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
Aha! When I read your game pie recipe I thought you were somewhere in Northern America, but now I know. You have an awesome site and you are living the dream so many people pine for but you have the courage to do, warts and all. I hope your health has improved and all is going well for you both.
Hi Richard
I love cranberry sauce too. West London is just a bit far from the cottage but I’m sure that you got on fine as it’s so easy to make!
Hi Kirsty
I started out with stuff in containers too. Mange tout peas worked out really well in a giant pot. I also saw a lot of interesting ideas for growing stuff in small spaces at Hampton court this year. Long containers that hang on walls etc. Might be worth checking them out.
Hello Debs
Lucky you to get an allotment. If you want growing guides and tips you can’t beat John Harrison’s site – http://www.allotment.org.uk/. His book is very popular too.
Hello Lindsey
Thanks for dropping by. It takes ages to gradually set up a dream but you seem to be doing so well. Love the idea of the wind turbine and spring!
Hi Lou
I’m enjoying your blog too!
Hello Amanda
I love my flock of chickens! Great to hear that you are getting some too. Best of luck with the raised beds.
Hello Julia
Thank you so much for dropping by. I’m delighted that you are enjoying the blog.
Hi Mutley
Thank you!
Hi Dexter
I love the lifestyle. The change was gradual and has been hugely enjoyable. We still have much further to go which is an exciting prospect. Thanks for leaving such a positive comment.
Hi
I too have only just found your site. I was looking for a recipe for “Eggy Bread” and your website was listed in Google, and found myself surfing” the other pages. I do not want to be a sycophant, but I find the content very informative, and mirror the lifestyle and philosophies I would very much like to aspire to. I wish you well and hope to use your experience for my own benefit often in future.
Congratulations on achieving your life style. I hope it is as rewarding as it sounds.
My second hom, well done.
Fiona,
Greetings from a similar maritime climate- Seattle, Washington. You have a wonderful blog and I am so happy to have found it. Thank you for such fascinating posts, and please continue to write!
-Julia
What a brilliant find! Your website will prove invaluable – already given us loads of info on chickens – so we have bravely taken the plunge and ordered the coop, and the vegetable patch is ready for raised beds – only need patience now!
I’m enjoying your blog and hope to learn lots, we’re just starting out here in Shropshire but so far it has been wonderful. Can’t wait for Spring!
Lou
Hi,
I have found this website, it is great! we moved to my dream home about 6 years ago, when I say dream home, more in my dreams, the place needed loads of work, we had no money, no water, no electric, 2 acres full of tree stumps, but, we had a vision, our own animals, veg, bees, no neighbours, homemade wine and good homemade food. We are getting nearer, we brought our ducks, hens with us from our previous rented home, along with our dog. Over time I have managed to get more and more animals, all on a very small budget, we have a generator that we run for about 4 hours a day, a wind turbine, that runs a radio and a light, a spring and we have managed to get a horse for the kids and clear about half an acre, still waiting for it to grass! It is hard work, but I couldn’t live anywhere else! It’s nice to see there are other people out there, doing and wanting to do, the ‘country thing!’
Keep up the great work and good luck
Lindsey
Hello there I came across your lovely website whilst browsing for white sheets! What a lovely surprise. We live in a rural Wiltshire village and last year we aquired a huge allotment 2 mins from our house. We were leased it quite late in the season, so we just chucked in all the seeds we could get our hands on and in no particular order, So you can imagine what happened! Is there any advise you could give a novice veggie and fruit grower who has a lot of enthusiasm but not much of an idea of what to do. Thanks
Hello!
Found your site looking for something to do with the brace of pheasants my fiance bought for christmas. He would love to have a garden and aspires to a smallholding (He’s watching River Cottage as I type!) but for now we’ve got a few containers on the balcony of our flat. Baby steps!
Looking forward to browsing the rest of the site
K