Nancy Reading

The question I have is what subject were they studying?

I usually start with something I want to include and how I fit it in depends on whether it is easy/cheap to source and grow, or likely to be difficult. Survival of the fittest is all very well if it's a £5 pack of seeds, but not so good if you're talking about a $50 tree... although I have started a lot of things from seed too! So generally I will try and fit something where I think it will like it, and go for an overall diversity rather than trying to get a complete guild. I rely on my local flora to fill in the niches and chop/drop what gets too much of a good thing (usually grasses and docken for me).
I'd really like more useful groundcover plants and am thinking of propagating more of my perennial kale, but I do have quite a diverse mix of Brassica seed at the moment, so maybe I'll just go wild with that next spring!

John C Daley wrote:I am perplexed by landrace meaning and how to do it.
I found this  to help

Not bad video, although he appears to be talking more about breeding a specific variety than a landrace at the end again there. To my mind maintaining the diversity is also key to a landrace - so you protect (to a certain extent) against variations in your environment, as in different years there are different challenges, which some plants will survive and produce better.

Thanks for the update! Such beautiful beans I hope the second crop does well for you.

Lots of variety there Lily - anything in particular you're looking for?

Yes greenhouse shade paint is definitly a thing in the UK too. I'd not thought of painting the house windows, but it would be a quick, cheap and temporary means of reducing the light getting in and hence the heating effect of the sun. Probably only needed on any South facing windows - much easier than trying to rig up shade cloth I should think.

I've sorted out some seeds I think are worth a try - some peas and beans for inside the tunnel, and various veg for outside. I think I'm going to sow quite a bit of rye seed too. I think I can overwinter it and get a heavier crop next year. Last year I sowed it in spring and got a good yeild from a little seed, but it's too late for it to crop this year now. It will double up as a cover crop over winter, which is something I have been struggling with a bit, so it will be interesting to see how this might work for me.

Welcome to permies Obi!

You may find these thread of interest if you are just starting with chickens:

favorite breeds
new to chickens
[https://permies.com/t/1958/chicken-coops-runs-tractors-paddocks]chicken pens and tractors[/url]
chicken feed

Mark Land wrote:Stinging Nettles - for sure.

Welcome to permies Mark!
I can't think of many plants with more uses than nettles, even the sting is useful! here's one of paul's earlier threads on nettles. I made nettle leafu once - a good way of storing some of the nutrition in the leaves.

Some great ideas on this thread!
Tomatoes for me are a luxury item, worth the precious space in my polytunnel because tomatoes i grow just taste so much better than those I can buy. I'd never be self sufficient in them though... I've heard beetroot can be used in some recipes - I've discovered those seem to grow well for me.