Guest Blog by Katy Runacres AKA The Good Life In Practice

Guest Blog Entry for you folks- Enjoy, Andrew

2013 the continuation of our smallholding attempts in Switzerland! By The Good Life In Practice Blogger, Katy Runacres.

Firstly thank you to Andrew for having me as a guest blogger.

Katie with here chickens

So a little bit about myself-I am a 23 year old ‘mad cat woman’ attempting to live a little greener. I started living in my family home in rural Suffolk, UK and now currently in a small apartment in a village in Switzerland. I have been living in the Berner Oberland canton since April 2012 since getting a job here. We have been trying to live as sustainably as we can without a garden by growing herbs and salad on our windowsills, recycling, composting and sourcing other food locally.

We have loved living here but have felt a little frustrated at times that we cannot live off the land better. However, this month we have had good news about our flat and its effect on us smallholding-this dear reader is what I will be divulging!

Our landlord has agreed to give us a small section of land near our house to use as a mini allotment! This means we can finally start growing properly and can plan what we can grow where. We can begin as soon as possible (although may have to wait until the snow has melted!). We hope to mainly use it to grow vegetables like leeks, carrots, and salad crops such as rocket and cherry tomatoes. Additionally, a factor that we have taken a lot of thought into is what we can grow when-a problem when all growing seasonal planners are for UK soil not an alpine village! However, we have asked a local Swiss friend to write up a basic vegetable plotting chart so we know what to plant in when-particularly as often the weather can still be snowy up to April time. We already have some basic ideas to possibly sell or barter surplus stock in the summer to neighbours or friends-fingers crossed!

Moreover, the landlord has allowed us to use an extra piece of sloping, stony land right next to the house for some chickens! This has been our aim and I have really missed having my chickens back home. Therefore, we can now start making plans for up cycling old wood to make a hen coop for 2. The plot will be big for 2 chickens to root around in! We shall start looking for suitable places to get chickens from nearer to spring time when the weather is better and ask around local Swiss friends.

If you would like to hear how the adventure in veg growing and the search for Swiss chickens continues please have a browse at my light-hearted smallholding blog: http://thegoodlifeinpractice.wordpress.com/, or find me on twitter: thegoodlifein and facebook: The Good Life In Practice.

By Katy Runacres