Self-Sufficiency in Style
November diary
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Self-Sufficiency in Style November diary
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A welcome early morning visitor. |
November is, in some ways, the best month.
It really does complete the self-sufficient year, especially as far as the animal side is concerned. The seasonal decline in the grass for grazing and the beginning of the winter signals the annual trip to the slaughterhouse. What sounds a sad goodbye to animals you have looked after and reared is actually, with experience, a pleasant relief from the responsibility and labour... and a full freezer. If the idea of eating your own animals troubles
you, read Your Own Meat |
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Usually, there will be young pigs, but alas not this year.
The farms nearby were hit by Swine Fever last year, and although we were clear, our pigs were slaughtered by government order as a precaution. Foot and Mouth followed so it was just too dangerous to start again too early. Next year will be another matter. |
Not this year.
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Awaiting loading |
Their are half a dozen lambs ready. One quarter Texel, one quarter Mule
and the most part Charollais.
Rather small this year, as they were born later than usual because of last year's disruption to "bringing the ram in." |
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| Finally, a calf.
The daughter of our house cow, she is half Jersey and half Aberdeen Angus. |
A summer's grazing |
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Away they go - a year's hard work. |
It is an unsentimental business raising animals for meat, but it can be
done with kindness and integrity.
If you wonder if you could bring yourself to do it...read Your Own Meat |
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Unfortunately, farm animals were not the only animals to be killed this
month.
Our pet Rottweiler had to be "put down." He was old, very old, and staggered to his feet to attend to his self imposed duty of security - alas a necessity for remote cottages nowadays. He was always popular with the grandchildren. His time had come, and by a crafty deception, his decent end was accompanied by the immediate acquisition of his replacement - a lady Rottweiler from the local rescue society. |
A family pet...
...and the little replacement |
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...at this point, it was intended to devote the rest of November to the garden and orchards, but somehow the animals intruded in an unexpected way. The gardening here has always been a struggle between horticulture, the farm animals and local wildlife. Never more so than this year, when at times the place has resembled a Disney cartoon. |
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It started with the ducks, that decided the raised beds with their black
plastic coverings looked exactly like rectangular ponds.
They made many crash landings before finally discovering their error. |
An understandable error. |
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Netting covering Broad Beans - |
Some of the plastic had been removed in late October for a planting of
garlic (white pearl), onion sets (first early) and several varieties of
broad beans.
The rooks, from the rookery on the old castle mound, discovered the broad beans and proceeded to feast - so a piece of netting and some old sheep netting supports made a temporary cage. |
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The cabbage and spring green plantings on another bed, we knew would
attract the pigeons and rabbits. So the hens' broody pens were pressed
into service as protectors. A good example of making the same piece of
equipment serve several purposes.
The early peas (Feltham First) alongside are attracting the mice, but the cat, whose responsibility is rodent control is being distracted by the new dog. The peas will have to take their chances. |
Broody Pens protecting Durham Early cabbage
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The Rhubarb is: The Cranberries are: |
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Four varieties of rhubarb and four varieties of cranberries now occupy two
of the small beds alongside the conservatory.
The soft lime-free compost specially imported for the cranberries has attracted the attention of the cat, who clearly finds it a most useful facility for rainy nights. |
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The cat is also quite taken by the large bed of similar soil dedicated to
four varieties of Blueberries. (Earliblue, Herbert, Coville and Blue
Crop).
It also provides a suitable launching pad to the new garden wall from where he can safely torment the dog and watch her being chased from the gardener's new pride and joy. |
Bricklayers, cat, dog and blueberries don't mix. |
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Teaching Walter ( a Maran ) to bite. |
The cockerel has at last ceased invading the walled garden, unless chased
by the dog. A distressingly frequent occurrence.
We plan some aversion therapy for the dog, using the broody pens, a captive hen and the battery from the electric sheep fence. We are reliably informed that we have to persuade the dog that chickens bite. She seems determined to prove to the hens and cockerel that Rottweilers bite. We shall have to see. |
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Meanwhile, the asparagus bed continues being prepared with wood ash and copious
amounts of cow and pig manure.
Also the soft stone free soil from mole hills. |
Perhaps the only benefit from moles? |
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"Mitis" - not really an orange, but does produce marmalade or a sauce. |
The conservatory is still overrun with every kind of insect pest, but has
produced its first crop of small marmalade oranges.
The big oranges look good, as do the lemons and limes. We also expect to get mandarins for Christmas. |
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Finally, and very appropriately, this wonderful time of year, turns full
circle.
The ram arrives. Gardening is abandoned to see him in. The ewes gather in an admiring circle before being chased enthusiastically around the field. By the morning, decorum has been restored and we look forward to next years crop of lambs... ...and they really do frolic in sunlit meadows. |
The ram is quite a little fellow - a Southdown. The ewes are at the far end of the meadow playing hard to get. |
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The finest meat and freshest vegetables from the inappropriately named Hangman's Cottage, just to the south of Misery Corner. |
