Intro

My husband P and I (along with our daughters K and V, aged 3 and 1) have just taken ownership of a small farm / lifestyle property, just north of Levin in New Zealand.

The farm is 11 acres, made up of about 5 paddocks. One paddock is planted out in lavender. Currently there is no stock on the land and the grass is starting to get long. The house is large, 400 square metres. It is old (1930's?) but was moved to this site 15 years ago. At this time an upstairs and a basement were added.

We have made this move from the big city. The broad intention of this adventure is to eventually become self sufficient, growing our own vegetables and raising chicken, a dozen sheep and a few cattle.

However. We are both farm novices. We have never done any farming in our lives, neither animals nor crops. The closest I've come to growing anything has been a few herbs in containers. The only animals I've owned have been cats, rats and a dog. I have no idea where to start or what to do.

And so this blog comes in. You can follow my adventures, pitfalls and successes as we learn the hard way how to go from being city slickers to farmers.

-M