Potato Day and Seed Swop for Self Sufficiency Group (From Smallholder)

Potato Day and Seed Swop for Self Sufficiency Group

12:50pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in Smallholder news

Cambridgeshire Self Sufficiency Group are holding their third Potato day in Huntingdon on the 11th February 2012. The venue will be The Commemoration Hall in Huntingdon High Street. It is open to the public from 10-30 am until 4-30pm and there will be twenty-five varieties of potatoes to buy at £1-00 a kilo. The Group feels that this enables people to try as many different cultivars without having to buy larger quantities. There will also be a Seed Swop. Visitors are encouraged to bring half used packets of seeds, packets they won’t use or even self-grown seed and swop them (no money changes hands at all) for seeds they would like to try. Seeds can be “out of date” – all swoppers, swop at their own risk! The Potato Day is aimed at the whole family and has children’s activities plus advice on many aspects of growing and producing your own food. The spectacular Pig Dyke Molly have been invited to dance on the day and there will be a book stall with mainly secondhand books to give you the knowledge you need to be more self sufficient plus back and current issues of Smallholder magazine. Refreshments will be on sale and are potato based cakes and pastries including the chocolate potato cake as recommended by Sophie of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. Members of the group will be on hand to guide and advice on types of potato and different growing methods. Most importantly the entrance is free!

Do you have any smallholder club news? Sent it to us on email - liz.wright@smallholder.co.uk 10 tips if you have decided to keep animals as part of a more self-sufficient lifestyle courtesy of Mick Matthews Chair of Cambridgeshire Self Sufficiency Group.

1. Take the opportunity to visit other members and see what they are up to.

2. Look out for the group workshops even if they are not animal based.

3. Don’t go out buying expensive breeding stock until you have some knowledge under your belt.

4. Visit the shows around your area ask questions and network remember though these showers are promoting breeds.

5. Read everything you can get your hands on. The members of this group have a library and a half between them. I don’t recommend the internet for learning about husbandry.

6. Start small. Iif raising pork is your aim, try buying not less than two and no more than three weaners to fatten up. Try different breeds to see which one takes your fancy. There will be plenty of friends to help.

7. Hands on is best. Contact members in your locality ask if you can help with their pigs sheep etc. I don’t think anyone will turn you down so be prepared to get those hands dirty.

8. Learn the habits of the animals. All our domesticated animals either flock or herd by nature, birds or beast found away from the others need investigation.

9. To save disappointment realise now on the scale you will do things. You will probably just cover your cost if you factor in your time but if you factor that in, maybe self sufficiency is not for you.

10. The last thing is the old adage - if you have livestock you will have deadstock. Whether this the trip to the freezer or sudden death or having a sick or non productive animal put down, keeping these sorts of animal alive through sentimentality is cruel in the extreme as well as costly.

And finally Mick added with a grin, time stood watching and enjoying your stock is never wasted You can also find them on Facebook and at on line at cambs-ssg.co.uk or contact the Chair on matthewsmick@live.co.uk or 01487 710641 or 077331 33285