Tons of soil (h/t Dr Spooner)
The farm was bought by my English friend for an amount about the same as the cost of a reasonable terraced house in an English Northern town.
In all, about ten acres, most of which is laid to hay.
I don’t think it has been run as a real farm for a decade or so and has been uninhabited for close to three years – we understand that the last occupants were a British couple running a cannabis farm who got away just before the police came for them!
There are around ten outbuildings; most of which are semi-derelict, including a large barn. The farmhouse is not too bad although it needs a new wet room and complete redecoration of the four bedrooms, the kitchen and living rooms are in fair order.
The remainder of the farmhouse building has two large storage rooms, the boiler area and a very spacious loft area.
The first priority was to resurrect the garden so as to be as self-sufficient as possible in a short time span. We started at the beginning of March and so far have produced lettuce, potatoes, courgettes, tomatoes, runner and broad beans and some peas. Additionally herbs , strawberries, and chillies with sprouts, rhubarb, onions, garlic and peppers to come. The outstanding successes have been the courgettes and runner beans.
There are several fruit trees – apple, pear, peach and one plum. There is also a large cherry tree but it is so tall that only the birds have benefited so far!
I have carved out several vegetable plots with my trusty pickaxe and only about half of the garden area has been cultivated so far.
The existing compost bin has demolished and a bank of three constructed.
I hope to bring more beds into use in the Spring, most raised and also a couple of hot beds
In it’s heyday the farm would have looked very attractive – several varieties of roses, lilies, daffodils and many other flowering vines and shrubs abound.
Next – what about livestock?
© text & images except where indicated Gillygangle 2023
