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    Opportunity to achieve a permaculture livelihood on a couple of acres on Devon/Cornwall border

    Libby Cameron of | 16-Jun-2017 | 8

    Hi, I have a small piece of land (approx. 1.75 acres)  with small barn on the Devon-Cornwall border that I would really like to make available to someone committed to creating a permaculture lifestyle.  Read more

    In sight of Pendle Hill: a glimpse of life at Gazegill Farm

    We’re delighted to introduce the first in a series of posts by photographer and researcher Walter Lewis of Feeding Body and Soul. He will be sharing a selection of stories from his journey exploring local sustainable food production in England and Wales, beginning with Gazegill Farm in Lancashire. Read more

    One man and his sticks: meet stickmaker Joe Musialowski

    A traditional rural skill sometimes overlooked, crook and stickmaking is making a comeback in the UK. Lowimpact.org’s Sophie Paterson spoke to Joe Musialowski of Wren Country Sticks about his journey to become a professional stickmaker and what the future might hold for this timeless country craft. Supplier of bespoke sticks, crooks and croziers for walkers, shepherds… Continue reading One man and his sticks: meet stickmaker Joe Musialowski Read more

    Career change? Interview with Amanda James about becoming a dry stone waller

    In a society increasingly out of touch with the joy of crafting and building by hand, making a transition to gain new skills and work within a traditional rural craft can seem at once appealing and daunting. Read more

    Why self-reliance is so important as part of a secure, low-impact life

    Andy Reynolds of the Ecolodge | 04-Mar-2017 | 0

    I am Andy Reynolds, a long-term practitioner of low-impact living, smallholder, author, forester, teacher, carpenter, builder. I’ve been working with Lowimpact.org since the early noughties, and I’d like to share my philosophy on self-reliance with you. Read more

    Interested in setting up a local food co-op? Mobile shop for sale, with free training thrown in

    We are a real food co-op in Dorset, and we have been delivering food via our trusty mobile shop, ‘the Charmouth Dragon’. We’re now taking the shop online with the good folks of Open Food Network UK Read more

    Career change? How about making your living from making and selling baskets?

    This is an interview with Fran Blockley of Old Chapel Farm about the potential for making your living from making and selling baskets. Read more

    Wood-fired pizza van: free to a good home

    Ian Dowson of Proved Pizza Van | 02-Feb-2017 | 48

    I’ve had six years of self-employed catering with Proved Wood-fired Pizza, alongside working full-time in the housing and homeless sector. I originally wanted to sell the van/business to help fund going back to university as a full-time student. Read more

    How to quit the rat race to go WWOOFing for 3 years (even with young children) as a gateway to a new life

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Oct-2016 | 8

    This is an interview with Mariann and Gabor, a Hungarian couple with 2 young children, who left their jobs to go WWOOFing. We wanted to show that WWOOFing is a route out of the ‘rat race’ Read more

    Career change? There are not enough charcoal-makers to satisfy the demand for home-produced charcoal

    We interview Pete Grugeon of the Bulworthy Project, who explains that there’s a gap in the market – with not enough charcoal burners to satisfy the demand for locally-produced charcoal. Read more

    Free straw-bale building internships starting in September

    Starting on September 7th, I am pleased to offer you the chance to take part in a whole straw bale house build. From foundations to finish plasters and everything in between. Read more

    This is how we should get our fish: interview with Guy Dorrell of ‘Faircatch’

    Guy Dorrell of Faircatch | 25-Jul-2016 | 1

    I went to visit Guy Dorrell from Faircatch the other day, and was truly blown away by what he’s up to. Now this is how we should get our fish. Here’s my interview with him. Read more

    Beautiful, meditative video on the art of oak swill basket weaving

    Owen Jones of OakSwills.co.uk | 14-Jul-2016 | 0

    We were approached by a young film maker who has produced a video of Owen Jones at work – no interview, no music, just an almost hypnotic and definitely meditative study of Owen using traditional tools and natural materials to make beautiful things. Read more

    Custard creams and the ‘network of global corporate control’

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Feb-2016 | 19

    I bought a packet of custard creams the other day, and saw that they were made by a company called Crawfords. I wondered who Crawfords were and who ultimately owns custard creams. I have a general feeling that a small cartel of giant corporations owns more-or-less everything branded Read more

    What will TTIP mean for small companies and local economies?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 27-Dec-2015 | 0

    Promoters of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) claim it’s good for all business, but is this really true?  The European Commission (EC) and the USA say it will especially help SME businesses (small and medium-sized enterprises), not just multinationals. Read more

    How superstores destroy jobs and local resilience

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 19-Dec-2015 | 4

    A report by the National Retail Planning Forum (partly financed by supermarkets) found that in a catchment of 15km around 93 new superstores, around 10,000 new retail jobs were created and 35,000 destroyed – a net loss of 25,000 retail jobs (full-time equivalent). Read more

    Nanodairies gathering: for people keeping or looking to keep up to four cows

    Information sharing event for people who keep from one to four dairy cows, and a training course for people who are planning to do this. Focussed uniquely on cows, not on goats or sheep. 25 & 26 February, 2016, at Monkton Wyld Court, Charmouth, Dorset. Read more

    Microdairies: making them as successful as micro-breweries

    A conference on the benefits of small-scale commercial dairy farms of up to 40 cows or the equivalent of sheep or goats. How to establish them and how to promote the concept. For practising and prospective dairy farmers and others with a professional interest in the future of the British dairy industry. Read more

    Why do giant corporations pretend to be small, local, craft businesses?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 09-Nov-2015 | 1

    Jack Daniel’s is a classic example of this. You must have seen their ads – on posters, in magazines, on TV? The ones where they try to disguise a massive corporate behemoth as a folksy, friendly, small, local business? Old men in dungarees play cards on upturned barrels Read more

    Starting your own business: how to sell hand-made soaps

    Want to start selling your home-made soap? Katrina McKenzie of Small World Soaps explains how to sell hand-made soaps in the UK and turn your hobby into a business. Read more

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