[stokiechicks]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy some land, between 20-40 acres for self-sufficient living. I'd farm one acre for food and keep some livestock. On the rest, I'd looking at woodlands for fuel.

I'm looking in the South East. I've seen a lot of Land classified as pasture/grazing land and was wondering if such land will grow food as well as land classified as arable.

Thanks 

[Yorkie]

I don't know about the SE, but up here sometimes pasture / grazing land is of poorer nutrient or drainage quality than cropping land, particularly in the more upland regions (which I know you don't have a lot of in the SE).

I'd also check out the planning permission use and whether a) the current designation includes growing crops, and b) trees for fuel is a change of use.

[stokiechicks]

Thanks for that.

Any good forums for people looking into self-sufficent living?

[freckledbeck]

Try the Country Smallholding forum 

[stokiechicks]

Try the Country Smallholding forum 

Perfect. Found what I was looking for. Thanks

[Paul Plots]

I was pretty sure there's a section on AVG that'd help. 

[digga666]

It is basically impossible to be totally self sufficient. You still need the wage of one of you for regular cash flow.

[GrannieAnnie]

One problem with buying any land with no buildings already on it is, it is often very difficult to get planning permission to build anything!

If you do, you have to start with a caravan, then a mobile home, then they may let you build a house.  It can take years to get you PP for a house!

[sion01]

I think theres a loop hole that if your'e postal address is a plot of land with some sort of building/caravan that you say you live in after 10 years you can build without planning permission.There is the problem of getting the council to let you put some sort of building there in the first place.If you were looking towards the top end of the acerage you mention then you could set yourself up as a farmer planners have to look favourably upon planning application if it is to allow you to carry on with your'e business.

There is a grading system for land .I think it starts with 1 for good arable land going down to 5 I think for permanent pasture.I would think anything down to about 3 would be good for growing

[stokiechicks]

I think theres a loop hole that if your'e postal address is a plot of land with some sort of building/caravan that you say you live in after 10 years you can build without planning permission.There is the problem of getting the council to let you put some sort of building there in the first place.If you were looking towards the top end of the acerage you mention then you could set yourself up as a farmer planners have to look favourably upon planning application if it is to allow you to carry on with your'e business.

There is a grading system for land .I think it starts with 1 for good arable land going down to 5 I think for permanent pasture.I would think anything down to about 3 would be good for growing

Thank you so much for the grading info, thats really very useful.

I have several options for the Planning Permission route. One is to apply as a farmer with a mobile home and see if I can turn a sufficient income from livestock with 40 acres. Alternatively I can build a hidden strawbale house, live quietly and as self sufficiently as possible and then apply for PP if I'm 'discovered'.

I understand it's impossible to be totally self sufficent but I'm willing to do extreme poverty in exchange for the opportunity to escape the horrors of the city.

[sion01]

I've given your post a lot of thought over night.You would need more then an acer of land for stock,fruit and veg to be self sufficient.It depends on the land of course but according to those who say they have done it 5 acers is the minimum.

If you wanted milk you'd have to keep a cow.Then when the cow wasn't milking?You could have another cow and stagger the calving but then when the two were milking you'd have a lot of milk to deal with.You could have two goats and do the same if you like goats milk.You would have to take into consideration winter feeding.Would you make hay and/or silage yourself or buy it in?

Secondly,the land that you would need for woodland could be quite poor land as the trees that would give you the quickest crop (birch,alder,larch etc) are quite happy in poor land.Something like oak do require a good deep soil to flourish but your grand children when they were very old would be the ones to harvest them as they are so slow growing for any decent amount of timber.

Why not work to give yourself an income while you set up a smallholding?That way you can learn and any mistakes won't be so catastrofic.Above all.Live your dream