Cornwall Smallholders
Newsletter
February 2016
www.cornwallsmallholders.com
Next meeting Thursday 4th February
7.15 for 7.30
Ken Haines Building, Duchy College, Rosewarne,
Camborne, TR14 0AB
Inside this issue:

From the Chair (George
Wurr)
Our next talk is from Neil Robyn who started with rare breeds and
has been on a journey to make his holding pay. He now produces a
range of cheeses, ice cream, and pies which he sells around the
county at Farmers markets. He is going to give us the highs and
lows of making a living from his holding.
http://www.robynsfarmhouse.co.uk

Introduction from the
new Editor (Linda
Russell)

Our smallholding dream

Tales from the Riverside
(Harry Dalford)
We’re Neil and Claire Robyns and we’re absolutely passionate
about what we produce here on the farm. We have a beautiful
Jersey Cow named Piggy…yes just one cow! We’ve got scores of
chickens and pigs but our Jersey cow produces the wonderful full
cream we make our ice cream with.
Raffle
We no longer benefit from Skills funding via Duchy College so the
raffle is a useful way to raise more funds – so do bring along
prizes such as produce, surplus seeds, tools, books, etc, PLUS
cash to buy tickets!
KIT LOAN
Don’t forget that we have a useful collection of equipment for you to
borrow including a three-burner gas BBQ, a commercial
mincer/grinder, large manual sausage stuffer (10 litre); fencing
equipment including post knocker, sledgehammer, crow bar, fencing
pliers, monkey wire strainer, and wire spinner (for tangle-free
running out of plain and barbed wire).
With Nick Holley due to leave for Wales, Theresa Cowling will kindly
be taking over as storer and caretaker. To arrange a loan contact
her on :- 07977 706572. She runs the Tresillian Farm Shop, etc.,
1
and lives (with many pigs and Dexters!) out at Idless,
near Truro.
1
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For sale and wanted

Recipes

Events

Course Reviews

Questions and answers

Committee contacts
Next Event :
March speaker has been
confirmed as David
Chapman, Cornwall Wildlife
Trust adviser and keen
wildlife photographer who
will be giving a talk on
Living with Nature
Next newsletter:
Please send editor (now
Linda) your articles, Qs,
recipes, sales or wants for
the March edition by 24th
February.
FROM THE CHAIR
Hello All,
I hope you are all battened down and surviving what I think is likely to be our normal weather now.
The wind has shredded the chicken wire on our layers compound meaning a fox managed to whip
one of the chucks out before I noticed it. I am hoping our solution is long lasting. I bought some
security fencing, the type seen around building sites. It is not cheap, each panel is about £23, but
they are quite sturdy. Measuring 3m by 1m they are joined by a bracket bolted to each panel. To
make them a little more sturdy in our windy fields I have banged in a fence post at each join and
attached them to the panels by way of baling twine. Thus far they have withstood the weather for
the last three months and seem to be efficient. To make them completely fox proof I will put
chicken wire around the gap at the base of the fence buried several inches to deter digging under.
The panels do seem to be a good idea and I have since seen them being used for the same
purpose in other places, maybe I should have patented the idea!
I very much enjoyed the talk in January (although I do not think we will be keeping either forms of
animals) and think probably a January meeting is a good idea.
Hope to see you at the next meeting
George
Introduction from your new editor
I’m Linda Russell and have taken over the editorial role of the newsletter from Simon. Dave and
myself have been members of the smallholder group for about 2 years having moved to Cornwall
from the North West in Nov 13. New to smallholding we started with a blank canvas, a field of
grass and a few stables that had been converted to a playroom. The last 2 years have been spent
setting up, our initial aspirations having evolved. Our smallholding now contains a small herd of
Golden Guernsey Goats, North Ronaldsay sheep, Alpacas, more recently 2 very rare Eriskay
ponies and of course the compulsory chickens. We also raised 2 Tamworth weaners last year. We
also have a fruit and veg plot with a couple of small poly tunnels. Having started with the back
breaking double dig method we have now seen the light and moved to a far more sedate ‘no dig’
method which is now in it’s second year and looking very promising. We have also planted a
mixture of fruit trees which we are impatiently waiting for them to bear fruit.
I will be keeping the current format of the newsletter, any changes will evolve slowly. I would like to
encourage more inputs from you, the readers, anything that you feel may be of interest to your
fellow smallholders.
Many thanks to Simon for his editorial expertise (still need articles Simon !!)
Linda
Our Smallholding dream. Alan & Glynis Kirkman.
After deciding we would like to move south and buy a smallholding and after losing a property in
Devon during the summer of 2006 we eventually found Cleswyth near St Day. It is a very old
farmhouse and around three and a quarter acres of land, plus we have a further two acres loaned
by a farmer friend.
We married at the end of September 2006, honeymooned at Falmouth to do a final check on the
property and completed the purchase in October. Then followed five, five day long weekends
moving our belongings down, finally moving lock, stock and barrel including Glynis's ageing horse
at the end of November 2006.
Our aim was to try and provide as much of our own food as we could, with animals having as
happy a life as possible and us knowing what they had eaten and how they had been treated. The
property needed quite a lot of work so that kept us busy over winter. New ceilings, walls,
decorating and a new boiler were fitted.
Our first acquisitions were chickens, Owd luv and his four wives,
Light Sussex hens. Then Aylesbury ducks, Glynis's favourite meat.
In 2007 we bought an old International B47 baler and a hay turner
on eBay and attempted our own hay. It was difficult as it rained a lot
that year but the second lot was ok. We normally make around four
hundred bales a year for our own use and around the same for other
neighbours. The hay was for Glynis’s old pony Helena who
unfortunately died two years later aged 32. She now has another
horse, Timmy who she regularly rides and has done showing and
dressage with him
Our next animals were sheep and we went to Truro market
for a number of weeks sheep sales, talking to farmers and
the auctioneers, asking about sheep and looking at what
was available, eventually buying two Ewes with lambs.
We brought them back to Cleswyth, they trotted up the lane
with lambs in tow into their paddock. A short while after they
had gone over the wall (hedge in Cornwall) into the next
field so it was a quick lesson in stock fencing
The ewes were named Rosemary and Thyme by my
grandsons. Thyme had three lambs and Rosemary two. We
still have Thyme and one of her three lambs , Longtail, plus another of Thymes daughters and one
of Longtail's lambs. Unfortunately we have had to lose Rosemarys family as Rosemary and
Biglamb had bad prolapses this year and Little Girl developed Johans disease. We still have two
of their young ewes to go to the ram in November. The sheep are great characters, each one
different with their own quirky traits
Glynis has also taken up spinning so we now have many jumpers and cardigans from the wool
from our sheep.
We also had our first pigs that year. Two Saddleback
weaners and we have had weaners each year since then
so we have been able to do our own eggs, chickens,
ducks, pork and lamb. We have also got the vegetable
patch going and over the years the greenhouses have
increased from one to three and a small polytunnel as well.
The manure from the horse, sheep, chickens and ducks
gets recycled into the garden and fields.
We have over the last eight years done a lot of
work to improve the property, new roof, rendering,
improving the pasture, fencing and rebuilding
hedges. It’s an on going job to keep up with it all,
our sheds and fields never seem big enough. My
little tractor is tiny and has to work really hard to
drive our full size baler and hay turner so this year
we have managed to acquire a slightly bigger
one. Our pigs need a new and better sty to keep
up with new legislation, and our old trailers need
refurbishment which I have almost finished.
It will soon be planting time again, and lambing will (hopefully) be starting in April. The Aylesburys
have started laying again this year so we will soon be starting with ducklings and chicks to
replenish the freezer and the poultry pens with young birds.
When I read this it doesn’t look much but it has taken over eight happy years to do it and we look
forward to the future with great anticipation.
We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Alan and Glynis Kirkman
TALES FROM THE RIVERSIDE (COTTAGE)
Nov 2015 to Jan 2016
Harry Dalford
Of Pigs and Weather and other things
With regard to Pigs – for the Riversiders this was a new experience. For the more experienced
Pencoosers this was a repeat performance. Between us we reared a couple of Saddleback
weaners for 6 or 7 months and ended up with approx. 40kg of meat for total costings of about
£120/pig.
Simon T hosted the boys (Broadband and Dial-up) at his place and did most of the feeding and
care while Julie and I did the cover feeding when Simon was away.
The boys on their way to the ‘departure lounge’
We took them to Lobb’s abattoir and in my opinion they treated them very well and respectfully. A
sad occasion, but part of the life-style we have chosen.
For myself I have yet to resolve the issue of ‘Slaughter’ in my own mind, but as Trudy Wurr
suggested when I helped George dispatch his turkeys last year, “when you don’t feel sad and
concerned about these things, then it is not a good thing”.
Next Year, depending on other issues Julie and I might have a go at rearing another 2 or 4
weaners at our place
Regarding the weather - Well it’s been pretty dismal and wet as I’m sure you will all agree. In
October we produced over 270kw with our solar panels. However in November and December we
only managed 82kw and 60kw respectively. Not so good
We lost the other half of the big apple tree that ‘split’ a while ago, to the bottom end of the storm
called Frank. I decided that both this tree and its neighbour were beyond saving so I started chainsawing and chipping the other day. It started off bright and sunny, but I was soaked by yet another
very heavy down pour. This required a quick change of clothes where I deployed the ‘Ron-Hills’
and a ‘Norwegian’ Those without military service may not recognise these terms as referring to
particular items of ‘issue’ clothing.
Julie refers to ‘Ron Hills’ as my ‘Max Walls’ for obvious reasons. They fit nicely under the
chainsaw trousers in my right hand
Once again I felt a bit sad when reducing a once fine and productive apple tree to a pile of logs
and a pile of wood chippings. However the logs will be for heating or wood-turning and the
chippings will be used for mulch and footpaths.
Not all doom and gloom however. We have been harvesting some very good parsnips and carrots
as well as enjoying some excellent liqueurs made by Julie. I especially recommend Rhubarb Gin.
Not only was the booze very tasty, but the gin-infused rhubarb made a fantastic dessert.
With regard to fire wood - A never ending process. I’m still working my way through loads of
wood taken from neglected areas of the property
The ‘log-stand’ that I purchased shortly after we landed at Riverside continues to save lots of time
and effort especially when chopping up coppiced lengths that I don’t have to ‘split’ after logging.
With regard to cats and dogs - I have inherited my Mother’s 15 year old dog. My mother health
declined very rapidly in December and sadly she passed away on 18/12/2015.
So I brought my Mother’s dog home to live with us. Like some girls she has a number of bad
habits and occasionally selective hearing. However all in all she is a good little dog who is having
a lot of fun now she is with us.
Thankfully she is not a chicken chaser and while there is not an ‘entente cordiale’ with my old cat,
both girls are behaving like the venerable old ladies they are and politely ignoring each other.
Julie and I are still looking for a couple of puppies and kittens for future pest control so please let
us know if you hear of any.
FOR SALE AND WANTED
FOR SALE

Carpalla Alpacas have females for breeding and males for pets, fibre animals or stud.
Different colours available. We pride ourselves in offering free advice and helping clients in
every way we can to enjoy their Alpacas. If you would like to find out more about keeping
Alpacas call us on 07974 796792. Nigel and Margaret Retallack.

Carpalla Beltex have one of last years ram lambs for sale. He was part bottle fed so is very
docile and will follow a bucket. Beltex are the ideal breed to cross with any type of ewe to
increase muscle and therefore give better carcasses in the lambs produced. Especially
suited to the smallholder as they are not huge and this boy has a lovely temperament. He
went out to work this year and has come back to us to sell on. He is available at the bargain
price of £275.Shearlings in the summer/autumn will be £450 to £500 each so this one is
well worth the money. He is full pedigree and is named Carpalla Aga Khan. Please either
email [email protected] or tel 07974796792.

We have a bunch of 10 week old Indian Runner ducks for sale-pairs £35 or single males£10. Von and Yurg: 01872 553511, [email protected].
WANTED
WANTED male turkey less than 1yr old preferably white but all will be considered. Also female
geese as have inherited a few too many males who are giving the female a hard time don't really
want to get rid of them so can anybody help. rgs Mal Pearce 01209832295 or 07772932957
Recipes
Slow Cooker Tomato and Lentil Dahl
-
2 tbsp veg oil
1 large onion finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 carrot diced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
200 to 250 g red lentils
400 ml veg stock
400 ml tin of coconut milk
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper to season
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan, saute the onions for 3 to 5 mins until they soften.
Add the garlic, carrot, cumin, mustard seeds and ginger and cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring
constantly until the seeds start to pop.
Add the turmeric, chilli and garam masala, cook for another minute
Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker, add the lentils, veg stock, coconut milk, tinned tomatoes.
Mix well and season with salt and pepper
Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hrs until the lentils are cooked
Note – I have cooked this in less time on the hob but you may need to add a little more stock
towards the end. Also, I don’t use the full quantities of spices as I’m a bit of a whimp.
Linda Russell
EVENTS, DEAR MEMBERS, EVENTS!
MISCELLANEOUS:
Orchards SouthWest members might be interested to know of these courses which are
being offered by Cornwall Adult Education (Wadebridge) and run by Lorraine Turnbull:
 Orchard Planning, Planting & Pruning Sat 13th Feb 2016 10am till 4.30pm £35/£21.20
Con, Wadebridge
 Apple Tree Grafting for Beginners Sat 20th Feb 2016 10am till 2.30pm £25/Con £15.80
Wadebridge
To take part in any of these courses, please send an email to Lorraine ([email protected])

20-21 Feb 11.00 to 4.00, Apple grafting week end, National Trust’s Cotehele near
Callington. More than 20 local varieties to choose from. Learn how to graft your own apple
tree. No need to book. Take away a grafted tree for only £5. Normal admission charges
apply, so presumably free for NT members. Phone 01579 351346 for details or try NT
website.

If anyone fancies a trip upcountry – 10-11 Feb Energy Now Expo 2016, Telford International
Centre, TF3 4JH. Numerous presentations, workshops, more than 200 trade stands,
etc.... See www.energynowexpo.co.uk or call 01293 854405.
Orchards Live the Devon orchards group are advertising 2 courses
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Orchards Live grafting course – 13th Feb at 10.30 – Stampford Courtenay. At this ever
popular event participants learn how to propagate fruit trees through bench grafting. After
the tutors have demonstrated the theory and practice, all attending have the opportunity to
practice grafting under watchful supervision. Knives are provided, and are also for sale.
o Rootstocks and scions are sold for a small charge, (but if you want specific scion
varieties please note our Scion Day on 11th February). For propagation from your
own trees you will be advised on collecting scions before the course.
Orchards Live Scion Day – 6th Feb at 11.00 - Eggesford Gardens, nr Chulmleigh
o A scion is a shoot for grafting on to a stock. With scion, rootstock and grafting skills
you can have the satisfaction of producing your own fruit tree(s).
o This informal ‘bring and buy’ mini-market will allow you to obtain scions or to
exchange your (well-labelled) scions from your own trees. There will be advice on
how to collect and store scions. Everything you need for grafting, (knives, tape and
wax), will be available for sale. There will also be a limited number of rootstocks,
(M25 and MM106 for standard and medium-size trees; please check info on our
website before event.) There will be demonstrations of grafting as reminders to those
who have already learned the skill.
o FREE event. (if you wish to bring scions for sale/exchange please arrive by
10.30am).
o For more info: email [email protected], or telephone Jane Pay, 01769580159
DUCHY COLLEGE RURAL BUSINESS SCHOOL EVENTS
(Just a selection, funded by various sources. Contact 0845 458 7485, [email protected] or
www.duchy.ac.uk/rbs for full details, or to book your place – unless stated otherwise)
13 February, 1000-1600
Keeping pet chickens, Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, Callington, PL17 9PB. £75.
16 February, 0900-1600
Pies and pasties, Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, Callington, PL17 9PB. £75.
17th February, 1000-1500
Pruning in your garden, Duchy College, Rosewarne, TR14 0AB £35.
27 February, 0930-1530
Introduction to Welding, Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, Callington, PL17 9PB. £99.
Coppicing workshops
Saturday, 30 January 2016 – Introduction to Coppicing: Basic Practical Coppicing Skills: Basic
woodland management:
Wednesday, 10 February 2016 – Introduction to Coppicing: Basic Practical Coppicing Skills: Basic
woodland management:
Saturday, 27 February 2016 – Make a hazel greenwood garden rake: Spend a day in the woods making
your own garden rake to take away.
Saturday, 2 April 2016 – Introduction to Coppicing: Basic Practical Coppicing Skills: Basic woodland
management:
Numbers are very limited so do book now. For more information or to book your place please email
[email protected] or call 01747 820718
We ask for a small donation of £5 per volunteer to cover the costs of insurance and, of course, our yummy
tea and cakes!
70%* OFF SPECIALIST TRAINING FOR FOOD & DRINK
BUSINESSES UNTIL MARCH '16
We have successfully won a contract to help SMEs in the South West Food & Drink industry, via the Walter
Smith Employer Leadership Programme (WSELP). (*Subject to eligibility)
Courses include specialist industry qualifications and business boosting
training, here is just a sample of what you could do:
IMPORTANT NOTE*: Food Allergen Awareness & Control - The 10th February date for this course has been
REDUCED to £85 and with Walter Smith Funding it could ONLY COST £30!
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Food Safety
HACCP
Internal Auditing
Food Labelling
Food Allergen Awareness & Control*
Knife Skills
Customer Service
Employment Law
Social Media
Handling Difficult Conversations
Leadership & Management
Coaching Skills
Train The Trainer
Manual Handling
Bespoke training is also available, please talk to us today to build a package that
suits your business.
Who is it for?
Funding is available to SME food & drink businesses with less than 250 employees, this includes cafes and
restaurants, who are looking to invest in the future of their business and the skills of their workforce.
BOOK NOW
This exclusive 70% discount is available only until March 2016, while funding lasts, so don't miss out!
What next?
For more information on the training opportunities and funding available, please call 01209 617739 or email
[email protected]
Course Reviews
Making your orchards pay
Harry and a number of other smallholders attended an excellent day on making your orchards pay
by George Travis hosted by Chris Jones at Woodland valley organic farm. George went through in
detail how to set up and produce apple juice and cider in compliance with all the regulations
including food safety, labelling laws and customs and excise requirements. He has run his own
small scale cider and apple juice company in Devon and gave a lot of practical information on what
needed to be done. I must admit to being slightly petrified by the complexity of the regulations
around producing food for sale and avoiding the dreaded patulin enzyme in apple juice,
which isn't killed by pasteurisation, but George was encouraging and down to earth in his advice.
Cornwall College are offering food safety courses at 70% off this spring as they have a special bit
of European funding and Harry and I are being interviewed tomorrow to see if we can access this
as we are not yet registered as a business.
Julie Dalford
Questions and Answers
The following question was raised by Robert Ridgway
I was wondering whether anyone could advise me whether my recently (Dec/Jan) planted
goat willow cuttings are likely to develop roots and grow in the spring.
Aware that willow generally easily takes root from cuttings (and not realising my willow was goat
willow) I pruned/took cuttings typically about a meter length and pushed them at least 6 inches into
the ground which is wet silty/clayey loam either in a row or several patches. These cuttings
typically are dendritic in shape, ie twiglike branches cut from mature trees. However my attention
has just been drawn to the issue that perhaps goat willow is an exception that doesn’t easily take
root, unlike most willow.
Response from Lorely Lloyd - I have transplanted an enormous one upside down as a sculpture
and
it grew again and ruined my sculpture design. Never need any rooting compound for willow as it
has an abundance of hormones that can actually be used for a homemade rooting compound
though I will have to remember how.
Response from Linda Russell – I have been told that you need to take a thick cutting and push it
well into the ground as Goat Willow is so slow to grow.
The Committee:
CHAIR – George Wurr
Jubilee Farm, Carnkie, Helston, TR13 0DX
Tel 01209 861480. E-mail: [email protected]
EDITOR – Linda Russell
139 Trezaise Road, Roche, PL26 8HQ
Tel 01726 891343, 07973 151814
E-mail: [email protected]
SECRETARY – Nigel Pooley
Higher Dowha Farm, Dowha, Nr Troon, TR14 9JG
Tel 01209 832582. E-mail:
[email protected]
TREASURER - Jan Rayner
2 Greenbank, Meneage Road, Helston TR13 8JA.
Tel 07742 932338
E-mail: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY – Julie Dalford
Riverside Cottage, Candor, Nr Truro, TR2 4JG
Tel 01872 520492. [email protected]
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Theresa Cowling, Trudi Wurr, Harry Dalford, Emma
Manaton, Carol Naish, Kate Earp, Simon Trehane
CORNWALL SMALLHOLDERS MEMBERSHIP FORM
£12 per holding per year (payable to Cornwall Smallholders)
Name:
Signature:
Address:
Postcode:
Tel No(s):
E-mail:
Acreage of holding:
Livestock kept/proposed:
Veg/fruit/woodland:
Relevant skill/Experience:
Return to:
Julie Dalford, Riverside Cottage, Candor, Nr Truro, TR2 4JG.
N.B. A summary of these details will be reproduced in the membership list for circulation solely
within the Group. If you would prefer not to share some or all of the information with other members,
please tick box (and, if necessary, inform Julie what you wish to exclude):-