I'm thinking of starting a register for smallholders who want/need a holiday to get in touch with individuals or couples who could provide holiday relief and look after animals such as sheep and goats, feed the chickens etc, while the smallholder is away.

I'd appreciate any resopnses to this and if enough people are interested I'll sort out something to go online.

There's bound to be wanabe smallholders out there who fancy a week or two living the good life. I know there are smallholders who need a break badly (Especially those who have been affected by foot and mouth).

OK, it's down to you - let me know!

Eric

-- Eric J Methven (e_methven@btinternet.com), June 25, 2001

Answers

It would depend on whether I was providing acommodation and food for the sitter(s), or whether it was a direct swap with another smallholder and I would reciprocate at a later date. I've never thought about paying someone a wage to do this, but I suppose £4.00 an hour might be in order (provided the duties were part-time of course). I'd rather arrange something through barter or reciprical arrangement though.

-- Eric J Methven (e_methven@btinternet.com), July 09, 2001.

Hello from Arkansas, Eric. Practically speaking, I can't really sign up, (little too far to commute), but this is a universal problem. We are leaving for a week-long holiday and have had a difficult time finding anyone we trust to come in and feed. We haven't bothered to start milking the goats by hand because it's totally impossible to find someone willing to milk them, then process the milk. Consequently, we left the kids on the does and will wean them when we return. I have broody hens who will hatch out chicks while I'm gone, and peach trees and tomatoes ready to harvest. Needless to say, vacation will be taken at a different time of year from now on. As an aside, we are paying $10 a day to a teenaged girl to come in twice a day to feed and water the goats, chickens, dog and cat. How does that match with what you'd have to pay in the UK?

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), July 09, 2001.

i am unable to afford a holiday away from home letalone pay someone to see to my animals (not a moan it's my choice)but through breeding and selling poultry and using my incubator to hatch chicks for other allotment holders a good network of friends was created.most of us work on a barter system.if you can find like minded people a good system can usually be agreed without needing money.eg one man needed to free up a weekend,I fed his goats,and poultry and watered his greenhouse,my payback as many eggs as i wanted,strawberry runers later in the year and an ongoing supply of manure .I realise that people with no near neighbours cant use this system but for allotments holders just be friendly to the neighbours .you may have to make the first move but i feel i get a great deal out of it.

-- jane habershon (habershon@aol.com), May 29, 2002.