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Marches	How much land would you want? How much land would your ideal plot consist of? I'am lucky enough to have a large garden despite living in the suburbs, it's half an acre but my neighbour has 1 and a half acres for a garden which I'm secretly jealous of. The land me and my folks rent is just under ten acres and we use it for growing some crops and sub-rent some to the dairy farm next door. Ideally though I'd just have around 2 or 3 acres really, I think that is enough for any body unless they intend to farm on a commercial basis. A area of potatoes, brassicas, root veg, soft fruits, compact fruit trees, rhubarb, hazel trees for the nuts and oats is my idea of a good plot. Of course you may not be able to get full self sufficiency on a smaller plot, but at least you're largely there. One problem in the countryside is wasted land, especially by people from cities just buying up rural property for the views and tranquillity whilst leaving the land to go to waste or under utilising it. Another problem in my opinion is the horse craze which wastes a lot of land and pushes land prices and rent up for everyone else, especially us folks who actually want to use the land productively! So anyway, what is the ideal size of a plot to you and what sized plot do you already have? A useful online measuring tool someone else originally posted on here can be found here: http://www.freemaptools.com/area-calculator.htm
dpack	pends none or lots depends how it is used
Marches	pends none or lots depends how it is used

Well the idea is that you state how much and what it is / would be used for.

dpack

my first thought was how many cows could it support in a strip grazed meadow system

sorry

domestic .5 acres including 1 of garden ,1 of useful trees ,3 of grazing/ hay

pannage ,forage ,and fuel from the common

Lorrainelovesplants

When we moved her we thought an acre would be ideal....
now we would really like 7.
Ideal plot would have a small wood and some sort of stream....

Andrea

We have around 11 ha. The forest land is underutilised at the moment, but we have plans for it all.

Behemoth

Re: How much land would you want?

One problem in the countryside is wasted land, especially by people from cities just buying up rural property for the views and tranquillity whilst leaving the land to go to waste or under utilising it.

That Capability Brown has a lot to answer for. Wink

mochyn

We have 3 acres and that's just about right, I think, for what we do. we've had pigs for some years now, but they're going, leaving poultry and ducks as well as fruit cage, polytunnel, veg garden, two greenhouses, flower beds and orchard. the pigs' top field will become (hopefully) a forest garden and we'll leave their woodldand to regenerate and see what's there before we do anything with it. I wouldn't mind a few acres of woodland though, for firewood and to let go. woodsprite

We used to have almost 5 and on that we had a large veg garden, fruit cages, polytunnel, 4ewes 1ram(and lambs for 6 months) 2 cows, 2 sows (and their litters), hens ducks and geese in the yard. We managed the land very carefully and always had enough grass even managing to make a bit of hay a couple of years.
I'd have 5 acres again. Green Rosie

When we moved her we thought an acre would be ideal....
now we would really like 7.
Ideal plot would have a small wood and some sort of stream....

SNAP!!

We have 0.8ha but would really love double that + a woodland for firewood and to allow the pigs to roam in and a little stream for water power. Nicky cigreen

there is never enough land - however much you have, a lil bit more would be nice.

we have 2 acres, in which we have 2 greenhouses, 7 12x28 ft veg beds + 2 smaller ones, a fruit bed, some outbuildings, a pig run big enough for 3-4 pigs, 2 chicken runs, a duck run, a small newly planted orchard, and we have 4 sheep (and another one being companion to someone else's ram elsewhere). and we have raised turkeys from poults. We mostly keep ourselves in meat and veg.
So far we have kept ourselves in firewood with donations and our hedging efforts (hedges were neglected for some years)

I'd like a bit more grazing, and a small woodland please. actually we planted a strip of the land where it is boggy for coppicing but its some way off. I'd like a mature woodland added to our land please.

so i reckon a total of 5 acres would do us nicely. Laughing

arvo

Seymour recommends 1 or 5 doesn't he?

Though I remember on here a while ago there being some dicussion on how much land it was possible to feed a family on. Can't remember what the outcome was.

Is that acres or hectatres? earthyvirgo

I'd like enough land to be largely self-sufficient in soft fruit and veg, to have a small orchard and to be able to keep the 'eating' garden largely separate from my shrubs and flowers.

I think I'd like ducks but not sure I could justify that until I was confident I'd be able to kill one if I had to.

EV Lorrainelovesplants

Ducks are easy to kill. Same as a hen only a stronger pull (and hold the legs nearer to the body).
Quite a lot of meat off a duck too. vegplot

150 acres. Green Rosie

Quite a lot of meat off a duck too.

Especially Muscovies john of wessex

Couple of acres, bit of woodland, bit of grass, bit of veg garden.
Stream would be nice.
Outbuildings would be nice.
Bit of heather moorland would be nice.
Can I specify the soil types too? (Rich fertile, well drained loam, with a bit of clay in an unused area so I can make pots, and a chalky bit for lime loving plants, with some peaty areas for lime haters - and some wetland - unimproved flood meadow would be ace!)

Santa: Pm me and I'll give you the address to drop the deeds off!

eta: OH says a further 8 acres would be nice! Jb

About 10 acres I think would be a sensible amount. Only about 1 or 2 acres of that would be actively used for animals and crops the rest would be left as woodland. The rationale being that coppicing, foraging and other low level activities in the woodland would provide fuel and supplemental food and (IIRC) about 10 acres is needed to provide sufficient fuel for a household. Of course I may have misremembered that figure but nonetheless the principle would be to have a large amount of woodland and a small amount of actively used land. Tavascarow

I'm happy with what I've got. Went

I'm happy with what I've got.

Same here - more land = more hard work, there are only so many hours in a day. Jb

At on stage I had 1/3 of an acre, which would have been fine on my own but with a baby and a bone idle ex wife was a nightmare.

Now I have much less, two more babies & a hard working wife and am very happy with my much smaller patch as it's managable.

I suspect that it may be possible to work smaller areas harder with crops, and you have less weeding and watering to do.

Oddly I've always found that larger areas are not proportionately that much more work, it takes just as long to dig quarter of an an acre as it does 5 rods, it's just that one is done by hand with a fork and one with a rotovator. Bigger areas require slightly bigger thinking but get a lot more in return. yummersetter

Depends a lot on wealth, health and how many people are committed.

We have two acres with fruit trees, flower beds, veg garden, bees, chickens etc. which is just about what we can cope with. All fine if the weather's good, I'm not working and OH is well but for the other 50 weeks of the year there's usually something drifting into chaos! T.G

Say around 300 .. some set purely to park land to gallop in about 100, cattle and sheep grazed… including a 150 acre wood areas managed to allow riding through and produce. The rest to farm land, growing crops and forage. Ideally several acres for a small market garden type affair for local people, produced sold as non-profit, veg boxes given to the elderly in the remote villages, set up on a community lead free basis.

We have a fair few acres less, sadly… but can make up for it with the Pennine bridleway Wink

arvo

Tavascarow

I'm happy with what I've got. On reflection I would also like to own the 50 acres of woodland opposite my patch.
Purely to manage as a natural environment & to keep the motor bikes out.
Wink

judith

I knew there was a good reason to come to that last gathering. I am way behind on the gossip! judith

S'OK. This is breaking news! sean

In the not-to-distant future

It's obviously sent you into shock. judith

That's twice in one year. Surprised

Bulgarianlily

I have 8.5 decares, with access if I wanted to the village's 12 sq kilometers of grazing.... T.G

In the not-to-distant future I shall probably be downsizing from an acre and a bit to practically nothing - not much more than a large courtyard garden. There is the possibility of another smallish bit of land that would make a perfect veg garden, but it won't be the end of the world if it doesn't happen.
I am quite looking forward to the enforced idleness!

I have been finding myself looking longingly & fondly at the tall town houses in town,,,,, the Georgian (esque) high ceiling ones, ones with just enough of a parking patch out front for a couple of cars and a mid size plot at the rear..... Don’t think BB would ever willingly move Sad

judith

I have been finding myself looking longingly & fondly at the tall town houses in town,,,,, the Georgian (esque) high ceiling ones, ones with just enough of a parking patch out front for a couple of cars and a mid size plot at the rear..... Don’t think BB would ever willingly move Sad

A year ago I would probably have thought the same as BB, and I know I shall miss the space and the village. The house is tiny as well. But it is quite an interesting exercise to distill your life down to what is genuinely important. Most of the stuff cluttering up this large house really is just stuff, and I think that letting it all go will be very liberating. Nell Merionwen

judith

woodsprite

That's exactly how I feel Judith, if only I could find a house to let that we could afford in town :0(.
Still so chuffed for you!! Xx judith

Thank you. Smile

Hope you find the right place soon. 12Bore

Wales chez

Five-ish acres. But it depends on the ground. Rob R

320 acres Cathryn

That's very specific. Have you done the maths? Smile

Rob R

Yep, that's the minimum, of course T.G

Wales

... It's awfully wet though,,, vegplot

Wales

... It's awfully wet though,,,

and dirty, smelly, ugly, and full of fleas. So don't even think about moving here. T.G

Wales

... It's awfully wet though,,,

and dirty, smelly, ugly, and full of fleas. So don't even think about moving here.

Should I resell the house the OH owns there then? 12Bore

Sorry, should've said: Wales, apart from Rhyl. Laughing

chez

And Talaca. Don't forget Talaca. Cathryn

Where's Talaca? chez

It's where people from Rhyl go to remind themselves how lucky they are. Cathryn

Oh dear. earthyvirgo

It's where people from Rhyl go to remind themselves how lucky they are.

If you mean Talacre, you're right, it's possibly even worse than Rhyl and just a few miles down the road Sad

In fact, that whole stretch of coast from Rhyl eastwards is pretty damn grim (apart from Abakhan Mill ...the fabric place).

EV chez

Yes, I do. Sorry - my spelling has gone to the dogs Laughing

T.G

And Talaca. Don't forget Talaca. That reminded me of the body of peeps in the anne rice books.. but that's something else i'm thinking of isn't it Confused

mochyn

Wales is already taken. Partly by me. 12Bore

Wales is already taken. Partly by me.
Bet you'd happily give away Rhyl and Talacre though...... Wink

mochyn

Wales is already taken. Partly by me.
Bet you'd happily give away Rhyl and Talacre though...... Wink

Very pleased to say I've never beeen to either. Marches

I'm happy with what I've got.

Same here - more land = more hard work, there are only so many hours in a day.

That was my thinking too.

Quote:

Pretty sure thats acres.

Yes, it was acres. I have Seymour's book here and I wouldn't have expected it to be in metric anyway, the book was written in the 70s or 80s. crofter

I'm happy with what I've got.

Same here - more land = more hard work, there are only so many hours in a day.

That was my thinking too.

I think, for my own business, more land = more money for about the same amount of work, or only a little bit more.

"I don't want all the land in the world, I just want all that which borders mine" Rob R

We have 3 acres and that's just about right, I think, for what we do. we've had pigs for some years now, but they're going, .

Mochyn with no Moch Confused

(apart from a very small one Cool

)

You'll still be Mochyn Very Happy

mochyn

We have 3 acres and that's just about right, I think, for what we do. we've had pigs for some years now, but they're going, .

Mochyn with no Moch Confused

(apart from a very small one Cool

)

You'll still be Mochyn Very Happy

It will be very strange.

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