What size is a smallholding?

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What size is a smallholding?
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gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 07 3:27 pm Post subject:

I thought 50 acres was the smallholding/farm divide.

At the lower limit, any size of holding from which you attempt to make any income, even a large garden (according to a mate of mine in SEERAD), as long as it is registered with SEERAD as either an agricultural holding or a horticultural unit, and has a number.

If you had even half an acre of glasshouses, you could produce a lot. A glasshouse grower I know in Crete applies to convert extra ground to organic by the square metre (rather than the hectare). He has 1 acre under glass.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 07 12:56 am Post subject:
A definitive answer from the Oxford English Dictionary: smallholding � noun Brit. an agricultural holding that is smaller than a farm.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 07 9:41 am Post subject:
It might be to do with planning permission as well - equestrian planning permission is different from agricultural, and has to be applied for change of use between one and the other. The difference between farmers and gardeners is that farmers always thing next year will be worse, and gardeners always think it will better! I guess its the difference between a hobby and a job.

Bog Spavin

Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 362
Location: North Yorkshire

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 07 8:17 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

A definitive answer from the Oxford English Dictionary:

smallholding

� noun Brit. an agricultural holding that is smaller than a farm.

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 07 6:32 pm Post subject:

As was said earlier, there is no such thing as a smallholding as far as regulations are concerned.

Smallholding seems to be with people's perceptions.

We have neighbours with similar acreages, some i would describe as smallholders, and some as small farmers.

The is too much anti farmer feeling amongst individuals with small acreages. When attending a small holders meeting last year my OH asked that if there was a problem with a sheep for example, would you ask the "smallholder" next door who had been keeping half a dozen sheep for the last six months, or the "farmer" with 600 ewes who had kept sheep all his life.

Bizarrely, he answered that he would ask the smallholder. Who really knew best?? The farmer i should say.

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Feb 20, 07 1:49 pm Post subject:

VSS wrote:

We have neighbours with similar acreages, some i would describe as smallholders, and some as small farmers.

How would you describe me?

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Tue Feb 20, 07 6:02 pm Post subject:
Small farmer. Had a look your website. Jolly good. Covers just about everything. www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Feb 20, 07 6:06 pm Post subject:

VSS wrote:

Small farmer.

Yup, see Rob your mum was right, you should have eaten your greens. Pair of high heels is your only remedy now.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Feb 21, 07 10:41 am Post subject:
And there's the funny answer...

gleefulgoat

Joined: 14 Feb 2013
Posts: 17

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 13 9:01 pm Post subject:

Bog Spavin wrote:

I understood it as the 50 acre thing but I don't understand when a cottage garden becomes a small holding ie: we have just under an acre layed to paddock, veg patch and garden but I would call it a cottage garden as I would consider it too small to be a holding, the house is a cottage (it is 1 and a half stories tall with dorma windows) what do you think

I also have a "smallholding" under an acre....it also has a paddock, a walled garden, poly tunnel, veg beds, huge barn, a small orchard.....and i have a two bed bungalow.....I call it a small holding as I have two sheep and some chickens and was therefore under the impression that a small holding is where you farm for yourself and a farm is where you farm for profit.........But i could be wrong

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 13 11:12 pm Post subject:

gleefulgoat wrote:

and was therefore under the impression that a small holding is where you farm for yourself and a farm is where you farm for profit.........But i could be wrong

The two points of view are not mutually exclusive.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 13 11:14 pm Post subject:

VSS wrote:

gleefulgoat wrote:

and was therefore under the impression that a small holding is where you farm for yourself and a farm is where you farm for profit.........But i could be wrong

The two points of view are not mutually exclusive.

Although the latter is rather elusive at times!

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 13 11:27 pm Post subject:
I think the line between "garden with veg patch" and "smallholding" depends on whether you have an area that looks like Steptoe's yard...

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 13 9:53 am Post subject:

Green Man wrote:

In general you need about 1 acre per horse.

Provided you are supplementing winter feeding with material from off site. You might get away with a pony on 2 acres and very little supplemental feeding. Of course it all depends on the land .....

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 13 2:29 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

VSS wrote:

gleefulgoat wrote:

and was therefore under the impression that a small holding is where you farm for yourself and a farm is where you farm for profit.........But i could be wrong

The two points of view are not mutually exclusive.

Although the latter is rather elusive at times!

Indeed

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