Reality Down Sizing

[andrewo]

I've noted with some glee our discussions on Jimmy from Jimmy's Farm and Dick from It's Not Easy Being Green. I just wanted to discuss what people thought of these programmes and individuals. I admire anyone who chooses to downsize or live in a more eco-friendly way (downside of this is that government isn't actually meeting its quota and land fill still has plastic in it, a percentage dumped there by the very companies and councils who are supposed to be recycling it). Do we ever know what happens to the stuff we put in the recycle bin? Now I like Dick Strawbridge, he's honest about not being self sufficient whereas Jimmy really irritates me, sure the wilderness walk brought in paying customers but guinea pig island? He is a little too much of a wet blanket for me and if I was farming pigs and I had one like Jimmy (e.g. Blaze), I would put both barrels to him. Now, I did enjoy Down on the Fram, the couple in that were fantastic. Sometimes these reality programmes work well in the first season and then the subjects buy into their own celebrity and end up playing at it, I tell you Jimmy's Farm is only one step away from being repackaged as a Osborne type show: Sharon, Sharon, I've eaten some mushrooms and turned yellow....

[sewer rat]

I think that Jimmy is well intentioned and I admire his support for the rarer breed of pigs, but he just did not / has not thought the whole thing through. He seemed to rush in to everything without fully considering every aspect and how it would impact on his business. He went into farming from scratch wearing his rose tinted goggles - anybody working in this industry on his scale would have said don't waste yer money mate - it's an industry that is dying on it's feet - I've worked in agriculture in one form or another for 16 of the last 29 years and if I had the money to buy a stock farm, that is the very last thing I would do with it.
Dick Strawbridge I like a lot. He is a happy kind of guy, nothing phases him and he's going into his green experiment with realistic goals and ideals - his missus Bridget is however, rapidly reverting to flower child / dippy hippy! It must help however to have a family who seem prepared to rough it, have loads of mates who will expend endless amounts of energy for you in return for a goats cheese pizza and a heap of beer, and to start with a pot of dosh. to back you up.

[Emma]

To be honest with you I quite like Jimmy. But as you said he obviously went into it without a huge amount of research and his business skills suck. The problem is with doing something like that is it's all well and good learning on your feet, but when your livelyhood (and a small fortune) is at stake you need to have more than a dream. There are only so many mistakes that you can afford to make. I would love to be self sufficent (or as much as you can in the modern world), but to just dive into it is madness. I think his heart is in the right place and he is without doubt right in following his dream. It's just that often however hard you prepare the reality is always going to be a shock and there is a lot of aspects that he doesn't seem to have considered. But I say fair play to him for giving it a go, I'd do it if I could persuade my other half.

But the people at the TV stations will always make these program's if they think there will be an audience, and loads more people are getting into the idea of self sufficency. I think whether or not you like a program or not really depends on whether or not you gel with the characters. But I do think that Dick is a nut case and his wife has lost the plot, honest or not!!!

I say bring it on if they can lock a load of strangers in a house for weeks then why not show reality (ish) on a farm
-x-

[nick the grief]

Jimmy's farm just confirms my fears,we give people like this the power of a vote!! Ithink the phrase lurch from one disaster to another would be apt. Yes Rat I too admire the fact that he has gone for traditional breeds (as a member of the RBST I in full agreement with this) but he's a complete wastrel and if his lisping mate wasn't famous would we have ever seen Hide or pig of him? I guess not. As to the other prog, well I said before I haven't seen it so can't comment.

If you wwant to know about self sufficency I suggest you read the Bible on it by John Seymour or failing that Katie Thears book It was out of print for a long time but has been re-published under a new title now , sorry don't know waht it is.

[pigletwillie]

I dont think Jimmies farm would have started at all if there wasnt a tv program in it and indeed his friendship with Jamie Oliver. He would have been better off keeping an Essex pig in his back yard. I bet most other farmers cringe when its shown on television.

[blackkitty]

We've been watching what I think are repeat episodes of 'down on the farm' and have really enjoyed them. I would love to know what they did before they moved to wales as they seem to have a lot of useful but unusual skills. Antone have any ideas?

[shine388]

chickens

i love the fact that he (Jimmy) rescued them poor chickens and made them their own house, it was so cute! i'm going to do the same when i'm older, although not for the eggs - just because i love them and feel they should be given a proper chance to live the rest of their lives happily... i'm going to have goats as well, although not near the vegetables can't wait

[nick the grief]

An interesting Mix Shine, I look forward to the piccies. Welcome to the Vine. Hope you find it useful

[shine388]

thank you, that's not until i'm older though, mum and dad wouldn't appreciate coming home to them any time soon although they've came to expect the unexpected from me

[andrewo]

We've been watching what I think are repeat episodes of 'down on the farm' and have really enjoyed them. I would love to know what they did before they moved to wales as they seem to have a lot of useful but unusual skills. Antone have any ideas?

Yes, I believe he worked in banking and she worked as a seamtress. Just shows that you can pick up skills from the most unusual places. Thought it was an excellent programme.

[Birdie Wife]

I think Dick Strawbridge has some really sorted people working with him, they've really gor the right skills and they make things look simple enough that you could almost say... 'well, why couldn't I do that?'. I didn't realise how much of an out-and-out hippy his wife was though, she had me in stitches with her purchases at the hippy fair. And the pig episode, she obviously hadn't thought it all through and I'll be interested to see what happens when piggy goes to market (or slaughter). Whereas the gardener they've got, she is brilliant and just gets on with things, I wish they would give her more air time. She totally had the right idea with the pigs and was fine with the concept of rearing your own meat, even though she was vegan.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

watched the Green thing tother night - and discovered that I was at school with Mrs. Strawbridge!!! at least, she named 2 other girls who were at my school, both very distinctive names. but I cant work out who Mrs S was in those days - most frustrating!!