5 acres of spuds

[Landless Gentry]

I am currently in the process of buying a home that comes with 5 acres currently in potatoes.

What should I do with the 5 acres going forward? Ultimately I would like to keep a few sheep etc on it as a hobby (I have a boring desk job) but renovating the house is priorty over the next year or two. I have a friend very keen to rent it for sheep in the short term.

Should I...

1) Rent it for cereals and put to grass the following year
2) Put it to grass immediately after potatoes are harvested?
3) Rewild it ;-)
4) Donate it to @Hfd Cattle

Enjoyment rather than income is the driving factor here.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

I am currently in the process of buying a home that comes with 5 acres currently in potatoes.

What should I do with the 5 acres going forward? Ultimately I would like to keep a few sheep etc on it as a hobby (I have a boring desk job) but renovating the house is priorty over the next year or two. I have a friend very keen to rent it for sheep in the short term.

Should I...

1) Rent it for cereals and put to grass the following year
2) Put it to grass immediately after potatoes are harvested?
3) Rewild it ;-)
4) Donate it to @Hfd Cattle

Enjoyment rather than income is the driving factor here.

I like option 5 but .... of they get the spuds out before end of Oct put it into a temporary Westerwold ley for winter grazing and then next Yr put it into a SFI herbal key scheme . That will give grazing for your friend and income for you .

 

[Bald Rick]

I am currently in the process of buying a home that comes with 5 acres currently in potatoes.

What should I do with the 5 acres going forward? Ultimately I would like to keep a few sheep etc on it as a hobby (I have a boring desk job) but renovating the house is priorty over the next year or two. I have a friend very keen to rent it for sheep in the short term.

Should I...

1) Rent it for cereals and put to grass the following year
2) Put it to grass immediately after potatoes are harvested?
3) Rewild it ;-)
4) Donate it to @Hfd Cattle

Enjoyment rather than income is the driving factor here.

Wildflower meadow with plenty of nectar plants lightly grazed with sheep and given away for hay at the appropriate time.
For added enjoyment, mow a few tracks and dig a pond of varying depth and a wavy edge perhaps with a island if big enough
Even a small orchard

 

[Landless Gentry]

I like option 5 but .... of they get the spuds out before end of Oct put it into a temporary Westerwold ley for winter grazing and then next Yr put it into a SFI herbal key scheme . That will give grazing for your friend and income for you .

I'm in NI so I don't think SFI applies and the friend is sorted for winter grazing

 

[Landless Gentry]

Wildflower meadow with plenty of nectar plants lightly grazed with sheep and given away for hay at the appropriate time.
For added enjoyment, mow a few tracks and dig a pond of varying depth and a wavy edge perhaps with a island if big enough
Even a small orchard

That actually sounds very appealing!

 

[serf]

am currently in the process of buying a home that comes with 5 acres currently in potatoes.

You'll have to change your username on here first

 

[yin ewe]

I am currently in the process of buying a home that comes with 5 acres currently in potatoes.

What should I do with the 5 acres going forward? Ultimately I would like to keep a few sheep etc on it as a hobby (I have a boring desk job) but renovating the house is priorty over the next year or two. I have a friend very keen to rent it for sheep in the short term.

Should I...

1) Rent it for cereals and put to grass the following year
2) Put it to grass immediately after potatoes are harvested?
3) Rewild it ;-)
4) Donate it to @Hfd Cattle

Enjoyment rather than income is the driving factor here.

If the spuds aren't dug yet it's probably getting late for reseeding this autumn, you could let for winter cereal now which would be harvested in good time for reseeding next July/August time. Will also give you a bit of breathing space until you decide what to do longer term.

 

[Landless Gentry]

You'll have to change your username on here first

Landless gentry to landed peasant seems like a downward move!

 

[Landless Gentry]

If the spuds aren't dug yet it's probably getting late for reseeding this autumn, you could let for winter cereal now which would be harvested in good time for reseeding next July/August time. Will also give you a bit of breathing space until you decide what to do longer term.

That's what I'm thinking. Would the cereals help soil structure recovery as well?

 

[serf]

Landless gentry to landed peasant seems like a downward move!

You can use landed peasant , that allready equates to half of us on here ....

 

[Landless Gentry]

You can use landed peasant , that allready equates to half of us on here ....

It's just 5 acres so Barely Landed might be more accurate

 

[Bald Rick]

That actually sounds very appealing!

Did plenty of this sort of thing in a previous life. You’ll have a digger on site for the building work so make use of it. With 5 acres, you could have a greater ambition especially if you like a bit of coarse fishing.
You can, of course, graze an orchard once established. Chickens like nothing better than pecking at windfall apples

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Enjoyment rather than income is the driving factor here.

Any hobbies that need a bit of space?

If I had a spare 5 acres right next to the house i'd make it into a fishing pond with rifle range and high tower, possibly with a grass yard for the dogs.

She would just make it 5 acres of horse paddocks.

 

[Landless Gentry]

There is Air BnB potential with the property so nice pastoral scenes would be a good selling point for that. I just enjoy livestock and want something to keep me busy outdoors. I do like the idea of a small orchard, pond and veg patch with the majority being a wildflower meadow mown for hay. A lot of 'good life' vibes!

 

[Landless Gentry]

Any hobbies that need a bit of space?

If I had a spare 5 acres right next to the house i'd make it into a fishing pond with rifle range and high tower, possibly with a grass yard for the dogs.

She would just make it 5 acres of horse paddocks.

No horses!

 

[Doing it for the kids]

No horses!

Most sensible comment today!

 

[yoki]

I am currently in the process of buying a home that comes with 5 acres currently in potatoes.

What should I do with the 5 acres going forward? Ultimately I would like to keep a few sheep etc on it as a hobby (I have a boring desk job) but renovating the house is priorty over the next year or two. I have a friend very keen to rent it for sheep in the short term.

Should I...

1) Rent it for cereals and put to grass the following year
2) Put it to grass immediately after potatoes are harvested?
3) Rewild it ;-)
4) Donate it to @Hfd Cattle

Enjoyment rather than income is the driving factor here.

What area are you in?

 

[Landless Gentry]

What area are you in?

Lisburn, Northern Ireland

 

[yoki]

A lot of very sandy ground there around Blaris.

Is it sandy or loamy?

 

[Nearly]

Any hobbies that need a bit of space?

If I had a spare 5 acres right next to the house i'd make it into a fishing pond with rifle range and high tower, possibly with a grass yard for the dogs.

She would just make it 5 acres of horse paddocks.

It could work with both......