BY ALLISON LEE
Autumn is a busy time on the smallholding. It’s time to plan ahead for the winter months and complete all essential jobs before the weather turns.
Autumn is one of my favourite times of year. Because the weather is unpredictable, it can feel like the end of summer rather than the beginning of winter. With animals and a smallholding to keep, I prefer the former, as winter can sometimes seem endless.
Crisp autumn days are some of the best on the smallholding. The animals are happier as the weather cools, and the paddocks stay dry and usable before the onslaught of rain, sleet and snow so often associated with UK winter.
Early autumn is a time for reflection. I like to look back on the summer months and note what has gone well and what can be improved. Take the vegetable plot, for example. This year has been something of a ‘test’ for us, as it is only the second year we have lived and worked the land here in North Yorkshire. Discovering what grows and what doesn’t has been a challenge, particularly as it has also been one of the driest summers on record. We now know that the grass is very rich, which isn’t good for the ponies and donkeys, but we have devised a plan for them that seems to be working. We also know that the soil is heavy clay, so some things grow better than others. Cucumbers, marrows and courgettes have been a winner, while peas and carrots have been rather slow. We know that we need more space to grow everything we want to, so a small paddock at the rear of the smallholding has been dedicated to next year’s crops, such as potatoes, marrows and other vegetables that need little tending. The vegetable plot near the house can then be dedicated to more salad crops, which require a bit more attention. We also know that we have a lot of hares to contend with, so making sure crops are suitably protected next year is a priority, as we have lost a lot of this year’s produce to the furry pests!
The smallholding has come on in leaps and bounds since we moved in, and I am very proud of the progress we have made in such a short time. We have planted a small orchard of a dozen fruit trees, including apple, pear, cherry, damson and plum, to complement the existing apple and pear trees. We have pruned overgrown hedges and bushes and planted numerous bulbs. I firmly believe that a garden is never finished; it is a work in progress that should be allowed to flourish and grow year on year, and our garden is certainly doing that! This year, we turned one of the paddocks into a wildflower meadow, and I can’t wait to see how it evolves. I love the thought of picking wildflowers and seeing the vivid colours of poppies, cornflowers, meadowsweet, buttercups and many more that will attract bees and butterflies in abundance.
Fruit and vegetables have been harvested, and I enjoy foraging along the lane to our house and along the hedgerows surrounding our smallholding for blackberries and sloes. It is the first time I have been able to forage directly from my doorstep, and it’s been amazing to collect a variety of berries. Apples have been harvested in abundance from both my own established fruit trees and from a neighbouring farm, which gave me permission to take as many as I could. The pigs and goats are loving it!
We’ve also made final winter preparations to the smallholding, carefully checking fences and gates. The hot summer months saw some of the fencing wire slacken, so we re-tensioned it and realigned some of the gates. Gravel has been placed around the gates that are used often to reduce the risk of them becoming mud baths when the weather turns wet and the ground muddy. Field shelters have all been checked to ensure they are watertight and securely anchored to the ground in readiness for strong winds and storms – it pays to be well organised and prepared when you have livestock. It is much easier to plan ahead and sort out problems now, when the weather is kind, than to have to anchor down buildings in a raging storm in the depths of winter – trust me on this one. I have been there and done that!
Vermin can be a problem when the weather changes and food becomes scarce. Rats and mice tend to move closer to stables and feed stores for shelter and food, so I keep feed in metal containers and deal with any spillages immediately to deter them. They can cause untold damage, chewing through cables and wires and creating endless problems if they infiltrate the barns and feed stores. Luckily, Basil and Barney, my two border terriers, are excellent ratters and enjoy nothing more than going on the prowl.
The sheep have had their second shearing of the year, giving them time to regrow their fleece in readiness for the colder months. The donkeys and ponies will also receive their annual vaccinations and dental checks to keep them in tip-top condition.
A final thorough clean of the stables takes place in early autumn, so they are all ready for the winter months, when the donkeys and ponies will be brought in at night to protect them from the harsh elements. I think the ponies would prefer to be outside all year round!
Allison Lee is a smallholder from North Yorkshire who has written for the Yorkshire Times and other publications. Her website can be accessed here.