All about life on the smallholding
Learn about our life on our smallholding in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.
Animals
I have a variety of animals on my smallholding, which include three micro pigs called Dotty, Dolly and Huxley, five pygmy goats called Peewee, Gurt, Sweetpea, Bonnie and Clyde, three miniature Mediterranean donkeys called Jasper, George and Flynn, a couple of miniature Shetland ponies called Chief (who is the boss) and Jo-Jo.
In 2020, I introduced Joan and Jett to the smallholding. They are two beautiful, friendly Valais Blacknose ewes who were bred at the end of 2023 and produced three gorgeous lambs between them in the Spring of 2024. Over the years, I have added to my flock and now have eleven sheep, including Joan and Jett’s offspring. A friend gifted me two gorgeous bottle-fed lambs in 2023: a wether called Kevin and a beautiful ewe called Kerry. These two didn’t have the best start in life when their mothers rejected them, but with a lot of love and care (and evenings in front of the fire watching television), they are now thriving! I also have a small flock of chickens who produce the most delicious eggs.
Produce
Living in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside has huge bonuses. I have lots of space to grow fruit and vegetables and a greenhouse to cultivate seeds and practice growing various plants. The hedgerows provide an opportunity for foraging, with blackberries, elderberries, and wild garlic, to name but a few.
I planted a small orchard of fruit trees in the first year of living in the house, and I am hoping to reap the rewards soon with a harvest which includes apples, pears, cherries, plums and greengages. Soft fruits such as raspberries have also been planted along with rhubarb.
Home decor
We moved to our current property, a farmhouse in North Yorkshire, in November 2024, having previously renovated a converted barn dating back to 1691. Our new home does not require renovating; however, there are a few things that I would like to do when time and finances allow, but at the moment, I am getting to know the house and discovering what works in each of the rooms. The old part of the house dates back to 1890 with an extension added in 2012, so it is very much a mix of old and new with oak floors, wood burners and beams in abundance. It has the history I crave with the benefit of modern fixtures and fittings.
Country living
Embracing the countryside is all about enjoying the outdoors. The British weather doesn’t always make this easy, but with a little thought and a lot of imagination, even rainy days in Yorkshire can be enjoyable!
I enjoy being outside as much as I love being indoors, and each season brings new ideas. I love to think of new ways to decorate my home for the holidays, with Christmas, Easter and Halloween being particularly good for this.
My passions
Animal care and wellbeing
Before buying any animal, whether it be a dog or a cat, then you must do your research. You need to know what caring for a pet really entails and ask yourself if you have the time, energy and funds to devote to looking after a pet. When buying animals on the scale of a smallholding, you need to ask yourself these questions over and over again. Caring for a domestic pet needs commitment; however, caring for animals such as sheep, horses, donkeys, pigs, and goats in all weathers requires a dedication you may never have imagined. If there are three feet of snow outside, it may be fine for you to let your dog into the back garden for ten minutes rather than take him on a long walk, but farm animals will still need tending to and, in the harsh winter months this care is even more important for their welfare.
In addition to commitment, you will need the services of a good vet, a farrier, a shearer, a feed and bedding merchant and a whole host of knowledge. Be prepared to attend classes to learn the basics of animal husbandry and spend any spare time with your head in a manual!
Self sufficiency
Anyone can enjoy the idea of a smallholding. It can be far from the scale of farming and need not involve acres of land. Vegetables grown in containers, dwarf fruit trees grown on the patio and a few chickens in the garden can be enjoyed by just about everyone.
Championing farming
Buy local and buy well! There are various ways that everyone can champion local farming, such as shopping at local farmer’s markets and ordering food from local farms. If you have to shop at a supermarket, make sure you check the labels so that you are aware of where the produce has been grown and how. Buy the best that you can afford and, in order to keep costs down, eat seasonal produce.
Rural living
One of the first things we did when we moved to our current smallholding was to fence off paddocks for the animals and erect suitable shelters. The next thing we did was plant an orchard!
We are lucky to have native hedgerows surrounding our entire plot, together with established trees such as weeping willow, sycamore, oak, and one or two fruit trees.
We have a variety of birds, including blue tits, swallows, swifts, house martins, finches, robins, pheasants, moor hens, and even woodpeckers, and I often spend time watching their antics from the windows.
Our garden is quintessentially an English country garden with deep borders brimming with wild roses, delphiniums, hollyhocks, lavender, lupins, dahlias, and dozens of other perennials. It is a blaze of colour throughout the summer. We also have a wonderful pond with water lilies, carp, moor hens, ducks and toads. The pond is alive with wildlife and provides a fantastic space to sit and watch the butterflies and dragonflies.