Sometimes it sucks

I started writing this blog because I wanted to share what it was like to be a smallholder.
Well....
Sometimes it sucks to be a self employed smallholder.
No one pays me wages.
If we don't get orders from the wholesalers I earn nothing.
There are more weeks when I earn nothing than there are when I earn something.
And calling the wholesaler twice a week can get mighty depressing when it's sorry, not today thanks.
I cannot share quite how that makes me feel.  Because there are a jumble of emotions...anger, at the supermarkets for killing off the market stalls and greengrocers, sadness, because this was once a thriving farm.
We cannot compete with the supermarkets,  every time we grow something new within a couple of years the big guys start growing it too,  killing our niche once again.
There really is only so far you can diversify without spending alot of money. And that's something we don't have alot of right now.
So, not much money coming in you change your need. New clothes? How many items have you bought in the last 3 months? How much have you spent? £34.97 in the last 6 months? Or would that not even be enough for your last trip!
New stuff? Games? Dvds? Phone? Pretty things for the house? Weekly? Monthly? Or maybe not at all.

 Food budget? All the veg you can grow and fifty quid thanks to sons housekeeping money, to feed three adults, 15 farm cats and dads doglet.  Trouble is son works for a charity...that has no longer got the funding to pay him...just before Christmas. ..so no more housekeeping either. 

So jam made from courgettes, homemade cakes, alot of veg to eat. 

And hope and pray when I call the wholesalers they say yes please we've sold out!

Devices

Well, interesting photos....that's my seed drill...hand drill. Bean seed, I like beans! (More beans...I think you've  had enough beans etc).
And if you look in the distance that's how far I had to push the blooming thing....18 times..squeak squeak clunk squeak squeak clunk....
Oooh and pictures of little stall lookin very green with lots of interesting plants, herbs, flowers and veg !
Come support a local business, a pound spent with me stays in the community, a pound spent at a supermarket isn't even noticed by big business!

A challenge in the hungry gap

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/lovefullshelves
Next week I'm doing the live below the line challenge.
I can spend £5 for food and drink for 5 days!
If anyone would like to sponsor me it would be greatly appreciated!
My nommy breakfasts will be rice pudding!
12p for 6oz of rice, 55p for a tin of evaporated milk and  8p for sugar!
85p for 5 (not particularly healthy) breakfasts!
Lunches will be....3 days of nettle soup..Which seems to have worked out at 8p a portion
(With bread at 4 x 4p a slice!)  So, 24p a lunch adds 72 p to my total.. £1.57
Other 2 lunches will be beanburgers in flatbread. Woot!
23p for a tin of kidney beans mixed with veg I've grown.
Flatbread are flour and a tbsp oil.....another 20p
Oooh I've spent £2!
Evening meals...
#1 Omelette with tomato 44p
#2 macaroni cheese  with froz veg 41p
#3 egg and chips 13p
#4 curry and flatbread 40p
#5 scone pizza and chips 42p
Adds £1.80
£3.80!
Cups of tea.
I'd rather have tea than crisps or biscuits  or cake!
25 tea bags 24p,  pint milk, 22p half bag sugar 25p. 71p  five cups of tea a day!
£4.51
Allowing the rest of the pennies for seed costs to grow the veg I've used.
No coffee, no cake, no biccies. All week...
Watch my sanity slip.

Warmth

Love it...in the greenhouse. ..sweating!  Ok, too much information I know.., but it was lovely...and it's still 22 degrees in here and it's nearly bedtime!
And no fire....no heater.., woohoo! Warm weather....its cheap!
So the greenhouse is filling up...
My fairy garden! Mine I say!  Cant wait for the flowers to bloom! And teeny windmills made of plant labels and milk bottles!
Ok, I know I'm supposed to sell things...you know...vegetables...fruit maybe... but hey...cack all in season..girls gotta have a reason to smile😊
Back soon x

Fairies in the greenhouse

Somethings been happening in the greenhouse. ...teeny gardens have appeared. .....teeny arches, tyre swings, little paths and yard bells.
Sadly they'll have to find new homes, or there won't be room for the cabbages! And we all love cabbage☺☺
Fairy gardens, in the stall for easter weekend. £5 each.

Windy blow

Dad always used to say March was in like a lion out like a lamb, or vice versa. .looks like it's out like a lion this year, it was roaring last night...
And I hate nights like that,  where it's rattling the windows, making all the old farm buildings creak and groan. Because when you get up you're thinking. .now, what's blown away, what has no roof, what trees have I lost, how many panes of glass are gone in the greenhouse!
After a walk with the dog, nearly getting blown over...It would seem we've lost 4 panes of glass in the greenhouse,  trees are still there, and although there's a lot of banging, the roofs are mainly intact!
My poor greenhouse! 
See you soon x

2 into 1

When 2 households become one there's leftovers. We put our in the garage. And every year we've added to it.  It got to the stage where we were just pushing things through the door and shutting it quickly!
So, as the sun was shining I decided to tackle it. You know those things you wish you hadn't started?!
Well I've found loads of forgotten treasure!
My collection of tetley stuff, all needs a good home! And I found some of the books I read to my kids when they were little. And yes, I opened them, had a read, went back in time. I think I loved those books as much as my kids, both of them can still read the stories without the books I read them so often!
So....If there's something you need, I think I might have it in the garage! Try me😉😉
I need some space!
See you soon x