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
Hi Michael
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Hello Nigel
You are at the start of a really great adventure.
Moving to the country was the best thing that I ever did.
Hi Fiona and Danny! Great site and a real inspiration for us as we embark on our life in the country. Just picked our first sloes today after we found some in a hedgerow outside our local parish church!
I’ll let you know how we get on following your excellent recipe.
Thanks, Nigel and Tammy
Hi. I was directed to your site by my sister who is starting to get hooked on the foraging. Very nice site. I’ll be back.
Hello Haery Faery
We’re blushing now.
Good luck with your new adventure in Portugal!
Wow, just wanted to lift my hat to you both and your website…it really is a very special honour that you find the time to share your wealth of knowledge this way!
We have just moved on to a hectare and a half in Central Portugal and have acquired a wealth of fruit and nut trees. I found you after looking up walnuts as we have 7 or so trees, and thankfully not too many bushy tailed competitors!!
It made me so sad to see fruit rotting on the ground on arrival, and I am determined to be on the case processing all the up and coming ones. My vans small cupboards are already packed with jars of chutney and jam, and once i have a proper kitchen there will be no stopping me!! Very glad to have found you, and will be a regular and appreciative visitor to your site!
Sending warm and sunny regards Helen XX
Hi Abigail
Use the raw search to find recipes for chutney, jam, jelly and liqueur. Bullaces are a type of plum so all the plum recipes are relevant.
Am delighted through an old lady in our village have discovered i have picked bullaces and now have found a website that might give me a recipe for them? Any ideas? Thank you Abigail
Hello Mrs Jelly
With three borders of rhubarb I reckon that the last ingabitants of your house were making wine. Rhubarb wine is very good indeed – why not try some? It takes 2.5 kilos to make a demi john. You’ll be laughing.
I have just discovered that rhubarb water is a great organic pest control. I’ve no idea how you make it though.
Rhubarb vodka is supposed to be good also rhubarb and ginger jam.
Hi Sarah B
Delighted that our recipes are easy for you to follow. I like recipes to be straight forward – great flavours with minimal effort. That’s what it’s all about!
Just to let you know I have a huge pan of apple chutney on the go – your recipes are very easy to follow. I have some plums sitting in sugar to turn into plum jam first thing in the morning. I love your site and will keep you posted – can’t wait to taste! 🙂
Hi there, just came across your site whilst googling ‘rhubarb gin’. We have inherited a glut of rhubarb – 3 beds to be precise and I run out of ideas every year as to what to do with it. Any tips would be greatfully received!