how am I preparing??

[st3vi3]

Hey guys, moved house now still boxes about but not so bad
Got well going now so water is secured. Had to put drains in the field because the spring is rising in the field, lovely pure clean drinking water.
Pollytunel is up and a ton of veg planted, starting to come through. Got a old oil tank cut open filled with soil and bored holes in side for plants to grow now filled. Hopefully aim for 100 strawberry plants. Also put strawberry seed in pollytunnel.

As I live on farm, farm dutys take most of the time at the min, but still a few hours a day prepping is life changing. Signs say to me prices are to rise so any non prepper should start even if its small, youll soon be doing more and more. Get inspired and prep for your future

[Arzosah]

Wow! You've done all that garden work already, well done you

[Trotsky]

What absolutely up lifting thread. St3vi3 you should write a book, or start your own blog...... Brilliant!!!

[st3vi3]

Haha thanx guys for the comments means alot really. I got quite alot of seeds in and the soil near ready for carrot and onions. Monday will be ploughing(weather depending) for potatoes, undecided on amount. Got my son (4year old) a raised garden bed he keeps just something simple.

since my move I have to admit after ebay sales and car boot sales I got a good return. Amazing what people buy so all seeds and allotment garden has been nearly paid off with that. So my advice clear oit unwanted "junk"

As I live on a small far I will be gettin a cow to make milk, just experiment really but will get around 36l a day from one cow so not bad. Chicken pens will be put up when I get a suitable location safe from foxes and bit more research.

All in all I have quick alot of direct debts for silly things and cut back on food bills, just by changing life style.

Everyone should try to get a small garden ready this year even if its a few grow bags, try it, grow pick eat it

[st3vi3]

Been last while food prepping not just canned goods and stuff from stores. Our farm hold pigs sheep cattle, we own all of them and intend to put some away for our family in the freezer. We dont normally keep our own stock but this year we picked out a few.

I have also set up chicken coop and got my hands on a very old egg hatching box, runs on parrifin and cant wait to restore it and get it going.

One of my hobbies is fish so might combine with pollytunnel later in the year and do a aquaponics set up (small trial). Will be hit or miss and if I have time, found a old tank can use to hold fish tank just add pipes and pump. (just idea at the min)

Pollytunnel is well on its way many seeds will soon need to be planted out. Strawberry tank is not going to plan due to high winds so very weather beatin. May need to replant whats in there. Have about 20 strawberry plants in the pollytunnel doing much better. My girlfriend got me 6 tomatoes plants, pretty cool. Still planting seeds yet too.

So getting family involved is fun, looking at their skills and trying to get them to learn new ones. If you gonna prep get family/friends support and dont go serious... Make it fun and you will stick at it longer with better results.

[junmist]

Keep us posted about the aquaria phonics its a pet interest of mine

[st3vi3]

Any tips

[junmist]

Use cold water fish and not the tilapia that most people use as tilapia are a warm water fish, Country file has just done a small peace on it the system is in a school and they are learning on gold fish which is a good cheap idea before moving on to a more conventional eating carp but trout can also be grown in the system and you can most probably sell them better of course if you have a big enough system you could always grow salmon. Also if you already don't know don't bother with trying to grow root veg leaf veg do better in a aquaponics system great way of growing anything that gets club root. If you have a large pond with fish in it you can use that as well make some floating rafts and anchor them to the side of the pond or just wade out to them if its not to deep. The point of doing aquaponics in a polytunnel is that you can do it all year round witch for preppers is always a plus. Hope that helps

[dodgy360]

St3vie, Junmist

I am also about to experiment with Aquaponics in a Poly Tunnel. Poly Tunnel went up three weeks ago and I have sectioned off enough room for an IBC style setup. I will find some of the links I have been using to gain some knowledge.

I was going to use Goldfish to seed the process\bacteria and then move to Carp or Trout. (investigating source)

Hoping to run the pumps etc. via battery charged with Solar PV with mains as backup and make the whole setup as maintenance free as possible (apart from feeding fish, monitoring the levels, harvesting the produce)

The only thing I do worry about is how these systems will survive a Winter in a non heated Poly Tunnel and how best to setup with that in mind.

Lots of info on the web in general but mainly non UK so it would be good to share experiences.

[junmist]

www.aquaponics.org.uk and www.aquaculture-hydroponics.co.uk are both uk based I'm going green with you two having a polytunnels good luck