Welcome to Brimwood Farm; a backyard garden, a lot of animals, vegetables and flowers coming out my ears, and BIG dreams for the future. We only have one Earth so we have to nurture what we have - and that means growing our own food, going organic and trying to be as sustainable as possible.
For as long as I remember, I've wanted to be a farmer. In my late teens i got sidetracked by the bright lights of London and off I went to university, leaving my failing grandfather and the family farm behind (DOH). Now, I'm trying to work my way back to that little oasis in East Anglia (UK) to live the farming dream. And it all starts here; in an ordinary suburban garden growing vegetables, plants, and poultry.
Join me on my journey towards self-sufficiency and the smallholding lifestyle.
My garlic succumbs to rust every year BUT the bulbs have been fine when pulled. I'm finding it a very slow growing year, just not enough sunshine here in North Wales! It's definitely always worth noting and celebrating the successes not just the things that don't go well. Great outcome for the lovely puss.
Every time I hear you have pushed your way through a problem, I chuckle because I know I would be fuming 😂 Well done. I didn't know of the puss, so get well soon. We used to have a solo-sighted feline. It died at a ripe old age and used to enjoy us stroking the fur around the socket and tickling her ear. We found her as a kitten. Already with the loss. It looks like you are going to enjoy many a winter's eve, with the cat on the lap. ... also decking 😂.
That garlic is not at all shabby. Mine was so pathetic I just processed it all as garlic paste for the freezer. I would love a video on when and how love ❤
I'm so glad horus had his surgery and has come out the other side! ❤. My feral Mogli did the same and after her surgery also became a very cuddly cat (albeit not as drastic as losing her eye, but needed surgery with a 5 day old kitten litter of 5 babies) I have also notice/felt the same way about the peas I have planted. For ages nothing and now all the flowers are out and peas are finally growing... But yes it's only July! There's still a couple months and the fall garden is next! Perseverance is key to gardening! Well done Geoff
Lovely to see another video from you. I have personally had the best outcome with self pollinating. I love Hyacinths floppy ears! I hope her next litter goes well. Im so glad Horus is doing so amazing. He really does seem to love the fuss now.
Just wanted to wish you luck, chemtrails, reflecting the sun back on itself and dismal weather making it tough. All the wild herbs are doing great though, mother nature's no giving up and neither am I. Trying hydroponics for the first time after 40 year of organic gardening ❤
Hey Geoff. Great vid. Things are moving now plant- wise and about time. You have a great outlook and tenacity. We loved this vid. Best. Jacob and Johnny.
I loooove the pots of nasturtium! We call them East Indian Cress in Dutch. This is my second year trying to grow them myself, and we've got some plants but no flowers yet, probably because we don't get enough sun in our alley. I love them! We used to have them in the garden when I was a child and every year they'd be full of cabbage white's caterpillars. We (my siblings and I) used to race them and sneakily try to keep some of them as pets in our bedrooms... I've found chrysalis in very odd locations in my bedroom :P But, it was a very good learning experience as a kid. I'm someone who will make chees sandwiches with just about any herb or whatever edible plant I have in my garden, I just have to wait a little while longer for my nasturtium to become big enough that I can put them on my sandwiches.
Same here in Northern Ireland! Peas finally starting to flower. I planted carrots in a bed the chickens got into it and there's 2 I can see! Lol. But my fennel, corn, 2 tomato plants, 1 pumpkin and one bean plant are doing very well in the old chicken run. Such a slow start this year. I hope it's a cold (BUT DRYISH) winter and next year the spring isn't as wet!
Have had similar challenges in my garden and at community food growing project I help out on - but good to have your positive outlook for better times to come!
Hi,I live not far from you.I’ve been subbed for a long while, since you had your mid terrace. Also a quail and chicken keeper and breeder, although less now. I have a lot of omelet netting both types.. no longer needed as I’m down to 5 hens. Would it be useful to you?
I think it’s amazing, you had a dream and a plan and we’ve been privileged to have watched the successes and the pitfalls and the adjustments you have made and will continue to make and I have complete respect. I love the idea of rewilding, but I have to admit it gives me massive anxiety when it’s not in ‘controlled’ parcels of land, plus I am only one half of a farm that still needs to make some money (feels like that just gets spent on fences but hey ho) We get stick because we don’t trim our hedges, so you must get that x10 Please keep doing what you are doing, unapologetically, what you learn we can learn too and I bloody love watching your farm evolve and grow x
Thanks! I mean, the animals wandering all over the place can give me anxiety, but then so too did them jumping out of the electric. So what's better?! 🤣🤷🏻
I think it’s amazing, you had a dream and a plan and we’ve been privileged to have watched the successes and the pitfalls and the adjustments you have made and will continue to make and I have complete respect. I love the idea of rewilding, but I have to admit it gives me massive anxiety when it’s not in ‘controlled’ parcels of land, plus I am only one half of a farm that still needs to make some money (feels like that just gets spent on fences but hey ho) We get stick because we don’t trim our hedges, so you must get that x10 Please keep doing what you are doing, unapologetically, what you learn we can learn too and I bloody love watching your farm evolve and grow x
@fionaswaters thanks Fiona. I've spent hours looking for Susan today! I think she's in the pit with her lamb but having stood on a wasps nest and waded through 6ft bracken, I've had to give up! Hopefully she'll appear.
Thank you for sharing what you do. It is inspiring to see someone who cares so much about their land and their animals and who manages such a large space in such a low impact way. We are about to move to a comparatively small patch of land (around 11 acres) in Lincolnshire and have very similar principles to yours. We will be working on a much smaller scale with far fewer animals but I’m still learning so much watching you. I’m interested in the comments from those that criticise - - nothing is ever black and white and land management is such a controversial topic - we’ve been researching a lot recently and there are so many opposing views and so many people quick to criticise others without understanding. We can only do what we truly believe is best for our own contexts and you are a wonderful example of someone willing to share this journey - and someone able to make changes in response to what you experience - so much more nuanced than having a singular approach that you refuse to deviate from like so many people on the internet!
Exactly! I'm following Isabella Tree's methodology (Knepp) of do nothing! There are many arguments for controlling the return of nature, scraping over bits of land etc, but I believe just letting nature sort it out is probably best. As in one of my woodland areas - I planted trees, and nature planted trees. Of course, the nature trees (coming up in a completely different area to where I wanted) are doing far better! So leaving Well alone. As you say, it is nuanced. I'm not completely doing nothing as I graze animals etc, but for me, it works.
Huh! Many farmers are no different from a cheap garage on a side street, leaving oil and equipment all over the road! These garage owners are always scraping by, working too hard and more often, just to get that final penny from the punters that he absolutely needs. Back to your endeavour (or "farming-concern" as I call such a situation), you have a cleaner, more natural "gararge"! Folk (the customers) see you as a qualified professional and not a jack of all trades. They'd rather go to you than the greese monkey up the road. Fella, you are doing alrght. No different from myself that now see how badly thjngs around me are run. With them, always chasing a cheap subsidy and cutting corners to save money. THEY have forgotten, or never had the respect and love of what they do. To be frank, anyone today that looks at your 30-plus acre concern and 'tuts' can shut up and look at themselves. Your business abilities, however, are hilariously off kilter, but only because you dont run for the nearest loan to set you up. Mate! You are doing just fine. Now... how's your decking coming along? 😂
Ha! I'm getting there ... you'd be proud of me ... just sorted my paperwork for the RPA so I can FINALLY apply for some stewardship grants and get some money from the Animal Welfare Pathway. I also think there's a fencing grant somewhere in there! No physical work has been done but I HAVE taken measurements and drawn out the space. 😉
@Nellyontheland nor me. I had the vet out the other day and the UK are now doing an Animal Welfare Pathway and for sheep, they're focusing on parasite load this year. Effectively you get a full poo sample, management plan and vet follow up, and a couple hundred quid for free. So I'm trying to get paperwork sorted so I can sign up!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I remember watching your footage from when you had a backyard flock of chickens to now having so many animals and gardens. It’s a dream come true, and witnessing what I desire for my life to be accomplished in another person, truely is an inspiration to keep going. I had a loss of six turkeys poults and it devastated me. I don’t know how they died, but when I came back on my lunch break, they were all gone. I have small dogs, a duck and hens so it could be either of those. I have six khaki Campbell ducks on the way which I am currently incubating and on my way to buying my first home at 24, which I hope to renovate and sell in a years time to hopefully afford some land. It is lovely and freaking to see your positivity and how you combat all the challenges you have been facing especially all in one week. Much love and can’t wait to see more on how all this turns out ❤❤
What’s your plan for when you die? As some other farmer might just buy your land, chop down the trees and dig over the land. Making your wild farm back in a traditional farm.
BLIMEY MATE! That's harsh! 😂 Do you have children who hate what you are buying and doing? 😮 and who want to put a car park on your dreams 😂😂 Lol, personally, on my farm, I'm putting mine into a trust. This means it can't be mono-cultured when we are gone, but will be here for my family name in the future. I know a few like me doing the same.
I'm literally doing the same ... a trust and/or leaving to Natural England or something of the like. I haven't thought too far ahead though as, I'm hoping, death isn't on the cards just yet 😆
Hi Geoff. Great to see the place and for you to reiterate your farming philosophy. Yes free range as far as possible for us up here. We are classified as a 'less favoured area.' We have 'inbye land and moorland grazing rights. We are in that respect, similar to you. Glad you found the lamb and ewe. Best wishes. Jacob and Johnny. 🧔 🐶 🤓
When all goes well it is beautifull, but they still are domesticated animals with an owner. She lambed without help and that is very good, she lambed without you knowing where she was and so no help was available had she needed it. Bad. Please sit down and look very critically at what the definition of natural means for your domesticated lifestock and their needs. They have an owner and therefore someone who is responsible for their wellbeing, safety and health in a way that nature is not. And yes i see a lot of poached land with less plant diversity then some good regenerative management should have. Could be transition, could be you are missing something. Question yourself, question the ideal of "natural", a lot of misery is "natural", maintaining a certain balance requires some human action, just not a big machine or poison. And you'll need to maintain a balance even if it isn't totally static to keep both lifestock and wildlife fed. That may mean mowing areas that are monoculture plant patches due to how your animals graze and even more shocking it may mean a critcal look at how many predators your area can sustainably feed. I have seen results of "nature making" over here. Crashed plant diversity and left no food, shelter and such for all kinds of small stuff it should have helped. You are restricted space wise and that means some processes will not function as hoped. Be critical of the ideals and principles of how to get there and look really hard at what the land wants, does and needs. And no it doesn't need to be producing optimally humanfood wise, it still needs diversity and active management to not become a predator pit or deadzone due to letting natures feast and famine cycles run amok. Your land is no way near big enough to stabilize without you stepping up.
Totally agree - hence, as you know, why I lamb indoors. LOTS of farmers lamb outside here and check last thing at night and then in the morning ... as I did, and she'd lambed in the morning. But I always prefer to have eyes on them, esp as we've bred sheep away from their primitive forms so more likely to have lambing issues. The field is definitely in transition. Is it perfect, no? But it's a lot better than a monoculture arable crop or even meadow cut for haylage where lots of plants are stripped out. All a learning experience!
Your barbu roo is so cute oh my goodness. I couldn't take him getting upset seriously lol, he's too cute and tiny. Started with a mixed flock this year - 6 girls and 1 surprise roo (which we can keep where we live). I had the original intention picking them to have variety, I really wanted rainbow eggs! So we have the roo Dale Grubble who is an Isbar Silverudd Blue; our Isbar Silverudd girl Petunia; our Double Silver Laced Barnevelder girl Magnolia; our Cream Legbar girl Poppy; our Lavender Orpington girl Iris; our Speckled Sussex girl Tulip; and our Golden Laced Polish girl Hellebore. Hellebore developed scissor beak at about 2 weeks old, and we were already so attached so we did a bunch of research and wanted to try to continue raising her as long as her quality of life is still good - and it is! We've made a lot of accommodations for her, like trimming her head feathers so she can see better and making their food more nutritionally diverse since Hellebore can't really forage. It's nice, the other girls do a pretty good job at preening her when she gets messy, and I clean up whatever remnants after. They're all about 5 months old now and everybody is doing fantastic! From the look of our girls' waddles and combs, Poppy will probably be the first to lay and it should be any day now. Been doing lots of research on chicken genetics, and there's so many options. I think I've narrowed it down to either dual-purpose birds with pretty plumage, and maybe a separate flock for breeding my own Easter Eggers (which is in high demand where I live, there's more backyard flocks here than chicken farms). I do like the idea of crossing a high-melanin breed like Ayam Cemani with a pretty heavy layer breed. There seems to be more of a demand for purposefully crossed chickens out here, and less-so the pure breed varieties. I still want to do more research though, and I would probably only want to breed Poppy, Iris, Tulip and Petunia. Hellebore is automatically out because it would be inhumane to knowingly hatch out chicks with the scissor beak gene. Magnolia we got from a small breeder, and we didn't realize until after the fact that they don't vaccinate their Barnevelders for Marek's and that Magnolia is a 3/4 bantam cross. So I don't think that she would be an ideal candidate for good chicks - even though she has the sweetest personality. I think I would get full sized and vaccinated Barnevelders in the future though! This is a very long comment, so forgive me for being long-winded. There's just not a lot of content out there about how to start breeding chickens from a small scale, and your video was helpful - so thank you!
