Hey we're Gary & Gita and together with our daughter In 2018 we left the UK and moved to the middle of a forest in deepest north Latvia to start looking after and managing the smallholding/homestead and the forest.
There's a lot of work to do and we want to become more self sufficient following principles that allow us to work with nature to produce abundant and nutritional food and live a more self sufficient lifestyle.
Follow our new adventure as we make the most we can from our land and experiment with ecology and technology on our 50ha of land and forest.
As well as the usual homesteading type videos we'll introduce you to all things Latvian such as crafts, culture and food so expect recipes, dancing, knitting, beautiful landscapes and much more!
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Always next year! I wonder how many Homesteaders and Farmers say that…it’s so true and quite forward looking and positive Friend. Stay connected!
Thank you :)
Mr. Garry here with a BIG LIKE for you Brother! We all have highs and lows. We hope and For More HIGHS!
I am trying to grow Sargam Sudan , red clover, buckwheat together ( inter cropping ) will it work. I have lots of sun & unlimited water (river)
I’m sorry for your losses. I wonder if Neem oil would help with the onion fungus issue?
Thank you for the update video you never can predict how things are going to grow good or bad. You can only do what you can to help it along.
Too bad about the failures. I see bare soil everywhere :) I would recommend to really focus on making more compost to keep the soil covered. Nodig is as much about that as it is about not digging. It really helps with the weed suppression especially.
Yeah I simply can’t produce enough for my size garden, even with the upgraded compost area I have planned. I always knew this and have hinted in other videos I need a compost sponsor :) You can’t buy real compost here it’s all peat based substrates as Latvia is a producer. I wouldn’t get too hung up on whether ‘no dig’ needs compost or not, that’s just one variant - it’s literally about minimum soil disturbance it’s just that our soil type would greatly benefit from organic matter. We’ll get there in the end. To contrast this see previous video where I showed the garden on the other side that has done incredibly well.
Most frustrating aspect of gardening, the depressing realisation you are not omnipotent.
Fantastic video. I've got a handful of roller derby players that turn to me for diy heath advice. Would this method of making calcium more bioavailable be useful for human consumption?
I wouldn’t like to say to be honest. There’s probably better ways to get more calcium into your body.
I love your trellises! You’ve done a wonderful job and things are growing amazingly well! When do you expect your first frost?
It can be anytime from 1st September but more likely mid September.
Everything is looking really nice & as always keep up the great work 👍🏻
Very impressed in what you have achieved in just five weeks. I have struggled to grow anything this year in the UK, everything has been so slow. Really enjoy your channel, thank you for sharing with us.
This is the good side, not everything is as good as this :) I’ll talk about the other side in another video.
Thank you for the tour in your greenhouse -great project, thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us out there! My tomatoes (just 10 plants in total, 7 varieties) are now setting fruit perfectly but also missed out on their first one to two flowering clusters foe no specific reason. To me it seemed to be most likely that there were pollinators missing at first but in retrospect it could've also been a very harsh change in late spring temperatures from lower than 10°C to almost 35°C over two weeks. Additionally this was right after I planted the seedlings from the pot into the garden beds so maybe the transplanting process was also a relevant factor. The varieties that do best here are the new German hybrid 'Primabella' (sweet cherry tomato) and 'Tschernij Prince'. I'm looking forward to seeing some great updates throughout the year! Greetings from Germany Walt
Thanks Walt. Yes I’m sure it was those temps or the transplant shock.
In Sweden in the old days they used to call Birch trees for "poor man's cow" because of the sap it provided... A very versatile tree and the sap taste so good!
That’s interesting, yes it does indeed!
and ireland and poland then tunnels
I was born in Latvia during WW2 and left shortly after so my knowledge of the metric system is very limited. Would have been so nice to have the recipe in terms I would understand. I love this delightful little snack!
Hi. Metric can be converted into imperial very easily, cups don’t work as it’s a volume measurement. I know lots of other American Latvians who have made them successfully using this recipe :)
Unique to Latvia? Seriously? And, at the same time you managed to miss what is actually unique (at least in the popularity) - smoked eelpout.
Never heard of it, nor had my wife, but it’s not exactly unique to latvia, it’s not all that common now due to historical over fishing. Most folk ewt rhe lamlrey eel - negis.
@@BalticHomesteaders It's becoming less common especially because of the spread of cormorants, who used to be rare in the past. But, if you drive from Jurmala to Roja, you'll pass several small fish shops, and from there you should still be able to get it. When Latvians come to fish in Estonia, they are so desperate to trade any eelpouts the locals have caught, that it has deserved the nickname "Latvian eel".
Nice.. you just need a 4 row version.
Now that’s an idea!
Thanks for the updated video everything is looking like it's growing good 👍🏻
Geothermal will heat or cool, but you will need to deal with condensate.
Thankypu will try...
The ''Tangzhong'' made a difference in how long they stay soft. Only question I have, if I'd double the recipe, would I need to double the ''Tangzhong '' too or use the same amount? Thanks
Yes double it up. Re how long it lasts difficult to say as they’re usually all eaten up but at least a coupe of days. Can also freeze them.
Cant beat a cheap hoe!
Holy moly, you should make a one hour video of you talking about gardening, anything about it really. It would make great background sounds, or be a tremendous sleep aid, or at worst be a good listen about gardening. Your slow, comforting voice is perfect.
It’s not always so slow and comforting but if I’m reading scripts then it’s better. I’ve studied storytelling so maybe it’s from that. I’m not sure that me being a sleep aid is a compliment haha 😜
@@BalticHomesteaders I meant it as a compliment, I should have chosen my words more carefully. There are many people, and I myself, that put videos on when we go to sleep. I don't like to listen to the same video twice, so finding new, sleep aid-worthy content can be challenging
Now that's thinking outside of the box & it works very well. Always use what's available or around you 👍🏻
I like your workshop Gary…..it looks fine….it all comes together and will function perfectly!
Thanks 👍
Like 24 here for you from Mr. Garry and Mrs. Betty! Well done Gary….chickens do like to run!
sorry if this is mentioned somewhere but I was wondering what the dimensions of the timber for the roof trusses is?
I used 120mm x 45mm cls
Thanks for the recipe, couldn’t ask my grandma how debessmanna was made before she passed so this is really helpful for younger generations aswell ❤
How long does the reaction need in your experience? Good to hear, that it doesnt need a ratio of 1:10 shells:vinegar, like other sources say. We have lemons growing here so i will try that also. For now half a kilo of eggs are sitting in their brew, dancing and stinking! :D
How long it takes depends on a number of things so it’s hard to say but once it’s completely stopped gassing it’s done.
Good and thank you, but your 10+ minute video is competing with a reel that is 1 minute long.
I don’t compete with reels, both forms have their audiences :)
I'm sure they will enjoy it and little bit more room. Good job 👍🏻
Good job on the chicken run! Some of my crazy chickens will hop up on a 5’ fence and then hop out. Their run is too big to put bird netting on.
I divided the vegetable garden into two equal areas of 150 m2 on the right and left side of the chicken coop with run. In one year I grow vegetables in one area and the second is a cover crop pasture for chickens. Cover crops and chickens are building soil for whole year and in the next year I grow vegetables in previous chicken/cover crop area. I'm also planning to add Muscovy ducks for meat.
That’s a great idea!
Not the most glorious thumbnail i have to admit
What were you hoping for?😂
Or... you could just get some calcium acetate.
You could but this was about reusing what you already have at hand.
Great series of videos! I particularly appreciate the 'warts and all' approach we learn so much more from that. One thing I have missed though is why you don't appear to have a thermal mass on that back wall? You mentioned in an early video that you intended to use rock for this and I have a tonnes of concrete waste I was hoping to utilise in my design.
I still haven’t got round to building it. I kept changing my mind about it is the long and short of it and still haven’t worked out what I want to do. The rocks idea is still my favourite despite it being a long old slog to get that done. Blue barrels are in short supply here and maybe if I could get some I might be tempted to rethink how water could work for me. For you if concrete waste is on hand then I’d make the most of it. What’s your climate and winters like?
Understood - yes it could be difficult to build. I'm thinking of gabions (steel cages) to contain the concrete rubble to help keep it contained and reduce the footprint it requires. Our climate is very variable here in the UK - but without the extremes of temperature you have. The main problem in the NW of England is the wind and rain as we are on the coast - hence looking for a greenhouse to extend my growing season and overwinter tender dwarf trees such as oranges, lemons and olives
@@kevinholloway411 also I enjoy the space behind when pruning etc. I think also because it’s a 3 season greenhouse it’s been less of a concern and also our spring was much earlier this year. Gabions are a good solution, have you done the maths on what sort of mass you need, I understand rock etc needs 3 times more than water, I think you’d get away with water over there, it would need to be consistently minus for a long time for barrels to freeze inside.
@@BalticHomesteaders I haven't done the calculations but it is as much about trying to recycle the waste materials I have as getting absolute maximum efficiency. I'm looking at a 300x50x50cm gabion product which is quite cost effective at £75 and can be stacked. Alternatively I guess I could put one or two of these at the bottom and have water tanks on top as well...
@@kevinholloway411 yeah the combo is a great idea.
I subbed and came back for that big bed of garlic. I planted 450 last fall. Your curing it outside in direct sun? I’m new to growing garlic . Your red garlic is beautiful, ☀️🍀💦🐝❤️
Thanks. Yes we did or have done in the past. I think some folk just lie them on the ground for a few days.
That is some stout mulch! 👍
Food for thought! Thanks for the video! 👍
Great tips, thanks!
Very good points 👍🏻
Do u find the Latvians more tech oriented than Liths or Estonians?
Not especially, hard to say really. I know Estonia is very digitally minded. I know others here in Latvia that have smart greenhouses too.
Thanks for your great videos!
Glad you like them!
As a woman age 65 I just lack physical strength to lift some heavy stuff and need to ask others politely for help. Some issues identified and willing to pay money for help. But I am flexible and intend to get a mini excavator as well as other machinery. A second dog for protection would be good too. Greetings from Germany.
Well you’ve established friendships you can call on for help so that’s great!
@@BalticHomesteaders Yes, friends and neighbors get products from my garden as well as other help I can give in exchange. Also I do some teaching as a graduated biologist and professional gardener but am always open to learn.
@@katipohl2431 do you follow the work of Dr Elaine Ingham? I’ve become quite fascinated by soil science since moving here, I was more a physics guy previously, well still do the electronics and smart stuff seen in other videos.
I never heard of Ludgale in LATVIA like ever, thought I born in Latvia, I'm Latvian. You mean Latgales salad? Perhaps, cause Ludgale , there no Ludgale in Latvia.... thanks for recipe
You’re right but also the first to mention it, I have corrected it. Thanks.
@@BalticHomesteaders Happy to do so. Thanks for recipe again, I love cooking, I love to cook healthy good meals for my self. I like to eat thanks
I've learned that 51% or more beef, compared to the dry weight of other foods, is the same as 100% beef to make positive health changes. Minimum 100 days and the changes are more noticeable during the last month and a half. If you at 51% beef previously, even 20 years ago, that is included in your 100 days. Avoid other meats since they have a 1:1 ratio. A couple of beef entrees a day will get you over 51%. Also, 100 days of garlic will improve some health conditions. It only takes a piece of garlic. Also, castor oil on 51% of your skin daily for only 2 months will improve all of your skin. You can mix some in with your lotion to make it easier to spread.
Good info, thanks. I had a nice steak tonight :)
You did a really good list 👍🏻 only 3 little suggestions with in addition to communication will be navigation how to properly read a map with a compass. Maybe trapping can fall under hunting category as well. Having multiple caches in different locations.
"You never know what kind of situation will come up." <= So true! 👍The homestead izskatās brīnišķīgi!
Great recipe sir and I'm planning to work in lativa
Oh what are you going to do? In Riga?
@@BalticHomesteaders may be in restaurant as a waiter service
@@BalticHomesteaders why did you move in lativa from uk sir although it is great country
@@BattlefieldSoldierYT wife’s family are here, needed care.
@@BalticHomesteadersdo you think lativa is better than uk in terms of living sir
Also my favorite thing to grow - onions! I seem to have better luck with onions than anything else. You gardens look great. Never mind the few losses. Everything else looks really good.