“I’ve dreamt of having my own smallholding for what seems like forever, and I’m going to be in a position to search for a suitable property in the next 18-months to two years. What should I be keeping in mind when looking, and how do I get started? Thanks, Matt.”
H&C blogger, Rosemary Champion of The Accidental Smallholder replies: "Hi Matt, if you've been dreaming of having your own smallholding for a long time, I assume you've done some research and have some idea of what enterprises you want to have on your smallholding and why you want them. Do you need / want to generate an income from your holding? If so, how much? Do you want to do it full-time or do you intend to work full-time or part-time off the holding as well? Or is it a lifestyle choice, to become more self sufficient by producing some of your own food? How much money do you have to invest?
The answers to these questions will help you decide what to look for and will determine what sort of property you should be seeking. If you intend producing for yourself and your family, you don't need to worry about access to markets for surplus produce - if you're planning a pig enterprise selling to the public, it makes sense to look for a property close to a population centre and an abattoir / butcher, otherwise your production costs will be much higher.
I think it's worthwhile buying as much land as you can afford, even if the thought of owning 50 acres scares you witless. You may not use it at first - and you can generate a small income from letting the grazing or getting a contractor to make hay or silage for you to sell - but having it will give you more options if you want to expand and try new enterprises. What enterprises you can realistically and cost effectively undertake will also be influenced by the topography, aspect, soil type of the land. Some things you can change - soil can be improved by adding organic matter, lime etc and you can create microclimates using polytunnels (at a cost) - but you can't change the topography or the location. You may, of course, fall in love with a property that's totally unsuitable for the enterprises you have in mind - in which case, you might have to rethink what you're going to grow. Sometimes, it's better to go with Nature than try to fight it!
There are a number of estate agents that specialise in smallholdings and small farms. If you are planning to move to a new area, it's probably worth visiting a time or two to get a feel for the place, look at the amenities and see if you want to live there. You might also want to check where the nearest abattoir is, if there are large animal vets in the area and stuff like that, if you are planning to keep livestock. Although you might fancy escaping from the rat race, most of us need public services at some time!
This is a brief answer - if it doesn't answer your question, please come back to me - always happy to discuss smallholding!
Kind regards,
Rosemary."
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