October saw us in the rural surrounds of Shropshire, looking after a small holding with horses, sheep, chickens and cats.
Where space allows, folk seem to be coming back to the idea of self-sufficiency, even if it is just to keep a few hens for eggs.
This lifestyle was recently relived in the BBC2 programme 'Giles and Sue live the good life.' In this series they recreated the efforts that Tom and Barbara Good went to to be self sufficient. It turned out to be a lot more labour intensive and time consuming than they thought.
Their set up was perhaps a bit too self sufficient for most people. On our sits we do find that elements of self sufficiency, whether it be a veggie plot or just some hens, do feature.
The work and dedication involved in looking after animals and tending veggies, in our opinion, is well worth the effort. We always get a kick out of the fact that we are eating food just picked from the garden. We find looking after and tending to animals very relaxing and rewarding, even if it is pouring with rain, and freezing cold when the horses need bringing in and the hens need shutting in their house for the night.
At the end of the day, with flora and fauna, you reap far more than you sew.
