Photo: Fiona in a bee suit with smoker
My name is Fiona Nevile. I want to share our journey towards our goal of partial self sufficiency. It is such a satisfying, old fashioned endeavour, that provides moments of glowing pride alongside the occasional smelly disaster.
I started this blog after we decided to invest in our future. Retirement looms in a few years time. Before I fell ill I often worked in houses where people had recently retired. Usually they were testing the water. They had plans that they had dreamt about and tweaked for years:
- Raising a few chickens
- A small vegetable patch
- Bees
- Homemade wine and liqueurs
- And the individual extras which could include stock car racing, dabbling on the Stock Exchange, breeding terrapins, planning the trip of a lifetime and dreaming about a lottery win that would finance the lot.
Watching from the sidelines, I realised that often the first four of these interests can take years to get up and running. So I decided to start early. These activities are so satisfying that within months I was peering over the parapet. Why not cure and smoke our own bacon and make salami? How about making sausages and homemade butter? And where could we find food for free?
Six years later we are investing in now as well as our future retirement.
Why just plan for the future? Investing in now can be a bumpy ride but generally we’ve found that it’s fun and our quality of life is so much better than before. Each week our horizons expand.
This website charts our journey towards deluxe self sufficiency and beyond. Our aim is to live like kings on the lowest possible budget. Visit our new forum for inspiration and ideas from our readers.
My articles have appeared online in the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Chicago Sun Times and many other publications. Use the ‘contact us’ tab to speak to me. Writing commissions are always welcome.
Some people like to visit us here at the Cottage Smallholder.
Because I have been ill and unable to work since July 09 we decided to host advertising on the Cottage Smallholder site from December 09. Click here for more details.
a brief potted history of Fiona’s career, which has ended up in our attempt at partial self-sufficiency.
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FD
bought some tendergreen dwarf beans from our local netto. they are now ready to pick but we have noticed that the beans look like they are black and green marble effect. is there a reason for this and are they safe to eat
Hi! Just found your website and hope you may be able to help me identify fruits that are growimg on my new and v.overgrown allotment in S.E. London. I thought they were sloes in May – but are now much bigger and taste like plums. They are ripening now and falling off branches. They look blue/purple on trees, but on my kitchen table look redder! The trees are spindly, prob because there are so many growing together, but the ones at the back are about 15′ tall with browinsh bark and v.large spines. Thanks, Fran
Whilst rummaging through the internet looking for jam/jelly recipes i kept coming back to your site and followed your recipe for plum jelly, i have a bumper crop, my little tree is aching with them!
Fingers crossed for the set it’s sat on the window sill as i write…beautiful colour!
Hannah 29 – Forager – New Forest
I’m glad I found your site. You are doing something I’ve dreamed of for years.
from Austin, Texas, USA
i LOVE this website.
Hi Bridget
My brother lives in NZ too! It’s a lovely country filled with opportunities.
You can really do stuff on ten acres. What a wonderful place for your son to grow up.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
Hi, I found your blog while searching for a quince recipe. I am an ex-pat now living in New Zealand with my husband and 14month old son. We live on 10 acres (for nearly 2 years now). Slowly working towards being more self-sufficient. Looking forward to beekeeping, winemaking and a productive fruit orchard, among other pursuits. I enjoy reading your stories and recipes, cheers Bridget
Hi Paula
I’d love to hear how it works out for you!
juliet, thanks for your reply, will try the coop.Paula
Hi Juliet
Thanks for dropping by. Just flew through the ether to look at your blog. Great stuff.
Hi Paula
Your hen is broody. The loss of feathers is part of the broodiness, she is preparing a nest for the arrival of chicks.
We have an article on broodiness in hen’s here https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=25 and an article on how to make a simple anti broody coop here https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=289.
I do hope that it all turns out well for you.