tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post415964625772747211..comments2023-10-23T09:42:31.292-07:00Comments on AnIrishalternative: Almost finished.Renovation in Galiciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12134753603087085719noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-53924058238765743282014-11-19T18:58:00.134-08:002014-11-19T18:58:00.134-08:00Great porch, it looksfab, glad the cats are enjoyi...Great porch, it looksfab, glad the cats are enjoying it! Interesting blog post...and comment thread!lozabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05223263361085075839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-3503238976968992912014-11-17T02:41:27.949-08:002014-11-17T02:41:27.949-08:00Goodness, that's a cockup indeed. Ive just tr...Goodness, that's a cockup indeed. Ive just tried to explain to my 17yr old Aspie son how good we have things in Oz but he gets on his soapbox about things he doesnt understand and we get no-where. Its not perfect but there isnt an EU telling us what to do. I read a lot of permaculture magazines and it would appear that there is a growing swell of farmers looking at alternative farming methods than the traditional methods that have only depleted the soil. Since none of what you are talking about is reported in the media here, it is very interesting. <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12605358521258969537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-9058370832104770652014-11-16T10:28:15.716-08:002014-11-16T10:28:15.716-08:00Thanks for explaining it Dave, all we can say is w...Thanks for explaining it Dave, all we can say is what a cock up! I though the whole point of EU subsidies was for food security within the EU, add to that the TTIP agreements being negotiated and the EU will find that they have no food sovereignty left at all, we will be forced to take the US hormone GM laden food, our farmers wont get a look in, and if any country refuses to take a product then the company producing that product can sue the whole country! What an agreement.Anne Wilsonhttp://anirishalternative.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-54360924141291810902014-11-16T10:17:53.094-08:002014-11-16T10:17:53.094-08:00You have a very good point about water tanks in th...You have a very good point about water tanks in the attic, as you probably remember we had a bad leak from ours and we had to have the kitchen ceiling plastered, the damage was actually done before we bought the cottage during the two cold winters that Ireland had and the cottage was empty, there was no insulation at all here but the cause of the flood was a split ballcock, the water tank must have frozen completely this caused the ballcock to split.<br />As to sheep, good luck, there have been five sheep around here for the last ten days, just wandering from field to field, where we first saw them they were about four miles away, in your direction! No one so far has come to claim them.<br />So normal things that go wrong with sheep. They are great at breaking out, constant supervision needed at lambing, lambs can drown in just a puddle of water is they are so minded, they get brambled, they overeat, they eat things which are poison, they get fluke, foot rot, flystrike, maggots, orf, (live vaccine needed to prevent this, humans can also catch it) pulpy kidney, caused by too good grazing or too much bottle feed, need de- dagging, shearing, get caught up in barbed wire, lambs can be attacked by foxes , larger birds of prey, dogs. On the plus side they are good to eat and fun to watch. The best way that we have ever seen them kept was in Spain where there was a shepherd with them at all times.<br /><br />Good luck with them Matt.<br /> Been there, done that, got the tshirt.Anne Wilsonhttp://anirishalternative.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-63065606150381828682014-11-16T09:15:58.818-08:002014-11-16T09:15:58.818-08:00Love the porch, Anne; and love the pic of the cats...Love the porch, Anne; and love the pic of the cats exploring and enjoying it. Too tru on roof insulation. I have always been a bit confused about the 'design' on this. Our is completely blocked out , as you know, with those foam blocks but the water tank ends up OUTSIDE this enclosure, so is vulnerable to freezing. If there is a risk of hard frost we actually open the loft hatch to let a drift of warm air up into the void to protect the tank which seems counter-productive to me. Shouldn't the tank somehow be inside the insulation? <br /><br />As to sheep - smiling a bit here as you know we are about to embark on just that suicide mission - year round ewes and our own lambing! Lambs to the slaughter, maybe? Maybe we'll rue the day and come round, older and wiser to your viewpoint! :-) Matt Carehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221912203941489737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-90156849868920857332014-11-16T08:32:58.208-08:002014-11-16T08:32:58.208-08:00I think you explained it very well Anne. I have o...I think you explained it very well Anne. I have only been farming (nearly) 14 years in Ireland. In 2004 an historical animal census was taken on how many (livestock) you had on your farm on the 15th of May. The number of livestock you had on this day. Determines your single farm payment. You can have less or more livestock now. But you still get paid for the animals you had on that census date in 2004. So this means the big farmers/cattle dealers filled their farms and sheds with livestock for that date. Little farmers couldn't afford to do this. <br /><br />The forestry payments are 208 Euro per acre. It's tax free. You get paid (or at least a share) of the thinnings and the harvest in 25 years time. <br /><br />I was interested in this but the forestry people would only plant 6 acre blocks on my smallholding. Not shelter belts or where you want to plant them. <br /><br />How ever you would still keep any payments, its tax free and they fence and maintain and nurture the trees for free. Sad to say. But it looks a very good option for a lot of struggling farmers. It also makes a lot of natural habitats for wildlife like foxes. That's my understanding any way. I am not an expert at all.northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-80765457503188381542014-11-16T05:36:14.591-08:002014-11-16T05:36:14.591-08:00It's complicated Lynda, the EU gives grants to...It's complicated Lynda, the EU gives grants to farmers, (as does the US) I do not know how the new system works. There was a scheme which run for years called REPS. Rural Environment Protection Scheme, under this scheme farmers received money per ha of land farmed, you had to have so many live stock units per ha or be producing arable crops, added to this there were supplementary measure's such as Organic farming, under the REPS schemes you were tied under contract for five years, this has now been replaced by single farm payment, which from what I understand is NOT linked to production. In the case of my friend by putting her land or most of it into forestry she will receive payment of nearly 5000 euro a year if she plants broad leaf and just over 4000 for Sitka spruce. She has worked out that it is better to give her land over to forestry rather than to continue farming it. I think Sitka is only used for pulping ,with thinning's going for fire logs.<br />We ourselves have a big problem with the grant culture but unfortunately it seems to be the only way for farmers to continue farming in the EU. <br />Perhaps Northsider Dave will come back on and explain better the single farm payment. <br />The front porch is great, we are leaving the front door open and the porch is warming the hallway which is great, the cats love it out there. Anne Wilsonhttp://anirishalternative.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-3225995256817127012014-11-16T04:09:17.133-08:002014-11-16T04:09:17.133-08:00Im not getting this conversation. Its very sad th...Im not getting this conversation. Its very sad that your friends were not able to keep their farms. Is this a Govt incentive to turn farms into forests. Is it for timber production? I think you need to give me a link. <br /><br />Im loving the new porch, just like the cats. It will surely be a great for passive heat in cooler months. That is such a lovely photo at the end. Very peaceful and rural. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12605358521258969537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-49604562623829267312014-11-15T09:13:51.034-08:002014-11-15T09:13:51.034-08:00Most forestry payments are for 25 years Anne. I l...Most forestry payments are for 25 years Anne. I looked into it but they wanted it to be the minimum of a six acres block parcel. Most broadleaf forests take too long to mature. northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-88255839262420773382014-11-15T09:08:23.723-08:002014-11-15T09:08:23.723-08:00I would agree with you Heron's View, we are th...I would agree with you Heron's View, we are the least forested country in Europe. For some reason in this area when land goes to forestry it is Sitka spruce although broadleaf has a higher premium, I can only assume it is because it is quick growing and the saplings are far cheaper than broadleaf, I can think of nothing nicer than wandering through a broadleaf forest, especially at this time of year.Anne Wilsonhttp://anirishalternative.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-61576584885607746152014-11-15T03:37:19.125-08:002014-11-15T03:37:19.125-08:00Personally I think that what Ireland needs is more...Personally I think that what Ireland needs is more native trees and less cattle. There are plenty of native species which can be turned into a cash crop take a look at http://www.ecolandscapes.ie A Heron's Viewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06563706152609630696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-62903484766351720862014-11-14T23:41:56.186-08:002014-11-14T23:41:56.186-08:00Yes 200 euro per year, Anne - tax free. The EEC...Yes 200 euro per year, Anne - tax free. The EEC is stopping (or stopped) paying area aid and single farm payments to smallholder farmers under 4 acres. Says it costs too much to administer it. Apparently there are 4000 farmers in Ireland who don't receive any single farm payments at all. I have also heard of people moving to the countryside, buying a smallholding (less than 20 acres) and being unable to get an herd number. Next year the dairy quotas end. Will this mean that dairy farmers will buy up every available piece of pasture so they can have more cattle? I could easily turn my smallholding to forestry and make more than I would keeping cattle. northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-51833479496784159502014-11-14T17:01:36.506-08:002014-11-14T17:01:36.506-08:00Is that 200 euro per year Dave? If you have an org...Is that 200 euro per year Dave? If you have an organic horticulture operation the payment is 200 euro per year for up to six ha, How can they justify higher payments for forestry than for a farm producing food? Completely crazy. Anne Wilsonhttp://anirishalternative.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8448820564852330128.post-46126216060462760502014-11-14T12:54:44.111-08:002014-11-14T12:54:44.111-08:00Hi Anne. I like your porch. Did you see the Scot...Hi Anne. I like your porch. Did you see the Scottish bothy with veranda on the George Clarke 'small spaces' programme last night? <br /><br />Sad story about your friend planting trees on her farm. I have looked into it myself. I would have been left with hardly anything to farm. Sadly, I think 200 Euros an acre, tax free, will be an option for many farmers. Especially if they don't get a decent single farm payment or none at all. <br /><br />The weather can get you down. We love our Stanley range too.northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.com