Home Farmer Magazine April 2018 Vorige editie

Welcome to our tenth birthday issue of Home Farmer – a great achievement for any small, independent magazine comprising just two people, in a twenty-first century world of mega-huge companies. We hope that our new issue has the feel of a ‘birthday party in print’, but we have tried our utmost to keep it more or less business as usual, although we do shed some brief light on a few of the things that helped bring about Home Farmer, and a few of the broader issues that will face both us and our readers over the coming years. As for the features though, it is April, and that’s always a busy time for any home farmers – even those giddy on celebration. To keep it timely we have an in-depth feature on propagation, bringing together the experience of John Harrison and generations of growers to help you get your harvest off to a flying start, together with polytunnel maintenance tips and a broccoli masterclass for both the plot and the kitchen. As regards livestock, we begin a new poultry husbandry series starting with housing and security, together with pieces on poultry on the smallholding, egg problems, further requirements for siting your beehives, including security, available forage and access, and on a broader front we have crammed in spring wines, Common Morels, starting a cottage food business, a show and events diary, delicious cookie recipes, and a fascinating feature about a couple who have become a focus for international NGOs considering the conundrum of food security, international chefs and the Slow Movement due to their passionate application of permaculture principles together with some very traditional farming methods. Check out our April birthday issue and let Home Farmer be your key to practical self-sufficiency in the twenty-first century.