are helping enthusiastically by scratching over and fertilising various bits of...
Well – what a year. So much has happened, and is all here in our blog, but looking back you wonder how it all fitted in. A year ago we were all set to move to Wales, hadn’t even seen Lackan Cottage Farm, and of course there were only two of us. 2012 began...
Composting toilets can be expensive things if you choose to buy the fancy all-in-one devices. Most aren’t much more than a seperator seat to keep the pee and solids apart, with some sort of fan to dry the solids a bit, and keep any smells to a minimum. Usually...
Would you like to live in a “hobbit” like house, avoid high energy bills and live in a more sustainable community? The “Living in the Future” eco documentary will be launched on 22 January 2013 throughout the UK and shows what life is like being a low...
At last midwinter is here, and we marked the solstice with a fire, shared with friends. The seemingly relentless rain stopped falling just long enough for us to enjoy the night and reflect on the turning of the seasons, of which we are more acutely aware, living the...
We love to share our goings on with others, so as well as this blog, we now have a proper Lackan Cottage Farm facebook page too. Making connections and exchanging ideas is something we love to do, so now there are even more opportunities to do so. These reindeer...
The last couple of weeks have also been a bit on the chilly side, with sharp night time frosts, and early fog. Outside pipes and taps have frozen, and digging the ground has become a challenge. It looks lovely though.. We had some amazing frost patterns on the...
Well, after nearly three weeks, our first proper experience as Wwoofing hosts is over, and our volunteer (and now extended family member) Bettina has left to begin her journey home to Austria. Hers will be hard boots to fill, as we have achieved much in her time here,...
The GIY (Grow It Yourself) movement has really taken off here in Northern Ireland, and it was great to visit Sally Taylor’s place in Saintfield – the venue for a meeting of the South Down GIY group. Sally has combined a formal garden, retreat, allotments...
Although it has been a quiet week on the blog, here on the farm it’s been all go. Our intrepid WWOOF volunteer Bettina has arrived from Austria, hitch hiking all the way – at one point on a tractor. A terrifyingly long list of things to do exists, and...
One of the principles of permaculture is ‘Obtain a yield’. On seeing the horses the other day, a visitor asked ‘How do you make money from them?’, and seemed surprised when I simply answered ‘We don’t’. It’s an unusual...
