TOUR of our 3 ACRE FARM
Vložit
- čas přidán 15. 08. 2022
- In today's video I'm taking you on a TOUR OF OUR FARM!
Join me as I stroll around our 3 acre farm and tell you all about our off grid home including...
- OUR OFF GRID SOLAR SYSTEM
- How we get WATER OFF GRID
- Our RENOVATION PLANS for the future
& more!
If you enjoy watching, please LIKE THE VIDEO to help my channel grow & SUBSCRIBE if you're not already.
Join me in 2 weeks time for my next video where I'll be adding gates to our property to help contain the dogs!
Thanks for watching :-)
Ricky x
#farmtour #offgrid #portugal
This place Is so lucky to have found young, sensible, intelligent people like you, to look after it . The cottage is a fairytale, the granite walls are stunning , beautful wells. darling trees. So good to hear you are using lime mortar and original materials, Dogs coudn't look happier . Thankyou for all your positive energy.
Thanks Patrizia. What a lovely comment 😊
Actually they don't strike you as particularly intelligent....more simple people....full of blarney.
As a retired Organic farmer, my thoughts if you're interested, regarding the land areas would be: as far as the grass in concerned, as much as you're mid summer and in some drought conditions, something we're used to here in Australia, you would do better keeping a bit more grass cover. I know it seems counter intuitive, but now you have the level down, its important to keep a reasonable amount of ground cover. This will help the trees and reduce the soil temperature, it'll also keep the surrounding areas cooler and prevent weed invasion. If you plan to have livestock to help with the grass, you need very good fencing for sheep and excellent fencing for goats and goats are browsers, rather than grazers and will eat anything and everything. You would also need to be able to rest areas and allow grass regrowth for feed.
Ideally graze/slash/mow it as it just starts to put on seed head this will depend on what grass types you have and space available, this will stop it going rank and encourage it to regrow, even in summer. Its a fine balance between soil health, feed for grazing and keeping snakes and fire risk to a minimum. Ideally managing the grass growth will help keep it greener for longer and that in turn reduces fire risk. A 'pond' is a lovely feature it's nice to have, but it will increase the snake risk.
Feel free to ask if you want any help with these types of things. Oh and I'd forget the grid... ive just upgraded our solar and although still connected, we are basically independent power wise. Consider putting solar on the house roof it has the added bonus of reducing heat convenction into the roof tiles and therefore the house.
You're on an adventure that I started about 15 years ago with some really good bones in the property to work with. Look forward to watching your journey.
Very good advice. I am no farmer but I am interested in regenerative agriculture and the principals brought to the world by the likes of Alan Savory.
When you raise the roof on the main building you may want to consider putting windows along the top that can open to allow circulation and to let hot air out like a transom window. It can add light to the interior as well
High windows tucked under roof line under veranda. Hot air will escape and diffused light will enter, not direct sunlight.
I would not do that. That will create a problem in the winter when you need to keep the house warm. People tend to forget that Portugal is not the tropics and where they are winters can be quite cold and uncomfortable. In fact I would say they need heating for longer than they need cooling. The really hot weather is only in July and August.
@@johnnyd.7998 well, a window can be closed, so there would not be a problem during the winter. But in the summer you can open the window, and then the hot air can escape.
@@SerialBagmakers Well depends on the window, the heat in the winter is lost to the outside mostly by radiation through the panes of closed windows so your argument is only partially valid.
Double insulated windows under the roof line that close tightly would be like any other window in a house.
For future reference, in case you need it, that device in the well is called a "nora" in Portuguese.
Ricky you are an incredible guy. Would love to be your assistant with the renovations. Great to see Teddy and Poppy. What an amazing adventure you are all embarking on.
The heat is something you will have to acclimatize too if you're going to live in an area that isn't foggy, drizzling, coastal. Follow the locals lead. As the old saying goes, When in Rome! In Your case, When in Central Portugal 🇵🇹 😉 P.S. It's hot everywhere this summer. Record high temperatures around the world. You have some very nice property. Lots to do for sure. As far as Poppies spay & the "cone of shame" goes, I've had at least 4 females spayed & 2 males neutered and none of them bothered their incisions. The hardest thing is to keep them from jumping & playing too rough. She'll be fine! 💕🐾🐕
Nice tour and good plan for moving forward. That's a very nice property. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
Poppy is a great addition to the farm!!
Have a good week!! 😊
💕 Poppy
WOW, its all going to be so lovely. Try sleeping one night in your olive grove under the stars. The scent from the trees pre-dawn is hauntingly beautiful! Your first dog is loving the newcomer. So good to see. Thanks Rick for another well constructed video😊
So many abandoned farms in beautiful central Portugal! And so many Brits moving there! I'm jealous because I'm in America and can't make that big a move. Best of luck to you ! I'll enjoy watching :)
Both of your stone buildings look excellent. Your kindness and actions with Poppy are unbelievable.
The property is looking really great.
There is enough to do.
The swimming pool is a great +.
Looking forward to the coming vlogs.
Love the music. Have a great week. A cuddle for the dogs.
Brilliant plot, really nice place, I can't wait to see you start on all these projects
Me too!!
Gosto deste casal.
Gosto do trabalho que teem feito na casa e no terreno, e tambem gosto de ver o amor com que tratam os seus caes! 💖🐶🐶🌱
Sounds like you'll be very busy for quite a while. Can't hardly wait to see the transformation.
Three videos were enough to notice your courage, wisdom and kindness. I praise your courage to embrace such a hard effort (cleaning, renewing, building...). Welcome to this country. We need people like you, who can appreciate the potencial of our abandoned inland. Thank you.
Such a lovely and thoughtful message Joao, thank you
Thank you Joao. Such a kind comment. I really appreciate it ☺️
It’s a fabulous property and your plans sound great. Very enjoyable video. Glad Poppy’s doing well.😁
Always things to do. It never ends. It will be interesting to see how it will look a year from now. I think Ricky you got this figured out. Harriet and i will come along this journey with moral support.
.Love you all. 💖💖💖 Harriet, Jim and Yuki. Richmond, Va.
your property and plans are absolutely beautiful. Cannot wait to see all your changes :) glad to hear the pups are doing well
So glad that I stumbled across your channel. Looking forward to watching your progress. Your segments are well shot without being gimmicky. Stay well, cheers Michael
Hi Guys, Enjoying your posts, we have lived here in Portugal since 2018 near Rio Maior, your plans are great there will be a lot of work to complete your plans but it is all achievable, my wife and I are a bit more advanced in years than you are but if you are careful everything is achievable as your youth and energy will pay off in being able to complete all your plans. If we can help you in terms of advice and support please let us know .
Good luck
For me, this is paradise. May I ask the cost to purchase property like this. Availability for building materials also. Great job!
You've made big plans and I'd love to see them worked out. In the past years Portugal came in the news with children who felt down in a well or put. Those water puts were unsafe, not protected with wooden planks or lids. I hope you make youre wells and puts safe, also for the dogs.
Perhaps in the future you may have guests or relatives with small children, so I had the feeling to warn you for that.
See you next time.
Living in the US with all of the issues right now certainly makes me want to live a life as you all do!
The dust from the strimming looks horrid. Well done on getting the job done. My sheltie has recently had an operation, and I got her baby vests to wear as the cone of shame is so uncomfortable for a dog. Thank you for the tour.
Another lovely video. Love your filming style and it’s very interesting to see your land and hear your future plans.
Beautiful property ! Check out Barbados sheep. They’re “hair” sheep, so don’t need to be clipped and are supposed to be very hardy.
Interesting! I’ll have a look. Thanks for the tip 👍🏼
Just discovered your channel. Your property is lovely and your plans sound terrific! I live in California so a stone building hundreds of years old to renovate is unheard of. I look forward to seeing more videos of your progress. The sweet dog you rescued is adorable!
Cheers to you both in your new adventure!
Well done video! Looking forward to seeing more.
Really touching to watch little Miss Poppy & Teddy playing so carefree at the end of the video. I’m so happy for you guys - wonderful property & a lovely base for a content and happy life. Thanks for sharing parts of it with us & best of luck for all there is to come from a fellow dog-lover with three Indian dogs rescued/ gifted from the streets of Pune, now happily living in Europe. 😊🐾🙏
Love your home tour. It's such a lovely and serene place to live. The buildings have so much potential. Enjoy watching the dogs play around. It's the best life! It will take a lot of work to complete your to do lists for sure. It could be overwhelming so try not to stress yourself in the hot weather. Enjoy the journey they say. You have done well so far. Thanks for sharing!
Such a great project you‘ve started there! What I really like about it, is that you‘re not only taking something, but you‘re also giving something back to the „place“! I wish you all the best and luck! Keep the faith!
Hi there, it's great to see you again. Yes a great danger with the dry weather and lots of hard work. Goats and sheep get on well together and would be great fun,with the sheep there is the shearing to take into account. Great well system.. great interesting vlog,looking forward to seeing you build the cabin. Take care see you soon xx
Looking forward to watching you two bring your farm up to date and shipshape! Good luck with your endeavors! 👏😁👍
Thanks for showing us around! Any chance you could do a diagram noting the different spots in relation to each other? That would help me for sure. 😀. Or aerial shots would work, too. You’re both amazing!
Good too see you back
Beautiful property I loved the video looking forward to more very interesting
You have a really lovely property. Beautiful, relatively flat land with loads of established trees, and that big water tank is a real bonus! Thanks for the tour. Looking forward to seeing the cabin build.
Hi Ricky, Victoria, and the cute fur babies, Love your plans for the property, buildings and bringing in sheep down the line. What you've accomplished so far is admirable. So much to learn and energy to put into the next phase but you are determined I can tell. Love seeing your dogs having so much fun. Poppy was a good find and definitely a wise choice to keep her on the farm.🐈🐑
Hi Ricky, the ground looked so dry, and you worked so hard to reduce the risk of fire. Like the idea of a pond with duckies. Interested what the property cost, and how you got to be able to live in Portugal. Ie what permission do you need. Good luck with the renovations. Tony UK xx
I'm interested in this too, it could be a great idea for a video ;)
@@thomasinasmith3272 Hi, let me know if you do a video. 😀
eline emeğine sağlık bu güzel vlog için kolay gelsin hayırlı işler....👍👍👍👍
The dogs look so happy playing together!
What a beautiful property. I can't wait to watch you bring your visions to life.
Great video and tour..enjoyed!
You take wonderful care of your animals!!! The best of luck with all your plans for your land, home, sheep, farming!!!
Great plans! Glad to see the photo of Victoria in the video. Teddy and Poppy have a wonderful place to run free. See you next video.
Hi from Bangor Co.Down Northern Ireland 👋... looks a lovely piece of land
I'm a descendant of Elizabeth sands & William ratcliffe any relation ?
Quite a large lot. Can’t wait to see the progress of your property over time! ✌️
Your property is perfect . Different areas for different purposes and great manageable size❤ congrats!
What exciting projects you have in mind …I can actually visualise the end result in my mind…looking forward to watching them evolve 🥰🥰🥰🇬🇧
Totally agree with building a pond - I've seen others in Portugal do it and they've used a digger to dig it out. PS: don't rush to sign up to on grid electric, the prices are so so high at the moment! - also, for sheep, speak to 'Farmer for Fun' for goats check out 'Quinta Fonta da Pippa'.
Great Video! You brought us great anticipation for next videos. Looking forward in journeying with you & the family! Cheerios from Michigan 🌼🌼🌼 🥰
Thank you so much for giving us a full tour of your property ❤️❤️❤️ The dogs look so happy 😃
Well, you've got a great space there and a lot of interesting plans. I hope it all comes together for you. Will be very interested to see things progress.
great project you've got going, and well done video Ricky
All sounds very exciting, can’t wait to see the progress.
Do some swales or lines to retain the water in the winter and filter to the soil, because you're on a hill whenever it rains the water will go down, more trees also help with both the water retention and prevent evaporation. You're in a good place to do some beekeeping.
If you have some carob trees, there's some profit there as it's expensive around here.
Some bushes around the house will help with soil retention.
We just found your channel and are enjoying. We are moving to central PT in October.
I have been warned by Portuguese people that you must get permission to enlarge or build new buildings. There are some exceptions but definitely worth getting clarification in writing first.
Keep up the good work.🤓
Beautiful property and such charming houses. I don’t understand why you want to build a tiny cabin before you start working on the smaller building….why don’t u stay where you are while u build smaller building? And then switch around? Beautiful family thank you for inviting a new member in your family!
Great property, great plans. The pups look content and happy. Enjoyed the tour!
Glad to hear Poppy is doing well. It all sounds very exciting all the plans you have for your home,I look forward to following your journey. I'm sure Theo from the indie projects will give you plenty of advice and help as regards pointing the stone work,he has done a fabulous job on his and Bee's barn conversion.x
Nothing much to add to the other friendly comments left for you. 14 years ago my wife and I packed it in and moved to Europe. I do enjoy the kindness, intelligence and energy you two put into this new life. I subscribed today and decided to watch the videos in order. Best of luck.
Love watching you struggle with that weed whacker! Get a scythe and you'll find that you actually enjoy tending that grass. Not only is the scythe faster than a weed whacker, but it's lighter, quieter, and doesn't require so much upkeep. Might take you a bit to get used to, but there are plenty of videos on youtube that show how to use one and you're in the right area to buy one brand new.
As for a cover over your pool, think about putting up a shade roof. Think of it like a large bit of arbor except that you don't grow anything on it. We used to use them when I was in the greenhouse business because they work great at keeping the place shaded and cool but aren't nearly as costly as putting up a solid roof. You can give the pool plenty of protection from evaporation and reduce the heat by 50% or more depending on how closely spaced the pieces are.
My husband uses a scythe on our land here in Brittany France 🇫🇷
@@maryannklein2235 That's fantastic!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful property and plans for the future. I know that building with stone is much more labour intensive, but you seem to have an abundant supply and there is nothing like the permanence of stone. It is what makes Portugal and other European places so appealing. Here in British Columbia, most buildings are wood, which means there is no sense of permanence or history. Buildings and houses made of wood often don’t last even one generation. As I enjoy following Bea and Theo’s adventures, I look forward to following you and Victoria. Good luck to you both.
Pond sounds like a great idea. Maybe look into putting swales onto your property? The overflow from them can be used to fill the pond, they filter out sediment and you can grow trees on them. As for keeping the pond clear, a sediment trap where water enters will make a huge difference. If issues arise you could use a solar powered aerator :)
Thanks Ricky for the tour. It's brilliant!
I absolutely love your property... 2 wells, the lay of the land, all the fruit and olive trees, berry bushes...and the buildings are not total ruins. Also you're ideas for renovation and the land are excellent...you also have a good understanding of the work involved, are young and passionate about these projects, all win win for success. I can see after many years this property will be exquisite, brimming to the full with gardens, an abundance of food, some animals...your own heaven on earth...and I so look forward to watching every step of the way. Stay well and continued blessings on your journey. ❤
Thx for the tour, the homestead is awesome. Those water tanks/turned into pools are all over Spain as I'm sure you know. And no one covers them! So every year come June they have to clean out all the debris, leaves, duck/bird poop, creatures, etc. I used to say that someone could make a fortune creating a pool cover business :)
Thank you! Yeah I wouldn’t consider having it without a cover. They get filled with so much debris
Your videos are so soothing. Thank you 🙏
You have a well thought out plan that is very doable. Would add -- look at your neighbors -- even a km or 2 away and see if they raise sheep and are looking for additional grazing land. You might be able to work with a farmer who will graze your land while you do the renovations. Sheep can be easy but do have a number of problems -- such as parasites. You can learn from the farmer while he cares for the sheep and you can mostly dedicate yourself to the renovation. The rent you might charge is a lamb per year -- that he raises until you finish your renovations and can then build the infrastructure for the sheep (fencing, shelter, etc). That way you do not put out money for the sheep and you know their health. Will be waiting for your next video :o)
Snakes are around the well for one very good reason.................. WATER................ Some how, layout an area (spot) for "snake drinking"...........
Your plans sound amazing x so wonderful for you to do it all together x it will be a great experience for you both x. get the goats - milk and cheese will be a great addition to your veggies and fruit
Just subscribed to your CZcams. My wife and I live in a Senior retirement center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. We are in our side to late seventies. Our names our Dale and Gloria Hansen. We are enjoying your adventures settling in Portugal. Wishing you both God's Blessing in your life.
Inspirational! Thank you!
Start making your own wine 😂😂😂 that would be my priority. Absolutely gorgeous place !
Beautiful property! Great plans. I’m looking forward to watching your plans come to fruition. Excellent video. Thank you.
You may want to look up Gley technique for sealing ponds by using ducks. Lots of sources out there to help you develop a great pond.
You can get Alpaca to keep the grasses down. And you can sell their wool too.
Looks like you two are living your dream. My wife and I are living our dream on a mountain in Western North Carolina USA up at 4,000 feet over looking a small town. We moved here in 2008 in February. We had only seen snow about twice in our life. But tthe next morning when we woke up there was 5 inches on the ground, we felt like kids out playing in the snow.
Thanks for the tour , I love your place ,
Your property is so pretty. I can't wait to see your plans come to frition.
Really enjoy your videos!
Thank you Rick for the update on the farm. Thank you so much for the tour on the farm. Looking forward to more Vlogs. One project at the time. Lots of Love to you all. Doris 🇦🇺🦘
Thanks so much for the tour! Lovely plans for a beautiful land!
Great video, Ricky!
Look forward to seeing your progress. I love rural Portugal . Wish you all the best. I have subscribed. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Thank you for the tour, your property is beautiful. 💖
Lovely place, I was thinking how about for your new building rammed earth could be something to look at low cost fire proof green seems a natural fit for your land.
Thanks, really enjoyed it. 👍🏼
Love your farm 💕
Love your channel and so looking forward to watching your plans become reality. Best of luck with all!
I have to disagree with lacy of little robin - Because front dewclaws serve an important purpose, they should not be removed unless there is a very good reason to do so. In rare cases, a dog’s dewclaw may be severely injured or develop a disease (e.g., a cancerous tumor) and removal under those circumstances would certainly be in the dog’s best interests. These problems occur so infrequently, however, that removing healthy front dewclaws to prevent them makes little sense. Please don’t remove them! And again, best of luck and can’t wait for the next installment ❤️☮️❤️☮️
Thanks for the property tour. Looking forward to following the progress.
Beautiful place, great plans.
Enjoyed the tour, beautiful property. Thank you.
Love all the plans, can’t wait to see it evolve.
Love your farm and your plans for the future.
Again, I loved your video.
Great plans cant wait to follow along the journey!
The stone wall is amazing!
I’m loving your ideas for your property. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful 💛
Enjoying your story. Thanks for sharing.
Nice job...you've got my attention. Thanks for the doggie updates!!!