self sufficiency... well partial anyway ;-)

[sophiedb]

Our house came with an overgrown but clearly fertile veg patch - if I have enough, time, this could be a cheap year for veggies! - several mature fruit trees (2 x apple, 2 x pear, 2 x grape, 1 x nectarine, 1 x lemon) and 3 compost bins full of brown, crumbly goodness. We now also have a large water tank (I suspect there will be hosepipe bans in Chch's future) and a worm farm. Land area minus house area is ~700m2..?

Most people I've met here have some form of grow your own patch, usually quite small, but every little helps

[ShineyPeople]

We are aiming to produce as much of our own food as we can too. We have just over one and a half acres, I have a large vege patch, 16 chickens, a very productive walnut tree, feijoas, peaches, lemons, apples and plums. My OH has just finished the pig sty and pen ready for a couple of weaner pigs. I thought that I might need a little help, so I signed up for a certificate in horticulture at the local polytech, the Dutch tutor also has a lifestyle block here and her view is; "if you can't grow vegetables in New Zealand, you can't grow them anywhere!"
We have opted for a no-dig, organic approach and everything we have created in the garden so far has been recycled from somewhere so it hasn't cost us anything. I volunteer at Riding for the Disabled, so we have an unlimited supply of horse poo and the chickens also do a pretty good job of fertilising and weeding. We live at the top of the South Island, it's a little dry but we get loads of sunshine, no snow and only a few frosts so far this year.
The lifestyle block website is a really good source of advice, everyone in the forum is very encouraging when you are starting out. There are also some good lifestyle magazines and gardening journals here, you can save money by reading them in your local library rather than buying them.

[lizch]

This is so good to read. I've just started growing my own veggies this year in Seattle, and have 7 hens, 3 of which have just started laying. If we do move to NZ, I'm hoping to start up again, particularly with everything I've read about the cost of food over there.

[sophiedb]

LOL, I forgot our chickies! We have 3 hens, all good layers.. would like more but I think we need to build them a better coop first.. once a zillion other projects are complete..

[Madoxen]

Why build a coop ! they all seemed so happy in your garden and veggie patch :-)

[Sam B]

We grow most of our veggies and salad in Summer and some in Winter, plus we usually have enough eggs from our chickens until they were all eaten by 2 Jack Russells 2 weeks ago, so we are starting again there. We have also planted an orchard, but it is not mature enough to supply our fruit needs yet. You can grow an amazing range of fruit and veg here (mid north Island) without needing a greenhouse, and you can often fit in 2 crops per growing season, as it is very long. This year we are getting a greenhouse though, as I want to get higher yields of Mediterranean veg., and we are a bit too exposed for these to do well where we are.

[sophiedb]

Why build a coop ! they all seemed so happy in your garden and veggie patch :-)

And let them eat all my lovely veggies??? NEVER! (of course first I need to actually sow them etc etc but still...)

Rob had to put up some more chicken wire and tart the gate up a bitthe other day, as Hendini found another couple of gaps. At least she's adventurous One of the other - currently known as Shaggy, given her recent moulting spree - has developed a right grumpy attitude towards us and the other hens. It she doesn't settle down she might be headed for a crockpot..

[JandM]

It's the walking around behind her saying 'parsley and thyme' that's got her twitchy, Sophie!