Smallholder editor, Editor looks at Smallholding, Smallholder editor gives views, editor's blog

CLA says that 15 percent planning hike is ‘excessive’ - smallholding businesses may be affected

10:20am Sunday 8th July 2012

The CLA has said that a proposed 15 percent increase in planning fees will “damage the viability of the rural economy”.

• Subscribe digitally

How DO you remove jam jar labels?

8:40am Monday 16th April 2012

Last month a reader asked about removing sticky labels from jam jars – we’ve had lots of useful information on this one from you!

• Have your say

Planning and the Parish Council

8:40am Sunday 15th April 2012

The local planning officer has told me I have to put in planning for my animal sheds and that the application will first go to my Parish Council? Should I be contemplating a bribe?!

• Have your say

Should I tether my goat?

8:30am Saturday 14th April 2012

I want to get a goat to keep my weeds down and plan to tether it amongst the weeds while I am at work. My smallholder group have told me that this is not a good plan but I have read a lot about cottager’s goats and it seems to me this is how they were managed.

• Have your say

Can I graze and take hay?

4:37pm Friday 13th April 2012

I’m lucky as I keep my livestock with a friend on 20 acres and we are not overstocked. Every year we use ten acres to take hay. This worked quite well until the dryness of last year when my friend said we should not use the hay field for grazing at all and has now decided we should carry on with this policy.

• Have your say

Question - Is it possible to accurately measure an acre?

5:30pm Sunday 5th February 2012

Answer Originally an acre was what it was thought a man and a beast could plough in one day – though it would have been exhausting in some conditions. I think I would rather have lived on sandy land!

• Have your say

More Editor's Blog»