living off the grid..ish

[RickandMorty]

I have always liked the idea of living of the grid, that or on a barge. (Missus doesn't) In short looking at a computer all day and tapping away at code is nice but I need somthing different on the side. So living of the "grid..ish." I don't mean in a hippy sense but in the, my own yard sense (I did try an allotment, but my one is full of old political farts) anyway, Anyone else live off the grid..ish ?

 

Currently I have gallup my whole garden as it was full of weeds (very hippy of me)

 

I have veg patches

 

Soon to have some chickens (still debating that one)

 

Looking to do some woodcraft courses and go camping more.

 

If this is not the right topic for the website, let me know before banning me 😁

[trigger_andy]

14 minutes ago, RickandMorty said:

I have always liked the idea of living of the grid, that or on a barge. (Missus doesn't) In short looking at a computer all day and tapping away at code is nice but I need somthing different on the side. So living of the "grid..ish." I don't mean in a hippy sense but in the, my own yard sense (I did try an allotment, but my one is full of old political farts) anyway, Anyone else live off the grid..ish ?

 

Currently I have gallup my whole garden as it was full of weeds (very hippy of me)

 

I have veg patches

 

Soon to have some chickens (still debating that one)

 

Looking to do some woodcraft courses and go camping more.

 

If this is not the right topic for the website, let me know before banning me 😁

Sounds like you're trying to be more self sufficient as opposed to going off-grid? 

 

I am also trying to be more self sufficient.

 

I keep chickens and ducks although I will neck most of the Ducks when they stop laying this year due to them not being able to eat as much scraps as the chickens and relying more of bought feed. 

 

I will get back into keeping a veg patch, or a few as I have the space and with the cost of food increasing exponentially it will no longer be a quaint hobby but a healthy and cost effective alternative.

 

Ive got a Raspberry Patch and soon will have a a Strawberry patch just as soon as Ive rotavated the plot Ive picked out for that.

 

Ive been planting fruit and nut hedging plants around the perimeter of my property. I like the idea of having a hedge that provides the privacy of a hedge, but also provides Hazelnuts, Cobs and some fruits that will feed us and also the wildlife as well. (We have Red Squirrels)

 

The last two weeks Ive planted out some Cherry and Apple Trees along with some dwarf Walnut Trees.

 

As I have a small Sawmill I can provide almost all the timber I'll ever need for my own projects. Build my Workshop, all my fencing, all my decking, Oak Sleepers for the Drive, Oak Edging for walkways and Veg Patches. I also make a modest income from the Milling and Timber sales. 

 

From Milling I have a huge quantity of of-cuts and 'scabs' that I use for my Wood Burning Stoves, an 11kw in the Livingroom and an 11kw Wood Fired Range in the Kitchen that does almost all our cooking, heats the kitchen and provides all our hotwater at virtually no cost to myself. 

 

I will be getting a used Wood Fired 26kw Boiler Stove and Thermal Store installed this summer so that we have virtually free Central Heating for this winter. (Excluding the purchase and instalation cost of course.)

 

Good luck with your ventures. It sure is nice being able to provide for yourself.

[Paul in the woods]

Yes, you seem to want to be a bit more self sufficient / reliant rather than make do without mains services.

 

We've been going down that route for a number of years. Cut our own firewood, grow a fair bit of our own food, had chickens and have a few bee hives. 

 

I'd start off by asking what you want to achieve. Do you want to unwind from a busy life, safe money or want a bit more control of where your food comes from? 

[Guest Gimlet]

Personally, I'd like to live without money. I'd love to have no bank account, no phone, no computer, no household bills, no letterbox, no mail. And no one to bother me. But I'd fear attempting it in this overcrowded country, because God knows what might one day come and land next door to you, and you'd be powerless to escape it. 

[RickandMorty]

DThanks for the replies so far.

@trigger_andy   you seem to have it all sorted, I have a 5kw stove one day I would like a bigger place, arga, stoves land etc. Few of my great uncles live like that 😀  chilled and lived within their means.

 

I am thinking of getting the Omlet run and coop?

 

@Paul in the woods   I guess im looking to be more self sufficient with a bit of relax away from work but also grow my own food over time. 

 

Chickens are my next step, expensive to set up but fresh eggs see good and also with little one growing up he can learn about chickens etc in stead of sitting in front of an xbox all the time. 

 

@Gimlet who wouldnt !

[trigger_andy]

DThanks for the replies so far.
@trigger_andy   you seem to have it all sorted, I have a 5kw stove one day I would like a bigger place, arga, stoves land etc. Few of my great uncles live like that [emoji3]  chilled and lived within their means.
 
I am thinking of getting the Omlet run and coop?
 
@Paul in the woods   I guess im looking to be more self sufficient with a bit of relax away from work but also grow my own food over time. 
 
Chickens are my next step, expensive to set up but fresh eggs see good and also with little one growing up he can learn about chickens etc in stead of sitting in front of an xbox all the time. 
 
@Gimlet who wouldnt !

I’d not bother with an Omlet Run and Coop. I’d just build something. At least look for something second hand? The idea of chickens soon loses its excitement and people want rid. But they are great for food waste. We have virtually none now. What can’t be fed to them Avacado, onion scraps gets composted.

[Paul in the woods]

I built my coop from scratch and I'm not keen on plastic houses but it is easier to keep clean. There are cheaper plastic coops out there.

 

I wouldn't say you'll save any money keeping hens, we did it because I can't stand the way chickens are farmed. Even if you ignore the law that bans kitchen scraps I think you're likely to need to buy layers rations and that's not cheap these days. 

 

Having said that they are great to make children a bit more aware of food and farming. Watch out for foxes, the number of people I know who said they don't have foxes only to loose their clock to a fox.

 

Edit to add, if you're looking at a plastic coop I know someone who likes these: https://nestera.co.uk might be worth a look?

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Paul in the woods

[RickandMorty]

I hear that, I am leaning more towards how chickens are farmed, which is not nice.

 

Coops are way expensive, I would get a wooden one but cleaning that out seems like a right pain. I am very security conscious so I should be OK protecting them from foxes but I am prepared that a fox will get to them or one, one day.

 

I shall check out the link.. as an omlett for 409 to 600 quid is not cheap!

[RickandMorty]

@Paul in the woods  nice one for the link. They seem nice and at least I can pay on credit and not shell put too much in one hit. 🙂 I guess wood is better/traditional however red mites and cleaning would be more of a pain I have read when it comes to wood.

 

I would like yo build my own but I am not that woodwork savvy...yet! Although I did make a bench two years ago and it is still standing and 6 months ago a log storage 😃

[benedmonds]

We have had a few chickens for years, picked up for free and built coops but still pretty sure it is a very expensive way to get eggs.   You will never get a return on eggs if you have to payout £600 on an eggloo..  You would need 3000 before feed.