We ran another smallholding course today for a fabulous couple from Reading, all set to start looking for a smallholding to give them and their four children a life connected with real food, fresh air and muck!!! It was a beautiful day, the animals behaved (well, aside from the cows who each time we walked near them, sauntered off to graze somewhere else!!) and we over-ran by two hours: a record even for Jack!!
Part of the day was spent looking at finances and we worked out, VERY roughly, that last year (and ignoring capital expenditure) we were just £5000 in the red. If you consider how much people spend on meals out, evenings in the pub, holidays etc, £5000 isn’t much to be 'spending' on something you love. We are under no illusions that we will ever make money from what we do here on our land!
Maintaining the same level of loss or even reducing it, will be challenging as fees from Jack's writing were quite substantial last year compared to what they will be this year (thanks to no longer writing for one magazine) but in theory we should be spending less too (as we are now year 3 and ought to need less of some things).
Plus, course numbers are up and we have no plans to buy in any new stock....
This year time next year it will be interesting to make a comparison!!