I'd like to share our farm that my wife and I have recently purchased and our vision for it. We don't have experience in farming although I have worked for a co-op permaculture farm in Australia for a year (mainly bio-intensive market gardening) and as of the last 6 months getting my teeth into holistic management, thanks to Richard Perkins online course and anything that Savory and Salatin has written along with countless hours on youtube.
Our vision for the farm is one that focuses on triple bottom line. Social side is important to us as we'd like to become a connecting place for the community offering volunteer days (with a view of selecting and offering a profit sharing pay scheme to quality local volunteers) and educational days for under privilege young people. We will align ourselves with a local organisation once established. My wife wants to run a forest school in the woodland too.
Our farm is located in lowland Dartmoor and mid slope in a valley and south facing orientation. There is 900mm of average rainfall and the majority of it is between 9-13 degree of slope.
From the map of the farm you'll see red indicating pasture and green indicating scrub or woodland.
At this stage only 6ac are of high quality steep pasture (11 deg). 6.5ac is hilly scrub pasture of bracken and bramble and some pasture. 3.5ac field of thicket. 3ac of wetland pasture which doesn't often flood however is at risk too with the stream that runs the southern boundary of our property. There are small amounts of marsh sedge in this area and some boggy patches. Soil throughout is a fairly well draining loam apart from right next to the stream.
- We want to run a mobile hen enterprise with electric netting, perhaps 300-400 birds in an egg mobile from a converted caravan chassis yet need to be cautious on weight with max towing capacity of 900kg from JD Gator UTV.
- We'd like to have pigs turn over the bracken and bramble pastures with strip paddocks and grass finish them. Later reconsidering bringing them back in if good demand from customers.
- Dartmoor has a strong wool and lambing market for good reasons with the topography and history of sheep in the area.
- We'd prefer Dexter cattle over sheep due to niche direct to customer market but have concerns on stocking rate for such a small acreage even once pigs have cleared the thicket fields.
- Eventually in year two or three will start planting tree lanes on key lines for timber, fruit and nut. Perhaps for our own consumption or some sort of side enterprise once workforce is established.
I have concerns on a number of areas such as.
- Pigs being successful at turning over large areas of thickets.
- Whether wool and lambing are a better call over line breeding Dexters due to the hilly topography and small acreage. Are sheep more profitable of an enterprise over beef for small farms?
- Sales models. What has been the most successful for you? Direct to customer via website, butchers, restaurants, markets etc?
- Lastly, are we barking mad getting into livestock farming during these uncertain times with Brexit? This question will stoke a few fires...
I'd like to welcome thoughts from experienced from traditional farming backgrounds, those who have knowledge of livestock market and anyone who's had experience with HM on a small scale. Thanks a lot!
Our vision for the farm is one that focuses on triple bottom line. Social side is important to us as we'd like to become a connecting place for the community offering volunteer days (with a view of selecting and offering a profit sharing pay scheme to quality local volunteers) and educational days for under privilege young people. We will align ourselves with a local organisation once established. My wife wants to run a forest school in the woodland too.
Our farm is located in lowland Dartmoor and mid slope in a valley and south facing orientation. There is 900mm of average rainfall and the majority of it is between 9-13 degree of slope.
From the map of the farm you'll see red indicating pasture and green indicating scrub or woodland.
At this stage only 6ac are of high quality steep pasture (11 deg). 6.5ac is hilly scrub pasture of bracken and bramble and some pasture. 3.5ac field of thicket. 3ac of wetland pasture which doesn't often flood however is at risk too with the stream that runs the southern boundary of our property. There are small amounts of marsh sedge in this area and some boggy patches. Soil throughout is a fairly well draining loam apart from right next to the stream.
- We want to run a mobile hen enterprise with electric netting, perhaps 300-400 birds in an egg mobile from a converted caravan chassis yet need to be cautious on weight with max towing capacity of 900kg from JD Gator UTV.
- We'd like to have pigs turn over the bracken and bramble pastures with strip paddocks and grass finish them. Later reconsidering bringing them back in if good demand from customers.
- Dartmoor has a strong wool and lambing market for good reasons with the topography and history of sheep in the area.
- We'd prefer Dexter cattle over sheep due to niche direct to customer market but have concerns on stocking rate for such a small acreage even once pigs have cleared the thicket fields.
- Eventually in year two or three will start planting tree lanes on key lines for timber, fruit and nut. Perhaps for our own consumption or some sort of side enterprise once workforce is established.
I have concerns on a number of areas such as.
- Pigs being successful at turning over large areas of thickets.
- Whether wool and lambing are a better call over line breeding Dexters due to the hilly topography and small acreage. Are sheep more profitable of an enterprise over beef for small farms?
- Sales models. What has been the most successful for you? Direct to customer via website, butchers, restaurants, markets etc?
- Lastly, are we barking mad getting into livestock farming during these uncertain times with Brexit? This question will stoke a few fires...
I'd like to welcome thoughts from experienced from traditional farming backgrounds, those who have knowledge of livestock market and anyone who's had experience with HM on a small scale. Thanks a lot!
