The Poultry Keeper

kittoch · Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 170 Location: glasgow

would love a poly tunnel, but nae room sadly...............something else would have to go!!............thankfully, not as exposed here as many of you in the isles, although 450 ft up in soggy frost pocket, so no soft growing conditions here really, but, got celery, sweet corn, spuds, runner beans, beetroot, courgettes, leeks, onions, shallots, peas, french beans, kale, parsley and carrots all growing away well outside............thanks to copious amounts of garden compost and hen dung improving the clatchy soil over the years!!
Smile

apart from having a glut of gourd seedlings from overfertile lidl seeds, im drowning in alicante tomato plants from same cheap seeds....................feel free to have a dozen or so plants, anyone thats passing!! Laughing

mcleod-girls · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:

my OH is a glasgow boy, when we visit his family it seems like a tropical paradise!! everything much further on than us. Very Happy

kittoch · Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 170 Location: glasgow

im the same when i go to my mums in kent, or brothers in dublin...............like a different world there!! Laughing

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:23 am Post subject:

we're growing loadsa raspberries, strawberries, toms, purple broccoli, courgettes in our poly this year. We've just had the fencer fence off a section (those birdies!!) that OH had put a digger loads of horse muck in a year go - so crops that can withstand wind will go there!

Spineytoad · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 49 Location: yorkshire

How does Bere Barley and Aets/Small oats cope on Lewis. I remember reading somewhere that these were the traditional crops grown on the Western Isles and Shetland, as well as Kale and potatoes?
Said they coped with the soil conditions and lower fertility than modern varieties.
Anyone know about these old varieties.

mcleod-girls · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 1:01 pm Post subject:

no idea. I know oats and cabbages/kale were grown here too, although soil fertitlity good. the old crofters lived on cabbage and oats - glad things have changed!

Spineytoad · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 49 Location: yorkshire

Not sure I'd cope with a staple diet of oats and cabbage, and surely emmissions would get me taxed for adding to global warming Shocked

No I was thinking more in terms of winter feed for livestock Smile

mcleod-girls · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:26 pm Post subject:

turnips maybe? not something I know much about - milkmaid can maybe help?

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7313 Location: isle of lewis

Barley and oats where grown ,most root veg
a staple part of the deit here was smoked food lamb ,was smoked over the fire,we still have a local barley mill ,although my neighbour grew lettice and most other veg,he is in his 80's ,of course ,with subsistance farming very few livestock would have been kept over winter ,most of it was staughtered in the autumn ,my mother who was brought up in a pesent (sp)farm does not understand why i have lots chickens i get though the winter when they could be eatten in autumn and save feed costs it's no good explaining that they are rare breeds ,chickens to her are food or produce food ,that's the way substistance farming works ,so basic winter stuff would have been grown ,but there are stories on shetland of the cows being so weak though lack of food that they had to be slung up till spring came ,so i think with the amount fof land here it would be just about impossible to grow all the food to get your stock though the winter ,with the sort of stocking rates we have now days ,sorry to ramble love early farming practises ,turnips /swede are sold at the crofters for cattle feed ,and of course most here cut silage ,because its easier than hay although
debs oh ,does hay

fairislefaerie · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 542

we've got shetland bere & shetland aets going up here, will do a running progress report which i hope.. will end in the building of 2 traditional & decorated stacks !

Angela

Spineytoad · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 49 Location: yorkshire

Thanks Suz fascinating subject I find very interesting too so ramble away.
Angela I would love to hear more about the bere and aets and how they cope with the weather etc.

CP · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:09 am Post subject:

Now come on! Mad

If you must talk in another language at least give us a translation!

What are bere & aets? Confused

fairislefaerie · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 542

bere is an ancient form of barley & aets are native oats.

Bere we are growing as A/ its a traditional crop, B/ i can boil the barely & use as feed & then use the straw as pig bedding if i chop it.

Shetland aets... Hubby is learning to make these
http://www.fairisle.org.uk/images/chair_2.jpg and the back is made with hand cut shetland aets.

Angela

CP · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:38 am Post subject:

Thanks for the explanation. Wink

I'm surprised you can still get the seed for them. Is it more expensive than the usual ones & do you have to get them from a specialist? Confused

That's an awsome chair! Very Happy

fairislefaerie · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 542

there is still a fair bit of seed arround & a scheme ongoing within shetland that gives you your initial seeding free & you then return a supply yearly to the island seed bank to ensure a constant supply of fresh good quality seed.

Angela