The classic BBC sitcom The Good Life told the story of the couple Tom and Barbara Good. They shunned the rat race in favour of living off the land. But is the life they portrayed possible to live or is it just a fantasy? Read on for some thoughts on this.
Grow Your Own Produce
Many people would like to grow or produce some of their produce to fulfill their food needs. One of the easiest ways to do this is by growing either fruits or vegetables.
You can choose to grow as little or as much of the produce that you need to feed your family. If you are just starting out why not try growing a few tomatoes plants on a sunny windowsill? Or keep pots of growing herbs in your kitchen? Then you will always have some fresh cut mint for a cocktail or two!
Some people choose to go further with their grow their own quest and dedicate a patch in their gardens to producing food. Plants like potatoes, carrots, lettuces are popular garden items. As well as nurture some fruit trees. In particular apples are pears grow particularly well in the UK.
If you love the idea of growing your own produce but don’t have a garden to speak of there are ways that you get around this. For very small gardens or balconies try a vertical garden. Which will allow you to grow items like herbs and lettuces.
If you have no outside space at all, try a hydroponic system. This is a device that will water your crops and replicate natural light so that they can grow. This means you can still eat home grown produce daily.
Chickens
Another iconic aspect of Tom and Barbara’s existence is the fact that they kept Pinky and Perky, their chickens. Keeping chickens might seem like an extreme measure to supply your family with eggs, but it can actually be very rewarding.
Firstly, you will need to get a chicken coop and run for them to live in. Click here for some suggestions. It needs to be fox proof, so your precious birds aren’t in danger from any of the local wildlife. Its also important to provide them with roosting materials on which they can settle down and lay those eggs for your dinner.
Once you have the accommodation sorted, then it’s time to pick the birds that you want. Some people go for bantam hens as they are small enough to be kept happily in a reduced space but also produce a good supply of eggs. Others choose quails, geese or ducks depending on their preference.
Other Livestock
A comedic regular on the show was the Good’s goat Geraldine. Most of Geraldine’s adventures included getting annoying their bourgeois neighbours Margot and Jerry. But the Goods also benefited from her milk and the cheese that they made from it.
If you are looking to keep goats remember that they can be a bit of a handful as they tend to eat everything that they come into contact with, even if wouldn’t usually be classed as edible. However, they are good for keeping the grass short in a natural way and make great pets for the family.
