After planting in the polytunnel 3 years ago, pruning, training, and patience finally seem to have paid off.... Think we have our first ever flower buds forming 🌸 Will I get any kiwis this year??? 🤞 🥝🥝🥝 #kiwi #kiwifruit #12acres #smallholdingwales

"Get some more hens" they said...think we're having an eggsistential crisis. And now the geese are laying too. #eggs ##smallholding #omelette 🐔🥚🍳

Beautiful #llynefrynwy #lakevrynwy in the sunshine....just 4 miles from us and a regular weekend wander

Cheese and Pickle are having some fun in the sun on their seesaw! #pygmygoats #smallholdingwales #smallholding #goats

It may be wet, wild, and windy, but there are still moments that make you feel you're doing ok... Ewes back on some fresh grass and the lambing preparations begin! #smallholdingwales #smallholding #sheep #blackwelshmountainsheep

Happy scene of birds! Nosy lot wanted to see what I was up to as I tried to take a photo of my pallet tree guards. #12acres #twelveacres #palletdiy #chicken #goose

As happy as...🐖🐖 #pigs #pigsofinstagram #smallholdingwales #12acres #twelveacres

So sometimes the best-laid plans aren't the best plans. We had an idea (through rose-tinted glasses) that it would be nice to put the goats in with the chickens... Well, after hours of repairs, goats eating chicken food, chickens eating goat food, goats eating fruit trees - and anything else they could find, goats sleeping in the goose house (and so it goes on) that a permanent paddock for just the goats is best. So they have their newly rebuilt house, new play platform, and more to come, in their own space. Now we have two happy goats and more eggs from the chickens! 🐔🐓🐐🐐🥚🥚🥚 #pygmygoats #goats #smallholding #12acres #ifiknewthenwhatiknownow

Everything looks better when the sun shines 🌞🌞🌞 #12acres #smallholding #summer

Latest arrivals to TwelveAcres...meet Cheese and Pickle, our two pygmy goats! 🐐🐐 They're not happy about the weather at the moment 🌧 but will soon be out in the field when the sun finally arrives! 🌞🐐🐐😁 #pygmygoats #12acres #twelveacres #goats

A chilly start to the day here at -7°C 🥶🥶🥶

The newest addition to the flock...another 5 #ewes bringing our small #flock to 22 breeding ewes. A couple of weeks and Gordon (Ram-sey) the tup will go in and then fingers crossed for a strong lambing in 2023 ... #blackwelshmountainsheep #sheep #smallholding #12acres

Some poultry cheer after the latest reinforcements against the fox have been put in place.... Our home hatched Cayuga ducks released out with all the other birds 🦆🦆🦆 #cayuga #ducks #twelveacres.wales

There is a definite feel of Autumn in the air this morning but it is still beautiful 🌄🌤🍂

This little surprise arrived a few weeks ago. She's growing well and seems happy enough even though she's 2-3 months younger than all the other lambs! 🐑🐑🐑 #lambs2022 #blackwelshmountainsheep #12acres #twelveacres.wales

What a difference a bit of sunshine has made....now followed by lots of rain. 🌞🌥🌦🌧 Been quiet on here with lots of other things going on but we'll be posting more moving forward... 🌱🌻🍅

Llyn Efyrnwy (Lake Vrynwy) on a still day...just 4 miles from home and always stunning ... #lakevyrnwy #llynefyrnwy #twelveacres #wales #cymru

A tidy up and a bit of hedgelaying #hedgelaying #hedgerow #twelveacres

Must be something in the air...first (early) lambs and the miracle of two goose eggs. Thought the geese were boys...obviously not 😂😍 ... #springiscoming #lambing2022 #lambs #gooseegg #12acreswales

What a difference a few days make 🌞... jobs day today. Refelted the compost toilet roof and put the first couple of tree guards in to stop the geese eating the bark off of the fruit trees 🙄 Nice work in the sun....sheep moving tomorrow 🐑🐑🐑 #smallholding #12acreswales

Third storm done. Snow Saturday and flooding Sunday...maybe some 🌞🌞🌞 next please??? #storm #12acreswales #wetwales #smallholding

Latest arrival here at Twelveacres...6 new yearling and lamb Black Welsh Mountain 😍😍😍 sheep...#blackwelshmountainsheep #cymru #12acreswales #twelveacres

#Homegrown Sunday roast ready to pop in the oven 🐑🥕🧄🧅🌱 Can't wait to taste it 🤤 #sunday #roast #ciniodyddsul #growyourown #12acreswales

It's that time of the year already. With a shorter growing season here (due to climate) we try to get a headstart where we can. 🍅🥒🌶 These will mostly go on the heated bench in the greenhouse to get them going...except the sweetpeas. 🌱🌿🍀 #tomatoes #pepper #cucumber #growyourown #12acreswales

Checking in on the ewes...looks like we're going to have a decent number of lambs again this year starting in 7 or 8 weeks....🐑🐑🐑🐑 Exciting times...will keep you posted!! ... #blackwelshmountainsheep #lambing #lambs2022 #12acreswales #twelveacres

Finally bedded all of the kitchen garden raised beds down ready for #Spring. #Polytunnel and #greenhouse almost ready too...pics to follow later. 🍅🥒🫑 Early seeds ordered...watch this space as we start growing in 2022 ... #growyourown #growing #twelveacres #raisedbeds

#sunset down by the river ... #rivervrynwy #autumn #12acreswales #twelveacres

Not long until the Christmas one but the #Autumn #wreath has been made and is up outside the front door. 🌶🍂🍁 Things #homegrown, foraged and collect from around #twelveacres ... #fall #wreath #harvest #harvestfestival

Not every day is a great one. When you get home to find the #pigs have got out and dug up the next paddock. Fixing the #electricfence, returfing, trying to build a #pigproof feedstation and then whacking yourself on the head as knocking out half your tooth. ... It's okay...just 50 sheep to move between 2 fields tomorrow ... #getpigstheysaid #itwillbefuntheysaid #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres #berkshirepigs #berkshire

#halloween #pumpkin @twelveacres.wales

What an #autumn #harvest! 🌽🥕🍅🧅🌶🥦🥒🎃 We've had a really good year with our #homegrown #veggies this year. Now working out for next year what we had too much of and not enough of! ..... #growyourown #potager #kitchengarden #12acreswales #twelveacres

Autumn toadstool...didn't spot any fairies underneath it though 🍄🍄🍄 #autumn #toadstool #12acreswales #twelveacres #fungi

The days may be getting shorter but there have been some amazing #sunsets 🌄 As the light faded over the village church and our #polytunnel yesterday evening it definitely felt very autumnal 🍃🍂🍁 ... #12acreswales #twelveacres #autumn #sunset

Can't believe it's that time of the year already but it was #pumpkin #harvest here this week. A mix of Atlantic Giant and Becky 🎃🎃🎃 We used a bit of scrubland next to an outbuilding, laid down black plastic to stop the worst of the weeds, planted through it and hoped for the best 🎃🎃🎃 Pretty pleased with the outcome! ... #growyourown #halloween #12acreswales #twelveacres #atlanticgiant #smallholding

The new sign out at the gate with extras for sale from the #kitchengarden ...thanks @jillybeephotography for the artistic input! #growyourown #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres

Sometimes it's the little wins that give you a boost. This year's first home grown salad was so tasty and felt good to know it had just all come off the field. 🍅🥒🥔🥬🧅 #growyourown #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #tomato #cucumber #radish #lettuce

Last bales coming off the field, and into the barn to store, which has meant we have been able to put the wormed lambs back up in the top field🐑🌾🐏🌾🐑 Thanks to family and friends who helped with another round of firsts for us. Made all the difference in an otherwise very hot and very busy week to see some willing and able helpers to get us through ... #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #hay #makehaywhilethesunshines #blackwelshmountainsheep #friendshelpingfriends #grateful

These three pics sum up yesterday's activities. Talk about making hay while the sun shines...some great meadow hay (380 small bales). Just need to move them off the field now. 🌾🌾🌾 Sheep all sheared and feeling a lot cooler in the sunshine. Just need to move them back up to the top field once the hay is down. 🌞🐏🐑🙂 A hot, busy but productive day...and a lot of learning for how to make it all slicker next time. ... #smallholding #12acreswales #shear #makehaywhilethesunshines #bale #hothothot #learningonthejob #twelveacres

A few updates from us ove the last couple of days with happy animals, plants and the sunshine!! 🐷🍓🌱🌞🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🦢🐏 #gardening #12acreswales #smallholding #geese #pigs #growyourown #twelveacres.wales

This is today's...yes, just today's...strawberry harvest. 5 x 1L pots collected in a bucket = around 2kilos of strawberry deliciousness 🍓🍓🍓 Anyone else collecting their #strawberries in a bucket??? 🪣🪣🪣 #strawberry #strawberryfieldsforever #smallholding #growyourown #cymru

The #pigs are settling in now...still a bit shy but getting braver by the day 🐷🐷🐷 #pigsofinstagram #berkshirepigs #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #smallholding #cymru

I wish this picture felt as full as the polytunnel actually does. So much going on in here right now... 🥕🍓🍑🥝🧅🌼🌿 #gardening #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #cymru

What a beautiful evening yesterday with more of the same fantastic weather due today 🌞🌞🌞 The jobs at the end of the day always seem so much nicer in the sunshine and watching the goslings settle in before putting them to bed was an added bonus. 🐖🐤🐏 #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #cymru

Latest arrivals here on the #smallholding ...two #berkshire #pigs 🐷🐷🐷 Let's see what pigs are like to look raise over Summer now! 🐽🐽🐽 Named Bangers and Mash by our friends' son 🐖🐖🐖 #twelveacres.wales #12acreswales #pigsofinstagram #cymru

We love where we live 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 but I'm not going to lie...it is even nicer when the sun comes out! 🌞 ... This was on our dog walk yesterday evening along the side of the river just 2 minutes from us. ... #cymru #12acreswales #smallholding #twelveacres.wales #afon #river #dogwalking

Think we have one of the poshest compost toilets going...kitted out with working sink, solar power to run the light, water pump and even charge your phone. And check out the internal decoration extras we've added! .... Massive thanks to our friends who camped with us and got the building up ... A great addition to our camping offering at www.twelveacres.wales/camping ... #dunsterhouse #composttoilet #composting #twelveacres.wales #camping #12acreswales #cymru #nearlywildcamping #toilet

When you're not looking and the dog sneaks under the gate to play with his friend 🙄 ... #schnauzer #blackwelshmountainsheep #friends #friendshipgoals #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #cymru

What do you do when you grow too many #tomatoes ? Sell them of course...we have done this deliberately as we have with many things this year. We'll see what sells this year!! 🍅🍅🍅 #gatesales #twelveacres.wales #tomato #growyourown #12acreswales

Campers last weekend...a mix of heavy showers and beautiful sunshine but all in the peace and quiet! ... And our compost toilet is almost ready thanks to a load of help from them! ... #wildcamping #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru #twelveacres.wales

Our first ripe #strawberry 🍓 Trying out #polytunnel versus outside grown with two different varieties Will have to see if it tastes as good.as it looks 😋 ... #gardening #garddio #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #smallholding #growyourown

The latest arrivals at TwelveAcres...4 #sebastopol #goslings (google Sebastopol Geese and you'll see why 😍)... Under a heatlamp still at the moment More cute videos to follow I'm sure 🐤🦢...no #goose emojis ... #smallholding #geese #growyourown #twelveacres.wales #12acreswales #cymru

Yesterday evening was kind of a big deal...we let our flock of sheep into the top field 😁 That might not sound like much but to get there we have had weeks of hedge cutting, fence repairs, gap filling, chipping felled branches and making it all secure - something that hadn't been been done properly for 10+ years. 🐑🐑🐑 Plus we had our first lambing season ever to give us the nearly 50 sheep we had to 'herd' with lots of arm waving, running and positive thinking into their new home. 💪🏻😊👍🏻 #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #blackwelshmountainsheep #sheepofinstagram #smallholding #cymru #bigwins

As it's #nationalgardeningweek we thought we share a couple of pics of how our #polytunnel is doing. Our first full year this year and it is filling up quickly. 🌿🌾🌿 #Learning what works and doesn't and adapting ... The other end is full of our #seedlings and all things #germination ...will take some photos of that progress tomorrow! 🌱🌱🌱 #gardening #garddio #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #growyourown #firstpolytunnels

Another ongoing project but brought in a specialist for this one @carl_snare_excavations_uk ... all will become clear in a few weeks !

Happy National Asparagus Day!! Yes, it exists and is an actual thing... Although ours is only just showing and not yet ready to harvest we are very excited to have homegrown asparagus for the first time ... These were year old crowns planted twelve months ago so we can harvest some this year for the first time!! ... #asparagus #nationalasparagusday #growyourown #12acreswales #twelveacres #cymru

David has put our sweetpeas out in spots around the smallholding...here are the ones outside the rather full greenhouse - now with added third tier of shelving. 🌵🌴🌳🪴🌿🌱☘🍀 Sweetpeas were a flower David's grandad used to grow so a lovely reminder of him and a special plant to us. Hardened off for a while now so just need tying in. 🌸😍🌺 #twelveacres #twelveacresgardening #12acreswales #sweetpeas #growyourown #cutflowers #perfume #cymru

The first time this gate has opened in a long time...first time since we've been here at least. And like everything else, this small step forward took so much more time and effort than we'd expected ... Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks to find out more about why we've bothered 😉 ... #twelveacres.wales #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru #hardworkpaysoffs #excitingtimes

Just some neat snaps of the #lambs playing whilst we were out working on the land #12acreswales #smallholding #twelveacres.wales #cymru #blackwelshmountainsheep #lambing2021

New chicks on the block...latest feathered arrivals here at twelveacres 2 of each speckledys, russets and cheshire blue. ... Different coloured eggs from each ... #smallholding #chickensofinstagram #12acreswales #twelveacres #cymru #egg

Think the sheep and especially the lambs are pleased that the snow has gone so that they can enjpy their new field! Moved at the weekend to a fresh field of grass as they had outgrown the nursery paddocks...growing up so quickly ... #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #blackwelshmountainsheep #sheepofinstagram #cymru

Jumping on the snowy pic bandwagon 🥶 with a few snaps from checking on the sheep after seeing ❄ out of the window this morning ... All doing fine and the lambs have found innovative ways to stay warm and dry 🤣 ... #smallholding #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #blackwelshmountainsheep #snowday #cymru

Forced #rhubarb made into #crumble. First time forcing and it has been so good so far! ... #crimblecrumble #crumble #rhubarb #growyourown #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #smallholding #dessert

The cherry bomb and trailer serve us well for doing things around the place (and mowing grass!), however I still really crave a quad bike 😂😬!! #mountfield #quadbike

We've sold eggs from the gate for a while now and with #bantams #chickens and #ducks all laying full pelt we've started to deliver to our gardening customers too!! Wait till the geese arrive 🦢 (I know it's a swan emoji!) ... #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru #eggsofinstagram #growyourown

Easter weekend started sunny & busy chipping the trees we had to remove to sort out the largest field fence line ready for the lambs ... it then finished snowy with a chilled walk with the dog at Rhiwargor Falls - Lake Vyrnwy- one of our favourites 😊 #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #forst #fordranger #lakevyrnwy

Recent article in Herbs magazine about my experiences of #growing in a #polytunnel on our #smallholding ... The Herb Society is an educational charity that I am a trustee and Chair of and Herbs is our magazine ... #12acreswales #twelveacres.wales #herbs #twelveacresgardening #cymru #firstpolytunnels

Spring in #Wales...slight change in the weather this morning ... #snow #cymru #smallholding #12acreswales #springiscoming

Spring has sprung...except for the snow. These #daffodils are looking great in the new #hedgerow #garden... 🏵🏵🏵

A selection from yesterday's egg haul...from bantam hens to ducks. So many different sizes and colours! ... #smallholding #eggs #growyourown #ducks #12acreswales #cymru

When it's feeding time, the lambs get the zoomies. Playtime with friends! #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru #welshblack #lambing2021 #lambs

The #polytunnel is really making its money...salad, onions, strawberries and so much more... ... 🍑🍓🥝🥕🥬🧅 ... #firstpolytunnels #growyourown #12acreswales #smallholding #selfsufficiency

Cue cute lamb pics....our first ever lambs from our small flock of Black Welsh Mountain sheep...😍 Sure many more pics will follow as more lambs arrive #lambing2021 #blackwelshmountainsheep #cymru #12acreswales #smallholding

First homegrown #mushrooms 🍄... Let's see what they taste like 🤤 ... #growyourown #12acreswales #smallholding #selfsufficiency #cymru

Always a list of jobs to do on the #smallholding... ... Thia weekend just gone was replacing an old fallen section of stock fencing in the top field ... Cutting trees back, then posts and finally the fencing and barbed wire. Bit more to do around the field but we're getting there! ... #fencing #stockfencing #cymru #12acreswales

#potatoes chitting away getting ready for planting later on ...🥔 #chitting #growyourown #12acreswales #potato #smallholding

The #germination #experiment underway... #tomato and #pepper seeds coming through 🍅🌶🫑 We'll have to see whether sowing early is better than late!... #growyourown #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru

The #chickens "helping" as they're cleaned out 🙄🐔🐓 #thanksforyoursupport #backyardhens #cymru #smallholding #12acreswales

Life out and about here today. Exciting day as we had our #flock scanned to see how many #lambs we are expecting 😍 ... This was the set up we had ready. Looks like most of them are going to have #twins so I got overexcited and that's why there's no actual pictures of #sheep or the being scanned!!🙄 ... Watch out for picture of cute lambs coming soon! ... #smallholding #12acreswales #cymru #lamb #blackwelshmountainsheep

Been working our way through this mountain of #muck kindly delivered by a neighbouring #farmer 👨‍🌾🚜 ... Later than we would have liked to have got it done and hoping that the weather let's us finish the job this weekend 🤞 ... #12acreswales #cymru #smallholding #muck #nutrition #growyourown

Does it need a caption?? 🤣😜🐷🐖 ... #saddleback #pigsofinstagram #twelveacres #12acreswales #cymru

The heat bed wasn't getting up to temperature or staying there (not a surprise in this weather) so I built a cover using parts of broken old mini greenhouses and some bubblewrap. ... ... Not only has it worked but we have germination!! . . . #heatbench #propagation #12acreswales #growyourown #cymru

So it has been a bit chilly here recently...-7.6° INSIDE the polytunnel a couple of nights ago 🥶... #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru

The latest arrival....a wether lamb to keep Gordon the Ram company after tupping.. ... ... #blackwelshmountainsheep #12acreswales #cymru

Piggy Update 🐷...they are growing fast and making a muddy mess even faster...have to try not to lose you wellies ever day 🤣😬 #saddleback #pigsofinstagram #twelveacres #cymru

A cold one this morning..🥶 Greenhouse thermometer still says -1°C, chicken door frozen shut and all of the animals looking for some food to warm them up. #Polytunnel is holding up well though with courgettes, carrots, radishes etc. still going...

Latest arrivals to 12 Acres... four Saddleback piglets 😍🐷🐷🐷🐷 #pig #piglet #saddleback #12acreswales #smallholding

The latest addition to 12Acres...a small but perfect flock of 15 Welsh Black Mountain sheep and a sturdy ram (called Gordon)... ... He will go out with the ewes over the next week for lambs in March! ... #12acreswales #welshblack #sheep #mountainsheep #cymru #smallholding

Some of the #produce picked over the weekend including plenty of salad which we've made into boxes to sell and one *MASSIVE* purple carrot! ... #smallholding #growyourown #farmgate #carrots #cymru

Inside the polytunnel, these flowers sown from seed swapped with a relative in Germany...😍 Wow! #cosmos #flowers #12acreswales #cymru #polytunnel #growyourown

A complicated barricade (for novices anyway)...this, the new fencing in the second pic and repairs should make this a secure home for the 🐑 when they arrive... 🤞 #12acreswales #smallholding #fencing #sheep

New fencing is now in to make three new paddock areas....not long until they have some animals in them now! #12acreswales #smallholding #cymru #livestock

When even your onsite 4x4 wants to get closer to nature! Not sure how we mow that 😂 #12acreswales #greengrass #cymru #smallholding

Who said it always rains in Wales?? The kitchen garden is getting a good watering at least! #twelveacres #wales #smallholding #cymru

The polytunnel is literally buzzing with new flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs....

So we've started offering wild camping www.campinginmidwales.com Volunteer opportunities coming soon...bed and board for some hard graft for our upcoming projects...watch this space for more info or dm if you're interested

Latest arrivals here...4 #muscovy #ducks to keep the indian runner that we hatched company. 🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆 #12acreswales #cymru #smallholding

Sunset shot from earlier in the year 😍

It's been so nice to get out and about again...quick walk up to the #waterfall with the #foxglove flowers just going over

New arrivals this week...first kohl rabi, 9 new Rhode Island Red chickens and the first couple of fantastic flowers on the climbing rose...

Getting the site ready for our first wild campers...