After a few very busy months, back and forth between countries visiting friends and family, we’re back with a new video sharing a few updates we’ve been doing to make life a little easier on the homestead. This content is from September, and we still have a lot to share about a lot of progress we’ve made on the cabin too, so make sure to subscribe to our channel and click the notification bell to catch all our future videos, as they’re released.
[OUR TOOL KIT]
POWER TOOLS:
We use Dewalt battery powered, cordless tools:
Availabel here: https://amzn.to/3V9i1ME
SECATEURS:
Okatsune 103 Japanese blade pruning secateurs
Available here: https://amzn.to/3XCdNi7
In the UK, also available from a a small retailer in Hereford called Silky Fox Saws: http://www.silkyfox.co.uk/okatsune-pruning-secateurs.php
[CONTACT US]
dannykatiesmith@gmail.com
@smithsdale_farm
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We’re building a 8 sqm tiny house, to serve as a temporary home as we renovate the stone almacén in Spain into the home of our dreams.
Subscribe to our channel to watch our journey here on YouTube, as we document the full build process of our cabin, the barn conversion tiny house build, and establishing our homestead using regenerative agriculture and permaculture techniques.
And follow us over on Instagram for more behind the scenes snaps and clips too – @smithsdale_farm – https://www.instagram.com/smithsdale_farm
[CATCH UP]
– CABIN BUILD SERIES PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNtmCnxLC7fTKmQu_chzA2yDidO-Lo0WG
Check out some of other videos and playlists about buying land in Spain, and the property we’ve purchased to build our off grid tiny house:
– ONE YEAR OFF GRID ROUND UP: https://youtu.be/x63pXspgjx4
– LAND TOUR: https://youtu.be/GpDWLPhtxxE
About Us:
We’re Danny and Kate. In 2015 we moved from the UK to Barcelona, and after a few years enjoying the busy city, sunny beaches and snow-capped mountains it’s time for a new adventure. We’ve recently bought land in Spain, in the mountains of Catalunya, to build a mortgage free tiny house and start a self-sustainable off-grid homestead to live off the land.
Music: Artlist.io
[Note: We use affiliate links for some products that we recommend. We earn a small commission if you decide to purchase, but it is at no additional cost to you]
24 Comments
Why use time and money on shredding off cuts.? Not so eco friendly! Leave the bundles on the ground for insects and birds to nest in.
Good video woodchips will come in handy mulching veg beds
Hi guys! I really liked seeing how the air propagation works, I am definitely going to try this next year on some of my fruit trees. The stairs are looking great, will be very useful especially on wetter days! Looking forward to seeing what you do next. Greetings from Tenerife!
If there's a small ditch nearby, put those dead branches in the ditch, cover with the green chips add water and you will get some very nice compost. You could aff any fruits that fell, or fall over winter to add to that compost.
The dead branches act much like a sponge over winter and if you build any garden, propagation bedding, that "compost can then be used as a base for the bed, thereby holding moisture during hot weather.
If there's another tree, shrub that could be pruned now, chip it up and add the green mixed into the branches. Lazy compost that should be good in spring.
Sympa les escaliers, bravo a vous deux.
Good to see your progress on the land… and Paco of course ❤
you can make a good kompost with this wood..and you can put the cutted wood on top and old earth..and in one ore two years you have a fantastic beet, that also holding the water..greatings
Great video again, the steps are looking really good! I love the detail of having the nice attractive rocks pointing outwards on the front of the steps. And so cool to see that air layering work. I didn't realise you could do it with such a big branch. That's almost like buying a 2 or 3 year old tree from a nursery. That's great! Please let us know how the potted up plant goes!
Regarding the dry branches, if it's convenient you could drag them onto part of your track where you'll go over them with the car frequently. Obviously in a more spread out layer, not as a huge pile 😂 I've done that with a lot of old dry branches and now I have a load of woodchip on my drive to scoop up!
It's coming along bit by bit. It would be awesome all the cut down olive trees come back with new growth, wouldn't it be? 200 of them!! You will be going round the mountain taking care of them!! Nice work.
Another enjoyable video, great idea to get the steps sorted , there coming along nicely
BCS two wheeled tractor
Good to see more work going on and the steps are looking great. It’s great to see you guys cleaning up the land as well as doing building work. Look forward to the next video ! 👍🏽😎
Go England, will be watching tomorrow at 6 AM my time
Forgot to say “good to see you back “!
Stunning land I love the terraces and the steps look great, you could create hugel mounds with the dead old branches they'd be great to plant in then degrade over a couple of years.
Good to see you again! Your videos are so inspiring and helpful (also a bit addictive, to be honest!), I'm learning a whole lot every single time… Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! From building steps to pruning/multiplying trees, to building a tiny house on your own (+all the video editing!), I cannot believe how much you've been achieving, day after day, after day! Again, so inspiring! Congrats! Can't wait for the next episodes!
Enjoy watching your videos, Danny and Kate. We've also been looking for a country house in Spain – only uploaded a few nightmares we've viewed, but soon will be uploading the start of our renovations.
Many thanks for this episode, I was wondering if you could burn any old pieces of wood? or it is not possible? All the best 🙂
Possible upgrades for your cementing before you give up and get the cement mixer you know you need. – a 'bucket' trowel, which has a flat end and lets you scrape the bottom of the bucket properly. Also, in the UK at least, you can get a 6×6 or 6×4 tarpaulin sheet which will let you mix a whole 20kg bag of mortar mix at once with the two of you.
Excellent work guys, enjoying every bit. I would get an axe and cut the old branches smaller and burn them in a log burner (heat the house in winter nights). Keep it going, all the best.
Nice to watch your progress… Thanks!
Huegul gardens will use all branches and twigs you have create planter boxes fill with dead branches and twigs then dirt on top you might have to get soil brought in as not much around you all rocks from what I see
We're just up the river from you, we can't burn anymore. Our baby goats are eating the leaves and the branches get broken up and thrown on the compost.
Another interesting video Danny & Kate, great watching your progress on your cabin. Many thanks for sharing your life, looking forward to your next video 🙂